Method and system for representing hierarchical time-based data structures and to extract information therefrom

Claim 1

A method of presenting hierarchical time-based data elements wherein data elements can change between active and inactive states with time and wherein interconnections between said data elements can also change with time and extracting information from specified time portions thereof comprising the steps of: (i) determining the data elements to be represented; (ii) creating a container to represent the states and hierarchy of said data elements; (iii) placing each data element which receives no input from other data elements in a first, bottom layer of said container, and positioning each said data element with respect to a time line and indicating when each said data element is active and inactive; (iv) creating a minimal set of one or more higher layers in which other data elements to be represented are placed, indicating when each said other data elements are active and inactive, said other data elements being placed such that they receive input only from data elements in a lower layer and that, if they provide an output to other data elements, those data elements are located in a higher layer; (v) for each layer in turn in said container, from the bottom layer to the top layer, examining the data elements in the layer to determine the transitions wherein each data element in the layer and in any adjacent lower layer changes between states; (vi) creating for each layer a layer multiplexer to indicate each output from a data element which is available in each duration between determined transitions; (vii) examining the top layer of said container to determine for each duration in said container to identify the outputs required for each duration and the data elements which provide said identified outputs; (viii) for each data element which requires input from another data element, examining the layer multiplexers in lower layers to determine the other data elements which provide the required input; and (ix) in response to a request for active data elements and their interconnections within a specified portion of time represented within said container, outputting a representation of said active data elements a representation of their interconnections for each duration within said portion of time.

Claim 2

A method of presenting hierarchical time-based data elements wherein data elements can change between active and inactive states with time and wherein interconnections between said data elements can also change with time and extracting information from specified time portions thereof comprising the steps of: (i) determining the data elements to be represented; (ii) creating a container to represent the states and hierarchy of said data elements; (iii) placing each data element which receives no input from other data elements in a first, bottom layer of said container, and positioning each said data element with respect to a time line and indicating when each said data element is active and inactive; (iv) creating a minimal set of one or more higher layers in which other data elements to be represented are placed, indicating when each said other data elements are active and inactive, said other data elements being placed such that they receive input only from data elements in a lower layer and that, if they provide an output to other data elements, those data elements are located in a higher layer; (v) for each layer in turn in said container, from the bottom layer to the top layer, examining the data elements in the layer to determine the transitions wherein each data element in the layer and in any adjacent lower layer changes between states; (vi) creating for each layer a layer multiplexer to indicate each output from a data element which is available in each duration between determined transitions; (vii) examining the top layer of said container to determine for each duration in said container to identify the outputs required for each duration and the data elements which provide said identified outputs; (viii) for each data element which requires input from another data element, examining the layer multiplexers in lower layers to determine the other data elements which provide the required input; and (ix) in response to a request for active data elements and their interconnections within a specified portion of time represented within said container, outputting a representation of said active data elements a representation of their interconnections for each duration within said portion of time.