Intelligent axis labels

1. A method for displaying labels on an axis, comprising:

obtaining an original sequence of labels to be displayed along the axis;

determining by a processor whether the labels in the original sequence of labels overlap an adjacent label in the original sequence of labels;

if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels overlap, determining an alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap, by successively testing predefined alternate sequences until whichever occurs first of the alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap being found and all the alternate sequences having been tested, wherein each alternate sequence is formed as a subset of the original sequence without changing a size of any of the individual labels in the original sequence;

displaying the original sequence of labels if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels do not overlap; and

displaying the alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels overlap and the alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap is found.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether one of the labels in the sequence of labels that is to be displayed last along the axis and within a space that is aligned to an element that the label that is to be displayed last represents and that corresponds to a size of the label that is to be displayed last, extends past the bounds of the axis; and

omitting the label that is to be displayed last from being displayed if it is determined that the label that is to be displayed last extends past the bounds of the axis.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the labels is centered to an element that the label represents.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein characters in each label are displayed in a single line.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the labels displayed along the axis includes an indicia to indicate a location on the axis that the label having the indicia represents.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps to determine whether the original sequence of labels overlap, to determine an alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap, and to display the original sequence of labels or the alternate sequence of labels are repeated if it is determined that the display of information corresponding to the labels has changed.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the testing includes selecting each alternate sequence from a plurality of predefined alternate sequences in which select labels are omitted, and wherein the alternate sequences differ in regard to which labels are omitted.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the alternate sequences omit labels according to a geometric sequence.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming the alternate sequences by selecting labels from the original sequence based on different predefined patterns, such that a first alternate sequence and a second alternate sequence share the same number of labels, but differ with respect to which individual labels are selected.

10. A method for displaying labels along an axis from an original sequence of labels, comprising:

identifying by a processor a first label from the original sequence of labels that can be displayed along the axis within a space that is aligned to an element that the first label represents, that corresponds to a size of the first label, and does not extend past the bounds of the axis;

after identifying the first label, determining whether labels in the original sequence of labels following the first label overlap an adjacent label in the sequence of labels;

if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels following the first label overlap, determining an alternate sequence of the labels following the first label that avoids the overlap, by successively testing predefined alternate sequences of the labels following the first label until whichever occurs first of the alternate sequence of the labels following the first label that avoids the overlap being found and all the alternate sequences having been tested, wherein each alternate sequence is formed as a subset of the original sequence without changing a size of any of the individual labels in the original sequence;

displaying the first label and the original sequence of labels following the first label if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels following the first label do not overlap; and

displaying the first label and the alternate sequence of labels following the first label if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence following the first label overlap and the alternate sequence of the labels following the first label that avoids the overlap is found.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining whether one of the labels in the sequence of labels that is to be displayed last along the axis and within a space that is aligned to an element that the label that is to be displayed last represents and that corresponds to a size of the label that is to be displayed last, extends past the bounds of the axis; and

omitting the label that is to be displayed last from being displayed if it is determined that the label that is to be displayed last extends past the bounds of the axis.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first label is displayed within the space that is centered to the element that the first label represents.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the labels displayed along the axis includes an indicia to indicate a location on the axis that the label having the indicia represents.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the steps to identify the first label to be displayed, to determine whether the original sequence of labels overlap, to determine an alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap, and to display the original sequence of labels or the alternate sequence of labels are repeated if it is determined that the display of information corresponding to the labels has changed.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the testing includes selecting each alternate sequence from a plurality of predefined alternate sequences in which select labels are omitted, and wherein the alternate sequences differ in regard to which labels are omitted.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of identifying a first label includes:

iteratively determining, by stepping through an original sequence of labels one label at a time, whether a candidate label from the original sequence of labels meets the following criteria:

can be displayed along the axis within a space that is aligned to an element that the candidate label represents,

corresponds to a size of the candidate label, and

does not extend past the bounds of the axis;

wherein the iterative determining is performed until a candidate label that meets all the criteria is found, whereupon the candidate label meeting all the criteria is identified as the first label.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a set of stored instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

obtain an original sequence of labels to be displayed along an axis;

determine whether the labels in the original sequence of labels overlap an adjacent label in the original sequence of labels;

if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels overlap, determine an alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap, by successively testing predefined alternate sequences until whichever occurs first of the alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap being found and all the alternate sequences having been tested, wherein each alternate sequence is formed as a subset of the original sequence without changing a size of any of the individual labels in the original sequence;

display the original sequence of labels if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels do not overlap; and

display the alternate sequence of labels if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels overlap and the alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap is found.

18. An apparatus for displaying information, comprising

a processing unit; and

a display screen operatively connected to the processing unit and operative to display the information in a format including a sequence of labels corresponding to the information to be displayed on the display screen,

wherein the processing unit is operative to;

obtain an original sequence of labels;

determine whether the labels in the original sequence of labels overlap an adjacent label in the original sequence of labels;

if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels overlap, determine an alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap, by successively testing predefined alternate sequences until whichever occurs first of the alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap being found and all the alternate sequences having been tested, wherein each alternate sequence is formed as a subset of the original sequence without changing a size of any of the individual labels in the original sequence;

display on the display screen the original sequence of labels if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels do not overlap; and

display on the display screen the alternate sequence of labels if it is determined that the labels in the original sequence of labels overlap and the alternate sequence of labels that avoids the overlap is found.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the processing unit is operative to display the labels on the display screen in a single line.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the processing unit is operative to display the characters in each label in a single line.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the processing unit is operative to display on the display screen an axis along which the labels are disposed.