Method of navigating a collection of interconnected nodes
US6931604B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 23, 2002 |
| Grant date | Aug 16, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 22, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/0482
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for organizing and processing interconnected pieces of information (“nodes”) using a digital computer is disclosed. Each node has elements that may be text, images, audio, video, and other computer programs. A graph-based user interface presents the individual nodes in spatial arrangements that reflect the relationships among the nodes. User interaction indicating interest in a particular node results in an increase in the “activation” of that node. This leads to an increase in the size of the presentation of that node, as well as an increase in the size of the presentation of closely related nodes. The result is a unique user interaction paradigm that allows for intuitive traversal of complex collections of nodes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.