US6237006B1
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Methods for graphically representing web sites and hierarchical node structures
Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Co LP
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Filing: 1999-11-10
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Granted: 2001-05-22
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Expires: 2019-11-10
Abstract
Abstract A visual Web site analysis program, implemented as a collection of software components, provides a variety of features for facilitating the analysis and management of web sites and Web site content. A mapping component scans a Web site over a network connection and builds a site map which graphically depicts the URLs and links of the site. Site maps are generated using a unique layout and display methodology which allows the user to visualize the overall architecture of the Web site. Various map navigation and URL filtering features are provided to facilitate the task of identifying and repairing common Web site problems, such as links to missing URLs. A dynamic page scan feature enables the user to include dynamically-generated Web pages within the site map by capturing the output of a standard Web browser when a form is submitted by the user, and then automatically resubmitting this output during subsequent mappings of the site. The Web site analysis program is implemented using an extensible architecture which includes an API that allows plug-in applications to manipulate the display of the site map. Various plug-ins are provided which utilize the API to extend the functionality of the analysis program, including an action tracking plug-in which detects user activity and behavioral data (link activity levels, common site entry and exit points, etc.) from server log files and then superimposes such data onto the site map.
Inventors
- 👤 Amir Weinberg
- 👤 Michael Pogrebisky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 23:42
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/30; G06F11/32; G06F11/323; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/958; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; H; H04; H04L; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; G06F11/34; G06F11/3466; G06F11/3476; G06F2201/00; G06F2201/875; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/953; Y10S707/956; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
A computer-implemented method of representing a hierarchical node structure on a display screen, comprising: (a) identifying a plurality of parent nodes of the hierarchical node structure that have multiple immediate children nodes, including parent nodes at multiple different levels of the hierarchical node structure; (b) displaying a parent node identified in (a) on the display screen, and displaying the immediate children nodes of the parent node around the parent node over an angular range which exceeds 180 degrees; and (c) repeating (b) for multiple additional parent nodes identified in step (a), including parent nodes at multiple different levels of the hierarchical node structure, to generate, within a single view, a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map in which children nodes are positioned around their respective immediate parent nodes over said multiple levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
134 words
A computer-implemented method of representing a hierarchical node structure on a display screen, comprising: (a) identifying a plurality of parent nodes of the hierarchical node structure that have multiple immediate children nodes, including parent nodes at multiple different levels of the hierarchical node structure; (b) displaying a parent node identified in (a) on the display screen, and displaying the immediate children nodes of the parent node around the parent node over an angular range which exceeds 180 degrees; and (c) repeating (b) for multiple additional parent nodes identified in step (a), including parent nodes at multiple different levels of the hierarchical node structure, to generate, within a single view, a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map in which children nodes are positioned around their respective immediate parent nodes over said multiple levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) comprises spacing a plurality of leaf nodes that share a common immediate parent node at substantially equal angular intervals around the common immediate parent node.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein (b) further comprises displaying the plurality of leaf nodes at substantially equal distances from the common immediate parent node.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein (b) comprises spacing a plurality of leaf nodes that share a common parent node at substantially equal distances from the common immediate parent node.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as in claim 1 , further comprising generating the hierarchical node structure by applying a span tree algorithm to a representation of a web site.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein a number of said multiple levels is at least three.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein the method comprises displaying the hierarchical node structure as a tree in which a root node represents a home page of a Web site.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as in claim 1 , further comprising, for each parent node, selecting a node display size which reflects a number of immediate children of that parent node.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of representing a hierarchical node structure on a display screen, comprising: (a) positioning a parent node of the hierarchical node structure on the display screen, and positioning a plurality of immediate children nodes of the parent node at substantially uniform angular intervals around the parent node on the display screen to generate a parent-child node cluster; and (b) repeating (a) for multiple additional parent nodes of the hierarchical node structure to generate, within a single view, a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map in which children nodes are positioned around their respective immediate parent nodes over multiple levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of representing a hierarchical node structure on a display screen, comprising: (a) positioning a parent node of the hierarchical node structure on the display screen, and positioning a plurality of immediate children nodes of the parent node at substantially uniform angular intervals around the parent node on the display screen to generate a parent-child node cluster; and (b) repeating (a) for multiple additional parent nodes of the hierarchical node structure to generate, within a single view, a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map in which children nodes are positioned around their respective immediate parent nodes over multiple levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method as in claim 9 , wherein (a) comprises displaying a plurality of children nodes that share a common immediate parent node substantially circularly around the common immediate parent node.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as in claim 9 , further comprising generating the hierarchical node structure by applying a span tree algorithm to a representation of a web site.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method as in claim 9 , wherein the method comprises spacing leaf nodes that share an immediate parent node away from the immediate parent node by a distance which is generally proportional to a total number of said leaf nodes that share the immediate parent.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as in claim 9 , wherein a number of said multiple levels is at least three.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as in claim 9 , wherein the method comprises displaying the hierarchical node structure as a tree in which a root node represents a home page of a Web site.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method as in claim 9 , further comprising selecting a display size of a parent node which is generally proportional to a number of immediate children of that parent node.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method as in claim 9 , wherein the method comprises spacing leaf nodes that share a common immediate parent node away from the immediate parent node by a distance which is generally proportional to a total number of said leaf nodes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
73 words
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by a computer, positions nodes on a display screen according to a node layout method to generate a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map of a hierarchical node structure such that, within a single view, children nodes of the hierarchical node structure are pictorially displayed within the map generally surrounding their respective immediate parent nodes over multiple parent-child levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
73 words
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by a computer, positions nodes on a display screen according to a node layout method to generate a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map of a hierarchical node structure such that, within a single view, children nodes of the hierarchical node structure are pictorially displayed within the map generally surrounding their respective immediate parent nodes over multiple parent-child levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
42 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 17 , wherein the computer program positions leaf nodes that share a common immediate parent node at substantially equal angular intervals around the common immediate parent node over multiple parent-child levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 18 , wherein the computer program displays the leaf nodes at substantially equal distances from the common immediate parent node.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 17 , wherein the computer program displays leaf nodes that share a common immediate parent node at substantially equal distances from the common immediate parent node over multiple parent-child levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
49 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 17 , wherein the computer program identifies the hierarchical node structure by at least scanning a web site to generate a representation of nodes and links of the web site, and applying a span tree algorithm to the representation of nodes and links.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 17 , wherein a number of said multiple parent-child levels is at least three.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 17 , wherein the computer program displays the hierarchical node structure as a tree in which a root node represents a home page of a Web site.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
38 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 17 , wherein the computer program selects a display size of a parent node such that the display size is generally proportional to a number of immediate children of that parent node.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
47 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 17 , wherein the computer program spaces leaf nodes that share an immediate parent node away from the immediate parent node by a distance which is directly proportional to a total number of said leaf nodes that share the immediate parent.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
85 words
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by a computer, positions nodes on a display screen according to a node layout method to generate a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map of a hierarchical node structure such that, within a single view, leaf nodes of the hierarchical node structure that share a common immediate parent node are pictorially displayed substantially equidistant from, and at substantially equal angular intervals around, the common immediate parent node over multiple parent-child levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
85 words
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program which, when executed by a computer, positions nodes on a display screen according to a node layout method to generate a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map of a hierarchical node structure such that, within a single view, leaf nodes of the hierarchical node structure that share a common immediate parent node are pictorially displayed substantially equidistant from, and at substantially equal angular intervals around, the common immediate parent node over multiple parent-child levels of the hierarchical node structure.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 26 , wherein the computer program generates the map such that leaf nodes that share a common immediate parent node are displayed generally surrounding the common immediate parent node.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
49 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 26 , wherein the computer program identifies the hierarchical node structure by at least scanning a web site to generate a representation of nodes and links of the web site, and applying a span tree algorithm to the representation of nodes and links.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
20 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 26 , wherein a number of said multiple parent-child levels is at least three.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
33 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 26 , wherein the computer program displays the hierarchical node structure as a tree in which a root node represents a home page of a Web site.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 26 , wherein the computer program selects a display size of a parent node based on a number of immediate children of the parent node.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
42 words
The computer-readable medium as in claim 26 , wherein the computer program spaces leaf nodes that share an immediate parent node away from the immediate parent node by a distance which is directly proportional to a total number of said leaf nodes.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
83 words
A computer-implemented method of representing a web site on a display screen, comprising: identifying a structure of nodes and links of the web site; reducing the structure of nodes and links to a tree representation having multiple parent-child levels; and graphically representing nodes and links of the tree structure on the display screen to generate a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map in which, at each of said multiple parent-child levels, a parent node is generally surrounded by the immediate children nodes of that parent node.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
83 words
A computer-implemented method of representing a web site on a display screen, comprising: identifying a structure of nodes and links of the web site; reducing the structure of nodes and links to a tree representation having multiple parent-child levels; and graphically representing nodes and links of the tree structure on the display screen to generate a two-dimensional, non-hyperbolic map in which, at each of said multiple parent-child levels, a parent node is generally surrounded by the immediate children nodes of that parent node.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as in claim 33 , wherein reducing the structure of nodes and links to a tree representation comprises applying a span tree algorithm to the structure of nodes and links.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as in claim 33 , wherein graphically representing the nodes and links of the tree structure on the display screen further comprises displaying a set of leaf nodes circularly around an immediate parent node.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method as in claim 33 , wherein graphically representing the nodes and links of the tree structure on the display screen comprises selecting a display size of a node such that the display size is dependent upon a number of immediate children of that node.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as in claim 36 , wherein said display size is directly proportional to said number of immediate children.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-05-21 | 2004-11-20 | 2005-05-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-05-21 | 2008-11-20 | 2009-05-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-05-21 | 2012-11-20 | 2013-05-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |