Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus providing a graphical user interface for representing and navigating hierarchical networks

US8185824B1 · kind B1 · utility

161Cited by
37References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 23, 2007
Grant dateMay 22, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 13, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L41/22
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided which present hierarchical data to a user via a graphical user interface. In the interface, hierarchical data is represented by nodes, beginning with one or more top nodes and extending into lower hierarchical levels by the display of child nodes, child's child nodes, and so forth. The arrangement of nodes on the graphical user interface is such that scaling portrays the various hierarchical levels, and nodes do not spatially interfere with one another. Navigation through the hierarchical data is provided by allowing the user to select any visible node, at which point a zoom-in or zoom-out view to the selected node as a centrally located node on the interface is performed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.