DISPLAYING FACTS ON A LINEAR GRAPH

Abstract

A set of objects having facts is established. Facts of objects having positions in a order are identified. Some facts explicitly describe the positions in the linear order, while are facts do not explicitly describe the positions. The facts are presented in the order on a linear graph, such as a timeline. Facts of the objects describing geographic positions are presented on a map.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a system architecture adapted to support one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2( a)-2(d) are block diagrams illustrating a data structure for facts within a repository of FIG. 1 in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2( e) is a block diagram illustrating an alternate data structure for facts and objects in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a high-level block diagram illustrating modules within a presentation engine according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a high-level block diagram illustrating modules within the linear graph presentation module according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates a linear graph presented by the presentation module according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates a linear graph presented by the presentation engine according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates a sample display having a linear graph and a map.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating steps performed by the presentation engine to present a linear graph according to one embodiment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting facts on a linear graph, comprising: storing a set of objects in a memory of a computer, each object having a set of two or more facts, each fact having an attribute and a corresponding value;identifying a fact of an object in the set having a position in a linear order;identifying facts of other objects in the set having positions in the linear order; andpresenting, on a display of the computer, a linear graph displaying the facts in the linear order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a value of the fact having the position in the linear order is a date, and wherein the linear graph displaying the facts is a timeline displaying dates of facts of the objects in the set.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: analyzing the facts of the objects in the set to identify facts specifying dates; andpresenting the specified dates of the identified facts on the linear graph.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a scale for the linear graph responsive to values of the facts of the objects in the set having positions in the linear order; andpresenting the linear graph with the determined scale.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying a second fact of the object in the set having the fact having the position in the linear order, the second fact describing a geographic position;presenting, on the display of the computer, a map graphically representing the geographic position described by the second fact.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises: presenting an icon on the linear graph, the icon representing a position of a fact in the linear order.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the icon has a visual characteristic indicating a source of the fact having the position represented by the icon.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the visual characteristic identifies an object in the set of objects.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises: presenting an first icon on the linear graph, the icon indicating a position of a fact in the linear order;presenting a second icon on the linear graph, the icon indicating a same position of the fact as the first icon, the second icon presented adjacent to the first icon at a position orthogonal to an axis of the linear graph.

10. A system for presenting facts on a linear graph, comprising: an object access module for establishing a set of objects, each object having a set of two or more facts, each fact having an attribute and a corresponding value; anda linear graph presentation module for identifying a fact of an object in the set having a position in a linear order, identifying facts of other objects in the set having positions in the linear order, and presenting a linear graph displaying the facts in the linear order.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a value of the fact having the position in the linear order is a date, and wherein the linear graph displaying the facts is a timeline displaying dates of facts of the objects in the set.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising: a data analysis module for analyzing the facts of the objects in the set to identify facts specifying dates,wherein the specified dates of the identified facts are presented on the linear graph.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising: a scale determination module for determining a scale for the linear graph responsive to values of the facts of the objects in the set having positions in the linear order,wherein the linear graph is presented with the determined scale.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising: a map presentation module for identifying a second fact of the object in the set having the fact having the position in the linear order, the second fact describing a geographic position and presenting a map graphically representing the geographic position described by the second fact.

15. A computer program product having a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions embodied therein for presenting facts on a linear graph, the computer program instructions comprising: an object access module for establishing a set of objects, each object having a set of two or more facts, each fact having an attribute and a corresponding value; anda linear graph presentation module for identifying a fact of an object in the set having a position in a linear order, identifying facts of other objects in the set having positions in the linear order, and presenting a linear graph displaying the facts in the linear order.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein a value of the fact having the position in the linear order is a date, and wherein the linear graph displaying the facts is a timeline displaying dates of facts of the objects in the set.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising: a data analysis module for analyzing the facts of the objects in the set to identify facts specifying dates,wherein the specified dates of the identified facts are presented on the linear graph.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising: a scale determination module for determining a scale for the linear graph responsive to values of the facts of the objects in the set having positions in the linear order,wherein the linear graph is presented with the determined scale.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising: a map presentation module for identifying a second fact of the object in the set having the fact having the position in the linear order, the second fact describing a geographic position and presenting a map graphically representing the geographic position described by the second fact.

20. A computer-implemented method for presenting facts on a linear graph, comprising: storing a set of data in a memory of a computer, the data describing two or more facts, each fact having an attribute and a corresponding value;identifying a fact of the data in the set having a position in a linear order;identifying facts of other data in the set having positions in the linear order; andpresenting, on a display of the computer, a linear graph displaying the facts in the linear order.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: analyzing unstructured data in the set to identify facts specifying dates,wherein the specified dates of the identified facts are presented on the linear graph.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein a value of the fact having the position in the linear order is a date, and wherein the linear graph displaying the facts is a timeline displaying dates of facts of the objects in the set.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising: identifying a second fact of the data in the set having the fact having the position in the linear order, the second fact describing a geographic position;presenting, on the display of the computer, a map graphically representing the geographic position described by the second fact.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the presenting comprises: presenting an icon on the linear graph, the icon representing a position of a fact in the linear order.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the icon has a visual characteristic indicating a source of the fact having the position represented by the icon.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the icon has a visual characteristic displaying an image related to the fact having the position in the linear order represented by the icon.