Relationship representations in a digital environment

1 . A method for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device using a system, the system comprising:

storage for storing data, the data comprising at least a plurality of data items, each of the plurality of data items having associated relationship data indicative of at least one relationship between a given data item of the plurality of data items and at least one other data item of the plurality of data items; and

a controller for managing at least some of the plurality of data items in the data;

the method comprising:

receiving, at the controller, a request for the relationship data associated with the given data item in the plurality of data items;

obtaining, by the controller, the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items based on the relationship data associated with the given data item;

generating, by the controller, the data indicative of the relationship representation, the data indicative of the relationship representation representing variable dimensions on a display of the user device, and comprising at least:

a first portion comprising a representation of the given data item and representations of one or more additional data items of the plurality of data items;

a second portion comprising a representation of the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items; and

an indication of the relationship between the given data item and the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items,

wherein the first portion and the second portion are reconfigurable between a first configuration and a second configuration in response to changes in the variable dimensions on the display, wherein in the first configuration the second portion is positioned adjacent to the first portion, and in the second configuration the second portion is positioned above or below the first portion and the first portion and the second portion are horizontally co-located within a common width and are vertically distributed; and

wherein, in response to the changes in the variable dimensions, the representation of the given data item is maintained at a fixed position within the first portion and the representations of one or more of the one or more additional data items are removed from the first portion.

2 . The method for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device according to claim 1 , further comprising recalculating, by the controller, a dimension of at least one of the first portion or the second portion, when a request for the relationship data associated with a chosen data item with a representation in the second portion is received at the controller.

3 . The method for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device according to claim 1 , wherein the relationship data comprises temporal information.

4 . The method for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device according to claim 3 , wherein the second portion is positioned within the dimensions specified in the data indicative of the relationship representation based on the temporal information of the relationship data associated with the given data item and the at least one other data item.

5 . The method for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

calculating, by the controller, an end state for at least the first portion and the second portion, the end state comprising an end size and an end position within dimensions specified in the data indicative of the relationship representation; and

resizing and repositioning, by the controller, at least the first portion and the second portion to the end size and the end position over a given time period.

6 . The method for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device according to claim 1 , further comprising tracking, by the controller, at least the representation of at least the given data item, and the representation of the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items, within the data indicative of the relationship representation.

7 . The method for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are reconfigured in response to changes in available display width.

8 . The method for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device according to claim 1 , wherein the data comprises any of:

patent data;

product data;

personally identifiable information;

census data; and

sports data.

9 . A system for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment, the system comprising:

a user device configured to operate the digital environment;

storage for storing data, the data comprising at least a plurality of data items, each of the plurality of data items having associated relationship data indicative of at least one relationship between a given data item of the plurality of data items and at least one other data item of the plurality of data items;

a controller for managing at least some of the plurality of data items in the data and configured to send and receive commands;

the controller comprising a processor configured to:

receive a request for relationship data associated with the given data item in the plurality of data items;

obtain the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items based on the relationship data associated with the given data item;

generate the data indicative of the relationship representation, the data indicative of the relationship representation representing variable dimensions on a display of the user device and comprising at least:

a first portion comprising a representation of the given data item and representations of one or more additional data items of the plurality of data items;

a second portion comprising a representation of the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items; and

an indication of the relationship between the given data item and the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items,

wherein the first portion and the second portion are reconfigurable between a first configuration and a second configuration in response to changes in the variable dimensions on the display, wherein in the first configuration the second portion is positioned adjacent to the first portion, and in the second configuration the second portion is positioned above or below the first portion and the first portion and the second portion are horizontally co-located within a common width and are vertically distributed; and

wherein, in response to the changes in the variable dimensions, the representation of the given data item is maintained at a fixed position within the first portion and the representations of one or more of the one or more additional data items are removed from the first portion.

10 . The system for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to recalculate a dimension of at least one of the first portion or the second portion, when a request for the relationship data associated with a chosen data item with a representation in the second portion is received at the controller.

11 . The system for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate an end state for at least the first portion and the second portion, the end state comprising an end size and an end position within dimensions specified in the data indicative of the relationship representation; and

resize and reposition at least the first portion and the second portion to the end size and the end position over a given time period.

12 . The system for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment according to claim 11 , wherein the relationship data comprises temporal information, and the end state is based on the temporal information.

13 . The system for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to track at least the representation of at least the given data item, and the representation of the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items, within data indicative of the relationship representation.

14 . The system for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment according to claim 9 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are reconfigured in response to changes in available display width.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by at least one processor are arranged to generate data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device using a system, the system comprising:

storage for storing data, the data comprising at least a plurality of data items, each of the plurality of data items having associated relationship data indicative of at least one relationship between a given data item of the plurality of data items and at least one other data item of the plurality of data items;

a controller for managing at least some of the plurality of data items in the data; and

an application programming interface, API, configured to send and receive requests to and from the controller;

wherein the instructions, when executed cause the processor to:

receive, at the controller, a request, through the API, for the relationship data associated with the given data item in the plurality of data items;

obtain, by the controller, the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items based on the relationship data associated with the given data item;

generate, by the controller, the data indicative of the relationship representation, the data indicative of the relationship representation representing variable dimensions on a display of the user device, and comprising at least:

a first portion comprising a representation of the given data item and representations of one or more additional data items of the plurality of data items;

a second portion comprising a representation of the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items; and

an indication of the relationship between the given data item and the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items,

wherein the first portion and the second portion are reconfigurable between a first configuration and a second configuration in response to changes in the variable dimensions on the display, wherein in the first configuration the second portion is positioned adjacent to the first portion, and in the second configuration the second portion is positioned above or below the first portion and the first portion and the second portion are horizontally co-located within a common width and are vertically distributed; and

wherein, in response to the changes in the variable dimensions, the representation of the given data item is maintained at a fixed position within the first portion and the representations of one or more of the one or more additional data items are removed from the first portion; and

transmit the data indicative of the relationship representation from the controller, through the API.

16 . A method for generating data indicative of a relationship representation in a digital environment operating on a user device using a system, the system comprising:

storage for storing data, the data comprising at least a plurality of data items, each of the plurality of data items having associated relationship data indicative of at least one relationship between a given data item of the plurality of data items and at least one other data item of the plurality of data items; and

a controller for managing at least some of the plurality of data items in the data, the method comprising:

receiving, at the controller, a request for the relationship data associated with the given data item in the plurality of data items;

obtaining, by the controller, the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items based on the relationship data associated with the given data item;

generating, by the controller, the data indicative of the relationship representation, the data indicative of the relationship representation representative of variable dimensions on a display of the user device, and comprising at least:

a first portion comprising a representation of the given data item and representations of one or more additional data items of the plurality of data items;

a second portion comprising a representation of the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items; and

an indication of the relationship between the given data item and the at least one other data item of the plurality of data items,

wherein the first portion and the second portion are reconfigurable between a first configuration and a second configuration in response to changes in the variable dimensions on the display, wherein in the first configuration the second portion is positioned adjacent to the first portion, and in the second configuration the second portion is positioned above or below the first portion and the first portion and the second portion are horizontally co-located within a common width and are vertically distributed; and

wherein, in response to the changes in the variable dimensions, the representation of the given data item is maintained at a fixed position within the first portion and the representations of one or more of the one or more additional data items are removed from the first portion; and

transmitting the data indicative of the relationship representation from the controller.