System and method for visualizing relationships between objects
View Patent ↗A graphical user interface transforms objects into nodes and relationships that are shared between the objects into edges. The edges are labeled with the relationship types. Multiple edges are ordered automatically or manually. Multiple edges are collapsed onto a single line and labels applied to the single line for each collapsed edge. The labels applied to the single line are ordered along the line according to relationship type. When there are multiple types of relationships within the same class, each class is collapsed onto a single line and ordered accordingly. A user selects the objects that are displayed by the GUI. The user can add additional objects or relationships and filter the results.
1. A computer-implemented method for visualizing relationships between objects, comprising the steps of:
a processor receiving a request to generate a graph that displays at least two relationships between at least two objects;
said processor retrieving the at least two objects from a computer readable storage medium;
said processor transforming the objects into nodes;
said processor transforming a first of the relationships connecting two of the nodes into a first edge;
said processor labeling the first edge with a relationship type of the first relationship;
said processor transforming a second of the relationships connecting two of the nodes into a second edge;
said processor labeling the second edge with a relationship type of the second relationship;
said processor collapsing the first and second edges onto a single line;
said processor applying a label to the single line for each edge that was collapsed onto the single line;
said processor ordering each label applied to the single line along the single line according to an ordering of the relationship types; and
said processor generating a graph that displays a visualization of said ordered labels.
2. A computer-implemented method for visualizing relationships between objects, comprising the steps of:
a processor receiving a request to generate a graph that displays at least two relationships between at least two objects;
said processor retrieving the at least two objects from a computer readable storage medium;
said processor transforming the objects into nodes;
said processor transforming a first of the relationships connecting two of the nodes into a first edge;
said processor labeling the first edge with a relationship type of the first relationship;
said processor transforming a second of the relationships connecting two of the nodes into a second edge;
said processor labeling the second edge with a relationship type of the second relationship;
said processor collapsing the first and second edges onto a single line;
said processor applying a label to the single line for each edge that was collapsed onto the single line;
said processor ordering each label applied to the single line along the single line according to instructions received from a user; and
said processor generating a graph that displays a visualization of said ordered labels.
3. A computer-implemented method for visualizing relationships between objects, comprising the steps of:
a processor receiving a request to generate a graph that displays at least two relationships between at least two objects;
said processor retrieving the at least two objects from a computer readable storage medium;
said processor transforming the objects into nodes;
said processor transforming a first of the relationships connecting two of the nodes into a first edge;
said processor labeling the first edge with a relationship type of the first relationship;
said processor transforming a second of the relationships connecting two of the nodes into a second edge;
said processor labeling the second edge with a relationship type of the second relationship;
said processor collapsing the first and second edges onto a single line;
said processor applying a label to the single line for each edge that was collapsed onto the single line;
said processor grouping each of the relationship types within a relationship class;
said processor collapsing all edges with the same relationship class onto a single line;
said processor ordering each label applied to the single line along the single line according to an ordering of the relationship types within the relationship class; and
said processor generating a graph that displays a visualization of said ordered labels.
4. A computer-implemented method for visualizing relationships between objects, comprising the steps of:
a processor receiving a request to generate a graph that displays at least two relationships between at least two objects;
said processor retrieving the at least two objects from a computer readable storage medium;
said processor transforming the objects into nodes;
said processor transforming a first of the relationships connecting two of the nodes into a first edge;
said processor labeling the first edge with a relationship type of the first relationship;
said processor transforming a second of the relationships connecting two of the nodes into a second edge;
said processor labeling the second edge with a relationship type of the second relationship;
said processor ordering the first and second edges according to an ordering of the first and second relationship types; and
said processor generating a graph that displays a visualization of said ordered edges between said at least two objects.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ordering of the first and second relationship types is an ordering within a relationship class.
6. A computer program product for generating a graph that displays at least two relationships between objects comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code which, when executed by a processor, performs the following steps:
said processor retrieving at least two objects from a computer-readable storage medium;
said processor transforming the objects into nodes;
said processor transforming a first relationship connecting two of the nodes into a first edge;
said processor labeling the first edge with a relationship type of the first relationship;
said processor transforming a second relationship connecting two of the nodes into a second edge;
said processor labeling the second edge with a relationship type of the second relationship;
said processor collapsing a plurality of edges onto a single line;
said processor applying a label to the single line for each edge that was collapsed onto the single line;
said processor ordering each label applied to the single line along the single line according to an ordering of the relationship types; and
said processor generating a graph that displays a visualization of said ordered labels.
7. A computer program product for generating a graph that displays at least two relationships between objects comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code which, when executed by a processor, performs the following steps:
said processor retrieving at least two objects from a computer-readable storage medium;
said processor transforming the objects into nodes;
said processor transforming a first relationship connecting two of the nodes into a first edge;
said processor labeling the first edge with a relationship type of the first relationship;
said processor transforming a second relationship connecting two of the nodes into a second edge;
said processor labeling the second edge with a relationship type of the second relationship;
said processor ordering each of the first and second edges according to an ordering of the relationship types; and
said processor generating a graph that displays a visualization of said ordered edges between said at least two objects.
8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the ordering of the relationship types is an ordering within a relationship class.