# US 9,519,692 B2 · Visualizing related events within a timeline > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,692 B2 - Document ID: US9519692B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/248,273 - Filed: 2011-09-29 - Published: 2013-04-04 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-29 - Assignees: Oracle International Corporation - Applicants: Chadwick Chow; Elisabeth Rinderknecht Stein - Inventors: Chadwick Chow; Elisabeth Rinderknecht Stein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519692B2 ## CPC - G06F 16/2477: {Temporal data queries} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A timeline visualization system displays one or more groups of related events over a specified period of time within a timeline, where each group of related events is represented within the timeline as an event group. When a user interacts with the timeline, the event group expands and displays all the related events within the event group in a layer on top of the timeline. When a user interacts with the timeline a second time, the event group collapses, and the timeline (including the one or more event groups), is once again displayed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to visualize events within a timeline, the visualizing comprising: receiving data that represents a plurality of events; creating an event group that comprises at least two events of the plurality of events, wherein the at least two events are related events based on a criteria; creating an event group software object that represents the event group, the event group software object storing at least two keys, each of the at least two keys identifying one of the at least two events; displaying a graphical user interface to a user, the graphical user interface including: an overview panel displaying an overview of the timeline, an overview window, slidingly disposed over the overview panel, highlighting a viewable portion of the timeline, the overview window including a marker for the event group, and a timeline panel, disposed adjacent to the overview panel, displaying the viewable portion of the timeline; displaying the event group within the timeline panel; in response to a first user action, using the at least two keys stored within the event group software object to identify the at least two events and display the at least two events in an expanded view of the event group wherein the expanded view comprises a layer comprising the at least two events and the layer is disposed on top of the timeline panel; and removing the expanded view in response to a second user interaction outside of the layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the event group comprises a counter, wherein the counter indicates a number of related events that the event group comprises. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the visualizing further comprising displaying a scrolling mechanism within the expanded view of the event group, wherein the scrolling mechanism scrolls through the at least two events of the event group. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the visualizing further comprising animating a display of the event group in response to a third user interaction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the receiving of the data further comprising receiving the data from a collection model, wherein the collection model is a software object that retrieves one or more data records from a data store and stores the one or more data records within the software object. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein each data record of the one or more data records represents an event and comprises a key and event information, wherein the key uniquely identifies the event. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the criteria is defined so that two or more events are related when they occur approximately on a same date or at the same time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the timeline visualizes events as part of an enterprise resource planning system, the plurality of events are tracked by the enterprise resource planning system, and the criteria is further defined so that the two or more events are related when they are also events that are part of a common overall transaction being tracked by the enterprise resource planning system. ### Claim 9 A computer-implemented method for displaying a timeline, comprising: receiving data that represents a plurality of events; creating an event group that comprises at least two events of the plurality of events, wherein the at least two events are related events based on a criteria; creating an event group software object that represents the event group, the event group software object storing at least two keys, each of the at least two keys identifying one of the at least two events; displaying a graphical user interface to a user, the graphical user interface including: an overview panel displaying an overview of the timeline, an overview window, slidingly disposed over the overview panel, the overview window highlighting a viewable portion of the timeline, the overview window including a marker for the event group, and a timeline panel, disposed adjacent to the overview panel, displaying the viewable portion of the timeline; displaying the event group within the timeline panel; in response to a first user action, using the at least two keys stored within the event group software object to identify the at least two events and display the at least two events in an expanded view of the event group, wherein the expanded view comprises a layer comprising the at least two events and the layer is disposed on top of the timeline panel; and removing the expanded view in response to a second user interaction outside of the layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the event group comprises a counter, wherein the counter indicates a number of related events that the event group comprises. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising displaying a scrolling mechanism within the expanded view of the event group, wherein the scrolling mechanism scrolls through the at least two events of the event group. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising animating a display of the event group in response to a third user interaction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, the receiving of the data further comprising receiving the data from a collection model, wherein the collection model is a software object that retrieves one or more data records from a data store and stores the one or more data records within the software object. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein each data record of the one or more data records represents an event and comprises a key and event information, wherein the key uniquely identifies the event. ### Claim 15 A timeline visualization system, comprising: a data receiving module configured to receive data that represents a plurality of events; an event group module configured to create an event group that comprises at least two events of the plurality of events, wherein the at least two events are related events based on a criteria; the event group module further configured to create an event group software object that represents the event group, the event group software object storing at least two keys, each of the at least two keys identifying one of the at least two events; and a display module configured to: display a graphical user interface to a user, the graphical user interface including: an overview panel, displaying an overview of the timeline, an overview window, slidingly disposed over the overview panel, highlighting a viewable portion of the timeline, the overview window including a marker for the event group, and a timeline panel disposed adjacent to the overview panel, the timeline panel displaying the viewable portion of the timeline; display the event group within the timeline panel; and in response to a first user action, use the at least two keys stored within the event group software object to identify the at least two events and display the at least two events in an expanded view of the event group, wherein the expanded view comprises a layer comprising the at least two events and the layer is disposed on top of the timeline panel; and wherein the display module is further configured to remove the expanded view in response to a second user interaction outside of the layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The timeline visualization system of claim 15, wherein the event group comprises a counter, wherein the counter indicates a number of related events that the event group comprises. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The timeline visualization system of claim 15, wherein the display module is further configured to display a scrolling mechanism within the expanded view of the event group, wherein the scrolling mechanism scrolls through the at least two events of the event group. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The timeline visualization system of claim 15, wherein the display module is further configured to animate a display of the event group in response to a third user interaction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The timeline visualization system of claim 15, wherein the data receiving module is further configured to receive the data from a collection model, wherein the collection model is a software object that retrieves one or more data records from a data store and stores the one or more data records within the software object. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The timeline visualization system of claim 19, wherein each data record of the one or more data records represents an event and comprises a key and event information, wherein the key uniquely identifies the event.