A method and system for arranging a timeline of an experimental procedure

Abstract

The application provides a kind of experimental procedure time axis arrangement method and system, it is related to experimental procedure management and visual technology field.The method comprises: obtaining the experimental procedure template comprising the start node that cannot be deleted and the sleep step node of user customization, each sleep step node is associated with time interval parameter;Absolute starting date specified by user for experiment instance is received;The time interval parameter of sleep step node is parsed, the experimental procedure template is mapped to calendar time axis, and the date with experimental operation is calculated;It is visualized in the form of time line chart, and different visual style color band rendering is used for the date with / without operation;Label button named with experiment title is generated for each operation date below time line chart, and is connected to corresponding color band by dotted line;Intelligent layout arrangement is carried out according to button name length to avoid overlapping;In response to button click, jump to the experiment execution interface of corresponding date.The application is applied to the field of biochemistry experiment management, can realize the automatic arrangement and intuitive visualization of experimental procedure, greatly improves the efficiency and interactive experience of experiment planning and execution.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of experimental process management and visualization technology, and in particular to a method and system that can automatically arrange experimental timelines based on experimental process templates that include dormant steps, and visualize them using time distribution charts and intelligent layout buttons. Background Technology

[0002] In experimental sciences such as biology and chemistry, a complete experiment often consists of multiple steps, with specific waiting times between many steps, such as "overnight incubation" or "2-day incubation." Traditional experimental workflow management relies heavily on paper records or simple spreadsheets, requiring users to manually calculate the specific dates for each step. This is not only inefficient but also prone to errors. When managing multiple experimental instances simultaneously, the complexity of scheduling increases dramatically. Furthermore, existing experimental management software is often rudimentary in its visualization, failing to intuitively display the distribution of experimental steps on a timeline, especially unable to clearly represent inactive periods such as "dormant" or "waiting." Entry points for experimental steps are typically in list format, with weak correlation to the timeline, making it difficult for users to quickly locate the operation interface for specific dates, resulting in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a method and system for arranging the timeline of experimental processes, so as to solve the problems of cumbersome time calculation, unintuitive visualization, and low interaction efficiency in traditional experimental process management.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for arranging the timeline of an experimental process, comprising the following steps.

[0005] Obtain an experimental workflow template, which includes a system-default, non-deletable start node, and zero or more sleep step nodes added by the user after the start node. Each sleep step node is associated with a user-preset time interval parameter, which includes at least one of overnight, 1-day sleep, 2-day sleep, and N-day sleep.

[0006] Receives the absolute start date specified by the user for the experimental instance, or defaults to the current date as the absolute start date.

[0007] When the experimental workflow template includes dormant step nodes, the time interval parameters of each dormant step node are parsed to determine the distribution of experimental operation dates affected by each dormant step node: when the time interval parameter is overnight, it means that the experimental operations before and after the dormant step node are distributed over two consecutive calendar days. When the time interval parameter is M days of dormancy, it means that there are M calendar days without experimental operations between the experimental operations before and after the dormant step node.

[0008] Based on the absolute start date and the parsed experimental operation date distribution when there is a dormant step node, the experimental process template is mapped onto the calendar timeline to calculate each date with an experimental operation.

[0009] When the experimental procedure template does not contain a dormant step node, all experimental operations are performed on the absolute start date.

[0010] The experimental plan is visualized using a timeline chart. Only date information is displayed on the timeline, with no other text, to maintain a clean and concise interface. Dates with experimental activities are rendered as continuous color bands using a primary visual style. Dates without experimental activities are rendered as thinner bands of the same color using a secondary visual style.

[0011] Below the timeline, a corresponding experiment label button is generated for each date with an experiment performed, and the button is named after the title of the experiment.

[0012] Each experiment label button is connected by a dashed line extending upwards to the corresponding color band position in the timeline graph. The dashed line is aligned with the center of the color band to establish a clear visual association.

[0013] Based on the length of each experimental label button's name, the buttons are intelligently arranged in a layout to avoid overlap between buttons and dotted lines. Specifically, all buttons are grouped by name length: the longest buttons form one group, the shortest buttons another, and so on for buttons of intermediate length. The longest button group is placed at the far left of the layout, vertically at the bottom. The shortest button group is placed at the far right of the layout, vertically at the top. For medium-length button groups, their horizontal position is between the far left and far right, and their vertical position is between the far bottom and far top. Within each length group, buttons are arranged from top to bottom according to the left-to-right order of their corresponding color bands on the timeline, with the leftmost color band's button at the bottom of the group and the rightmost color band's button at the top.

[0014] In response to a user's click on any experiment label button, the system redirects to the basic execution interface of the experiment instance corresponding to that button's date, enabling users to complete the experiment step by step.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the time interval parameter is overnight, it is interpreted as: the experimental operation before the dormancy step node is located on day N, and the experimental operation after it is located on day N+1.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the time interval parameter is 1 day of dormancy, it is interpreted as: the experimental operation before the dormancy step node is on day N, followed by 1 calendar day without experimental operation, and there is an experimental operation on day N+2.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the time interval parameter is 2 days of dormancy, it is interpreted as: the experimental operation before the dormancy step node is on day N, followed by 2 calendar days without experimental operation, and there is an experimental operation on day N+3.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the time interval parameter is M days of dormancy, it is interpreted as follows: the experimental operation before the dormancy step node is on day N, followed by M calendar days without experimental operation, and an experimental operation on day N+M+1.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first visual style is a continuous color band, and the second visual style is a thinner color band of the same color.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: receiving multiple relative start dates input by the user for the same experimental process template, generating plans for multiple experimental instances on a calendar timeline, and displaying the timeline trajectories of multiple experiments in the form of a timeline graph.

[0021] In addition, the present invention also provides a timeline arrangement system for experimental procedures, including: a template acquisition module for acquiring an experimental procedure template, wherein the experimental procedure template includes a system default and non-deletable start node, and zero or more sleep step nodes that the user can customize and add after the start node.

[0022] The date receiving module is used to receive the absolute start date specified by the user for the experimental instance.

[0023] The time mapping module is used to map the experimental process template onto a calendar timeline based on the absolute start date and the time interval parameters associated with each dormant step node, and to calculate the date on which each experimental operation takes place.

[0024] The visualization rendering module is used to visualize the experimental plan, presenting the timeline in the form of a timeline chart. Dates with experimental operations are rendered in the first visual style, while dates without experimental operations are rendered in the second visual style.

[0025] The button generation module is used to generate corresponding experiment label buttons for each date with an experiment operation below the timeline graph.

[0026] The dashed line connection module is used to generate a dashed line for each experimental label button, and the dashed line extends upward to the corresponding color band position in the timeline graph.

[0027] The intelligent layout module is used to arrange the buttons according to the length of the names of each experiment label button, avoiding the overlap of dotted lines and buttons.

[0028] The interactive jump module is used to respond to the user's click on the experiment label button and jump to the corresponding basic execution interface.

[0029] In one system embodiment of the present invention, the intelligent layout module arranges the buttons according to the following rules: Group all buttons by name length, placing the longest button group at the far left and bottom.

[0030] The shortest button group is placed at the far right and top.

[0031] The middle-length button group is positioned horizontally between the far left and far right, and vertically between the far bottom and the far top.

[0032] In one system embodiment of the present invention, the intelligent layout module arranges the buttons from top to bottom according to the left-to-right order of the color bands corresponding to the buttons on the time axis within the same length group.

[0033] In one system embodiment of the present invention, the dashed line generated by the dashed line connection module is aligned with the left end of the color strip.

[0034] In one system embodiment of the present invention, the visualization rendering module displays only date information on the timeline and does not display other text.

[0035] In one system embodiment of the present invention, the time interval parameter includes at least one of overnight, 1-day hibernation, 2-day hibernation, and N-day hibernation; wherein, overnight means that the experimental operations before and after the hibernation step node are distributed over two consecutive calendar days; and M-day hibernation means that there are M calendar days without experimental operations between the experimental operations before and after the hibernation step node.

[0036] The present invention also provides a computer program product, including a computer program / instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method described in any of the preceding claims.

[0037] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method described in any of the preceding claims.

[0038] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: By defining process templates that include special nodes such as "overnight" and "N-day hibernation," the system can automatically and accurately map abstract experimental processes onto specific calendar timelines, greatly simplifying users' time planning. Through an innovative visualization method combining time graphs and intelligent button layouts, the system not only intuitively displays the schedule distribution of experimental operations but also establishes clear and unobstructed step entry links through dynamic dotted lines and intelligent button arrangement, significantly improving user interaction efficiency and experience when viewing plans and executing experiments. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the timeline arrangement method for the experimental process in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the construction interface of the experimental process template in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 3 According to one embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 The template shown presents a timeline diagram and button layout diagram for a single experimental instance.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of how the intelligent layout module arranges buttons in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a block diagram of the timeline arrangement system for the experimental process in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0044] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0045] Example 1.

[0046] This embodiment provides a method for arranging the timeline of an experimental procedure. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 The method mainly includes the following steps.

[0047] Step S1: Obtain the experimental procedure template. For example... Figure 2As shown, users operate within a visual workflow editor. The workflow template includes a system-default, non-deletable start node 101. Users can add multiple custom step nodes after the start node using drag-and-drop methods, such as "Step A" and "Step B". Specifically, users can also add dormant step nodes, such as "Overnight" node 102 and "Dormant for 2 Days" node 103. Each dormant step node requires the user to preset a time interval parameter, such as "Overnight", "Dormant for 1 Day", or "Dormant for 2 Days".

[0048] Step S2: Receive the absolute start date of the experimental group. After selecting an experimental workflow template and arranging it into an experimental group, the user specifies an absolute start date for the experimental group, i.e., the first day of the experimental group. The system receives the start date specified by the user, such as "2024-05-20". If the user does not specify a start date, the system defaults to the current date as the start date of the experimental group.

[0049] Step S3: Parse the time intervals and map them to the calendar timeline. The system parses the nodes in each experimental workflow template, including regular step nodes and dormant step nodes. For each template, based on the start date of the experimental group, it calculates all dates with experimental operations for that experimental instance. For example, if the start date of the experimental group is "2024-05-20", and experimental template A contains an "overnight" node, its operation dates could be "2024-05-20" (start) and "2024-05-21" (subsequent steps); experimental template B contains a "dormant for 2 days" node, its operation dates could be "2024-05-20" (start), "2024-05-21" (step), and "2024-05-24" (subsequent steps) after skipping two days. The system merges the operation dates of all experimental instances to obtain the complete operation schedule of the experimental group on the calendar timeline.

[0050] For an "overnight" node, it does not generate a new date for the operation, but rather indicates that the operations before and after it occurred on two consecutive days. For example, if "Step A" is on "2024-05-20", then after the "overnight" node, "Step B" will be on "2024-05-21".

[0051] The "2-day dormancy" node means that two inactive days must be skipped between the operations before and after it. For example, if "Step B" is on "2024-05-21", then after the "2-day dormancy" node, "2024-05-22" and "2024-05-23" must be skipped, and the next "Step C" is on "2024-05-24".

[0052] In this way, the system accurately maps the entire process template to the calendar timeline starting from "2024-05-20", and calculates all dates with experimental operations: 2024-05-20 (start node / step A), 2024-05-21 (step B), 2024-05-24 (step C).

[0053] Step S4: Visualize the experimental plan. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the system displays the calculation results in the form of a time distribution graph.

[0054] Timeline 200: Displays only date information, such as "5 / 20", "5 / 21"... "5 / 24", etc.

[0055] Color Bands: For dates with experimental operations (May 20, 2024, May 21, 2024, May 24, 2024), render with a continuous color band 201 (first visual style). For dates without experimental operations (May 22, 2024, May 23, 2024), render with a thin color band 202 (second visual style). Continuous color bands can use striking colors, while thin color bands have a narrower width for distinction.

[0056] Step S5: Generate and intelligently layout experiment label buttons. Generate and intelligently layout experiment label buttons. Below the time distribution chart, generate an experiment label button for each date with an experiment operation. The button is named after the title of that experiment. For example, the experiment operation corresponding to the date 2024-05-20 might be from Experiment 1, so a button "Experiment 1" is generated; the button is connected to the corresponding color band in the timeline chart by a dashed line 203 extending upwards.

[0057] To avoid interface clutter and overlap caused by too many buttons and dotted lines, the system uses intelligent button layout. Please refer to... Figure 4 The principle is as follows.

[0058] First, group the buttons according to their name length. Let's assume the "Cell Passage Culture" button name is the longest, the "DNA Extraction" button name is the shortest, and the "LB Medium" button name is of medium length.

[0059] The longest "Cell Passage Culture" button group is placed at the far left and at the bottom vertically (area 301).

[0060] The shortest "Extract DNA" button group is placed at the far right and at the top vertical position (area 303).

[0061] The medium-length “LB medium” button group is placed in the middle and vertically centered (area 302).

[0062] Within the same group, such as the "LB medium" group, if it corresponds to multiple color bands from left to right on the timeline, the buttons are arranged from top to bottom according to the left-to-right order of the color bands. That is, the button corresponding to the leftmost color band is placed at the bottom of the group, and the button corresponding to the rightmost color band is placed at the top of the group. In this way, all dotted lines can be connected to their respective target color bands in the shortest and clearest way, minimizing intersections and overlaps.

[0063] Step S6: Respond to the click and redirect to the execution interface. Respond to the click and redirect to the execution interface. When the user... Figure 3 Clicking any tab button on the interface shown, such as "LB medium," will immediately redirect the system to the basic execution interface for that experiment. On this interface, users can complete the daily steps according to the preset checklist provided by the experiment template.

[0064] Example 2.

[0065] This embodiment provides a timeline arrangement system for experimental procedures. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 5 The system 500 includes...

[0066] Template Acquisition Module 501: Responsible for acquiring and storing multiple experimental process templates selected by the user. Each template contains a non-deletable start node and an optional dormant step node.

[0067] Date receiving module 502: Receives the absolute start date specified by the user for the experimental group or automatically reads the start time of the first day of the experiment as the absolute start date.

[0068] Time mapping module 503: As the core computing engine, it calculates all the specific calendar days with experimental operations for each experimental instance based on the node order in multiple experimental process templates, the time interval parameters of the sleep steps, and the start date of the experimental group, and merges them to generate the complete operation schedule of the experimental group.

[0069] Visualization rendering module 504: Responsible for rendering the calculation results of the time mapping module in the form of a timeline graph on the user interface, including drawing the time axis, color bands for dates with operations, and intervals for dates without operations.

[0070] Button generation module 505: Based on the list of dates with experimental operations, generate corresponding experimental label buttons and assign each button a corresponding experimental title and date information.

[0071] Intelligent layout module 506: Receives the button list from button generation module 505, groups and positions the buttons according to the length of their names, and arranges them vertically in the same group according to the timeline order. Finally, it calculates the optimal coordinates of each button on the interface to ensure a clear layout.

[0072] Dashed line connection module 507: Based on the button coordinates determined by the intelligent layout module 506 and the color band position determined by the visualization rendering module 504, draw a dashed line from the top of the button to the left end of the corresponding color band for each button.

[0073] Interactive redirection module 508: Listens for user click events on buttons. When a click occurs, it retrieves the date and experiment instance information associated with the button and triggers a page redirection to the corresponding basic execution interface.

[0074] In summary, this invention provides experimenters with an efficient, intuitive, and easy-to-use experimental workflow management tool through automated timeline arrangement and innovative visual interactive design, greatly improving the efficiency of experimental planning and execution.

[0075] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for arranging the timeline of an experimental procedure, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Obtain the experimental process template, which includes a system default and non-deletable start node, and zero or more sleep step nodes that the user can customize and add after the start node; Each hibernation step node is associated with a user-preset time interval parameter, which includes at least one of overnight, hibernation for 1 day, hibernation for 2 days, and hibernation for N days; it receives the absolute start date specified by the user for the experimental instance, or defaults to using the current date as the absolute start date; When the experimental workflow template includes a dormant step node, the time interval parameter of each dormant step node is parsed to determine the distribution of experimental operation dates affected by each dormant step node: - When the time interval parameter is overnight, it means that the experimental operations before and after this dormant step node are distributed over two consecutive calendar days; - When the time interval parameter is M days of dormancy, it means that there are M calendar days without experimental operations between the experimental operations before and after the dormancy step node; Based on the absolute start date and the parsed experimental operation date distribution when there is a dormant step node, the experimental process template is mapped onto the calendar timeline to calculate each date with experimental operation. When the experimental procedure template does not contain a dormant step node, all experimental operations are performed on the absolute start date. The experimental plan is visualized and presented as a Gantt chart with a timeline, including: - Only date information is displayed on the timeline; no other text is shown. - For dates with experimental operations, render as continuous color bands in the first visual style; - For dates without experimental operations, render them as thin color bands in the second visual style, or leave them blank and do not render them; Below the Gantt chart, a corresponding experiment label button is generated for each date with an experiment, and the button is named after the title of the experiment. Each experiment label button extends upwards along a dashed line to the corresponding color band position in the Gantt chart, with the dashed line aligned with the left end of the color band; Based on the length of each experiment label button's name, the buttons are intelligently arranged in a layout, including: - Group all buttons by name length, with the longest buttons in one group, the shortest buttons in another, and so on for buttons of medium length. - For the button group with the longest name, place it at the far left of the layout and at the bottom vertically; - For the button group with the shortest name, place it at the far right of the layout and at the top vertically; - For button groups of medium length, their horizontal position is between the leftmost and rightmost points, and their vertical position is between the bottommost and topmost points; - Within the same length group, arrange the buttons from top to bottom according to the left-to-right order of the color bands corresponding to the buttons in that group on the timeline, so that the button corresponding to the leftmost color band is at the bottom of the group and the button corresponding to the rightmost color band is at the top of the group. In response to a user's click on any experiment label button, the system redirects to the basic execution interface of the experiment instance corresponding to that button's date, enabling users to complete the experiment step by step.

2. The timeline arrangement method for the experimental procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the time interval parameter is overnight, it is interpreted as follows: the experimental operation before this dormancy step node is located on day N, and the experimental operation after it is located on day N+1.

3. The timeline arrangement method for the experimental procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the time interval parameter is 1 day of hibernation, it is interpreted as follows: the experimental operation before this hibernation step node is on day N, followed by 1 calendar day without experimental operation, and there is an experimental operation on day N+2.

4. The timeline arrangement method for the experimental procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the time interval parameter is 2 days of dormancy, it is interpreted as follows: the experimental operation before this dormancy step node is on day N, followed by 2 calendar days without experimental operation, and there is an experimental operation on day N+3.

5. The timeline arrangement method for the experimental procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the time interval parameter is M days of dormancy, it is interpreted as follows: the experimental operation before the dormancy step node is on day N, followed by M calendar days without experimental operation, and an experimental operation occurs on day N+M+1.

6. The timeline arrangement method for the experimental procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first visual style is a continuous color band, and the second visual style is a thin color band or blank interval.

7. The timeline arrangement method for the experimental procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: It can receive multiple absolute start dates input by users for the same experimental process template, or generate multiple experimental instances on the calendar timeline based on multiple different current dates, and display the timeline trajectory of multiple experiments in the form of a Gantt chart.

8. The timeline arrangement method for the experimental procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that, When multiple experimental plans overlap on the timeline, dynamic avoidance rendering is performed based on the priority of the experimental steps or the experimental type.

9. A timeline arrangement system for an experimental procedure, characterized in that, include: The template acquisition module is used to acquire an experimental process template. The experimental process template includes a system default start node that cannot be deleted, and zero or more sleep step nodes that the user can customize and add after the start node. The date receiving module is used to receive the absolute start date specified by the user for the experimental instance; The time mapping module is used to map the experimental process template onto a calendar timeline based on the absolute start date and the time interval parameters associated with each dormant step node, and to calculate each date on which an experimental operation is performed. The visualization rendering module is used to visualize the experimental plan and present the timeline in the form of a Gantt chart. Dates with experimental operations are rendered in the first visual style, while dates without experimental operations are rendered in the second visual style. A button generation module is used to generate a corresponding experiment label button for each date with an experiment operation below the Gantt chart. The dashed line connection module is used to generate a dashed line for each experimental label button, and the dashed line extends upward to the corresponding color band position in the Gantt chart. The intelligent layout module is used to arrange the buttons according to the length of the names of each experiment label button, avoiding the overlap of dotted lines and buttons; The interactive jump module is used to respond to the user's click on the experiment label button and jump to the corresponding basic execution interface.

10. The experimental procedure timeline arrangement system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The intelligent layout module arranges the buttons according to the following rules: - Group all buttons by name length, placing the longest button group at the far left and bottom; - The shortest button group is placed at the far right and top; - The middle-length button group is positioned horizontally between the leftmost and rightmost points, and vertically between the bottommost and topmost points.

11. The experimental procedure timeline arrangement system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The intelligent layout module arranges the buttons from top to bottom according to the left-to-right order of the color bands corresponding to the buttons on the time axis within the same length group.

12. The experimental procedure timeline arrangement system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The dashed line generated by the dashed line connection module is aligned with the left end of the color strip.

13. The experimental procedure timeline arrangement system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The visualization rendering module only displays date information on the timeline and does not display other text.

14. The experimental procedure timeline arrangement system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The time interval parameter includes at least one of overnight, 1-day hibernation, 2-day hibernation, and N-day hibernation. Where, overnight means that the experimental operations before and after the dormancy step node are distributed over two consecutive calendar days; The "M-day hibernation" indicates that there are M calendar days without experimental operations between the experimental operations before and after this hibernation step node.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer program / instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program / instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the method described in any one of claims 1-8.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When executed by a processor, the program implements the method described in any one of claims 1-8.

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