Computer-implemented system and method for placing groups of cluster spines into a display

1. A computer-implemented system for placing groups of cluster spines into a display, comprising:

a display to present a shape;

a sector module to designate sectors around the shape;

a placement module to place one or more spine groups into the display, wherein each spine group comprises two or more vectors of documents clusters and is placed adjacent to the shape within one of the sectors and to place a further spine group into the display adjacent to one of the placed spine groups most similar to the further spine group;

a determination module to determine that the further spine group overlaps the most similar placed spine group; and

a position module to translate the further spine group and the most similar placed spine group away from the shape when rotation of the overlapping further spine group, away from the most similar placed spine group, places the further spine group into a different sector.

2. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a vector module to designate a central vector within each of the sectors and to position each of the placed spine groups along the central vector in the corresponding sector.

3. A system according to claim 2 , further comprising:

an angle module to determine an initial target angle for each of the central vectors and to determine maximum and minimum angles relative to the initial target angle.

4. A system according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a sector placement module to place one or more additional spine groups in at least one of the sectors based on the maximum and minimum angles.

5. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a selection module to select the one or more spine groups for placement into the display, comprising:

a comparison module to compare within a set of spine groups each spine group with each other spine group, wherein the spine group comprises at least the one or more placed spine groups and the further spine group; and

an identification module to identify each of the one or more spine groups as unique from the other spine groups in the set.

6. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more spine groups are placed at equal distances around the shape.

7. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a primary circle outside the shape; and

an outermost circle to delineate an area for descriptive label placement of the placed spine groups.

8. A system according to claim 7 , wherein a majority of the spine groups placed into the display fall within the primary circle.

9. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a shape definition module to define a radius of the shape in accordance with the following equation:

r

=

Seeds

×

MaxY

2

·

π

where Seeds is a number of the one or more spine groups to be placed circumferentially to the shape and MaxY is a maximum extent along a y-axis of the one or more spine groups.

10. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the sectors are formed as quarter sectors around the shape.

11. A computer-implemented method for placing groups of cluster spines into a display, comprising:

providing a shape in a display;

designating sectors around the shape;

placing one or more spine groups into the display, wherein each spine group comprises two or more vectors of documents clusters and is placed adjacent to the shape within one of the sectors;

placing a further spine group into the display adjacent to one of the placed spine groups most similar to the further spine group;

determining that the further spine group overlaps the most similar placed spine group; and

translating the further spine group and the most similar placed spine group away from the shape when rotation of the overlapping further spine group, away from the most similar placed spine group, places the further spine group into a different sector.

12. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

designating a central vector within each of the sectors; and

positioning each of the placed spine groups along the central vector in the corresponding sector.

13. A method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

determining an initial target angle for each of the central vectors; and

determining maximum and minimum angles relative to the initial target angle.

14. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

placing one or more additional spine groups in at least one of the sectors based on the maximum and minimum angles.

15. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

selecting the one or more spine groups for placement into the display, comprising:

comparing within a set of spine group each spine group with each other spine group, wherein the spine group comprises at least the one or more placed spine groups and the further spine group; and

identifying each of the one or more spine groups as unique from the other spine groups in the set.

16. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more spine groups are placed at equal distances around the shape.

17. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

defining a primary circle outside the shape and an outermost circle to delineate an area for descriptive label placement of the placed spine groups.

18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein a majority of the spine groups placed into the display fall within the primary circle.

19. A method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

defining a radius of the shape in accordance with the following equation:

r

=

Seeds

×

MaxY

2

·

π

where Seeds is a number of the one or more spine groups to be placed circumferentially to the shape and MaxY is a maximum extent along a y-axis of the one or more spine groups.

20. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the sectors are formed as quarter sectors around the shape.