Method of graphically representing a tree structure

1. In a data visualization system, a method of creating a visual representation of data points from metric data, wherein the method includes the steps of:

a data retrieval module retrieving the metric data from a data storage module in communication with the data visualization system,

a determination module determining the data points based on the retrieved metric data,

a display module arranging the data points for displaying on a display device according to a predetermined visual representation,

the display module arranging the data points into a plurality of meta groups in a hierarchical manner,

the display module arranging the meta groups into a plurality of layers, where each layer represents the data points at different levels of granularity,

the display module arranging the data points to be evenly distributed among all meta groups within a single layer,

a statistical distance determination module determining a statistical distance between data points in the meta groups, and

the display module arranging the data points within the meta groups based on the determined statistical distance, the most statistically similar data points being arranged next to each other.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of the display module arranging the meta groups into two or more layers, wherein the meta groups in each layer represent all the data points at that level of granularity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the meta groups are arranged into a plurality of layers where one or more child layers are the same size as their parent layers.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein common data points are associated with multiple meta groups within the same layer.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of an activation detection module detecting the activation of a meta group, whereupon detection of activation of the meta group, the display module indicates the data points associated with the activated meta group in the visual representation.

6. The method of claim 5 further including the step of the activation detection module detecting an end user selecting a meta group using an input device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of the display module overlaying a graphical representation of the hierarchy over the visual representation.

8. The method of claim 7 , further including the step of the display module arranging the meta groups as a graphical tree representation.

9. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of determining the hierarchy from the metric data at substantially the same time as the visual representation is created.

10. The method of claim 1 further including the step of the display module arranging icons that represent the meta groups to be displayed in a tree structure within the visual representation.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of the display module displaying each meta group using a predefined icon where a relative difference between each icon indicates a relative difference in the metric data associated with each meta group.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the icon is a geometric shape.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the icon is one of a triangle, rectangle or quadrangle.

14. The method of claim 10 further including the step of the display module displaying overlapping icons to represent a similarity in metric data associated with each meta group.

15. The method of claim 1 including the use of a product hierarchy as the data points.

16. The method of claim 1 including the use of customer segmentation as the data points.

17. The method of claim 1 including the use of a document table of contents as the data points.

18. The method of claim 1 further including the step of adapting the representation so its reproduction minimizes the use of production printing materials.

19. The method of claim 1 further including the step of the display module adapting the representation so it represents a physical world entity.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the physical world entity is one of a geographic location, road location or road intersection.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the geographic location is the location of one or more stores or distribution centers.

22. The method of claim 1 further including the step of the display module adapting the representation to reduce the amount of display space required to display the hierarchy.

23. The method of claim 1 further including the step of the display module building the representation using a quartering algorithm where each node in each layer contains one quarter of the data of the parent node or each node contains objects whose cumulative values represent one quarter of the value of the parent node.

24. The method of claim 23 where the values are calculated from a classifying value that is not the count of the number of data points.

25. The method of claim 23 where the distribution to each node is calculated approximately, so that the child node contains about 25% of the value of the parent.

26. The method of claim 1 further including the step of building the representation using a tree balancing algorithm where each node in each layer contains a defined subset of the data of the parent node or each node contains objects whose cumulative values represent a subset of the value of the parent node.

27. The method of claim 26 where the values are calculated from a classifying value that is not the count of the number of data points.

28. The method of claim 26 where the distribution to each node is calculated approximately, so that each sibling node contains approximately the same value.

29. A data visualization system for creating a visual representation of data points from metric data, wherein the system includes:

a data retrieval module arranged to retrieve the metric data from a data storage module in communication with the data visualization system,

a determination module arranged to determine the data points based on the retrieved metric data, and

a display module executed by a processing device and arranged to:

arrange the data points for displaying on a display device according to a predetermined visual representation,

arrange the data points into a plurality of meta groups in a hierarchical manner,

arrange the meta groups into a plurality of layers, where each layer represents the data points at different levels of granularity, and

arrange the data points to be evenly distributed among all meta groups within a single layer, and

a statistical distance determination module arranged to determine a statistical distance between data points in the meta groups, wherein

the display module is further arranged to arrange the data points within the meta groups based on the determined statistical distance.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the display module is further arranged to arrange the meta groups into two or more layers, wherein the meta groups in each layer represent all the data points at that level of granularity.

31. The system of claim 29 further including an activation detection module arranged to detect the activation of a meta group, whereupon detection of activation of the meta group, the display module is further arranged to indicate the data points associated with the activated meta group in the visual representation.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the display module is further arranged to overlay a graphical representation of the hierarchy over the visual representation.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein the display module is further arranged to arrange icons that represent the meta groups to be displayed in a tree structure within the visual representation.

34. The system of claim 29 wherein the display module is further arranged to build the representation using a quartering algorithm where each node in each layer contains one quarter of the data of the parent node or each node contains objects whose cumulative values represent one quarter of the value of the parent node.

35. The system of claim 29 wherein the meta groups are arranged into a plurality of layers where one or more child layers are the same size as their parent layers.