US 8,302,019 B2 · System and method for visualizing process flows

Abstract

A method and system for visualizing process flows for business and manufacturing processes are described that includes a first view of the process as a tree showing the process elements and their interconnections, and a second view of the process in the form of a zoomable interface that displays selected nodes at magnifications that are continuously variable at the user's option. A selected node in the tree view opens the same node in the zoomable node view. When a second node is selected in the tree view, the zoomable node view zooms from the first selected node to the second selected node through each node intermediate between the first and second selected nodes. This enables a process analyst to view the content of selected process nodes in the context of nodes with which the selected nodes are associated and thus to have a thorough understanding of the process.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A computer system for visualizing process flows, said system comprising:

(a) a display unit for depicting the process visually on a display;
(b) a mechanism for depicting the process in a first pane of the display as a hierarchical tree view wherein each process element is represented by a respective node of the tree;
(c) a mechanism for depicting a selected node of the tree in a second pane of the display as a zoomable node view;
and
(d) a zooming mechanism for zooming the display of the selected node in the zoomable node view, wherein
the zooming mechanism includes a selection mechanism adapted to select a node in the hierarchical view, further comprising a coupling mechanism adapted to display in the zoomable node view the details of the selected node, and wherein
the display of the selected node in the zoomable node view is magnified by increments until a determination that a user no longer requests for magnification or until the display of the selected node occupies substantially the entire display space of the second pane.

4 more elements

A method for visualizing the flows of a process, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a display space adapted to display the process for viewing by a user, the display space having a first window pane and a second window pane separate from the first window pane;
(b) in a first window pane, displaying said process in the form of a tree, said tree depicting substantially all events in the process in a hierarchical display wherein each event is displayed as a node and sub-events to the event are displayed as child nodes to the node;
(c) in a second pane, displaying a selected node of the tree in a zoomable node view, wherein the selected node is selected in the first window pane;
and
(d) zooming the display of the selected node in the zoomable node view based on user request, wherein the display of the selected node in the zoomable node view is magnified by increments until a determination that the user no longer requests for magnification or until the display of the selected node occupies substantially the entire display space of the second window pane.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for visualizing process flows

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System and method for visualizing process flows

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11