Information processing device, display control method and display control program

Abstract

To prevent the visibility from being reduced when a node is changed to a display state.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes: a direction determining unit that determines, when a second node relating to a first node is changed to a display state, which direction the second node is displayed in relative to the first node in a graph that has a relation among multiple elements represented by nodes and edges; and a display control unit that causes the second node to be displayed in the determined direction. This information processing device also enables a smooth decision making based on the graph.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, a display control method, and a display control program.

Background Art

[0002] By using a graph in which the relationships between a plurality of elements are represented by nodes and edges, various analyses can be performed. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a system that presents a user with a causal graph in which evaluation indicators are nodes and the correlation relationships of the evaluation indicators are shown by links, and accepts changes made by the user to the presented causal graph. Such a system is useful for analyzing the causal relationships between evaluation indicators.

[0003] In addition, covariance structure analysis is also known as an analysis method using a graph. In covariance structure analysis, an analyst introduces latent factors, which are factors that cannot be directly observed, by analyzing the covariance structure between observed variables, which are variables obtained through experiments or observations. Then, the analyst creates a graph in which the latent factors and the observed variables are represented by nodes, and analyzes the causal relationship structure including the latent factors.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In covariance structure analysis, it is preferable that an analyst can change the arrangement of each node in the graph and can switch the node of the observed variable between a non-display state and a display state. This makes it easier for the analyst to discover the causal relationship structure.

[0006] However, when the arrangement of each node in the graph is changed and a node that was in a non-display state is switched to a display state, it is assumed that the visibility will decrease because the displayed node overlaps with other nodes or edges or is too close to them. This is not limited to covariance structure analysis, but is a common problem that occurs when switching some nodes from a non-display state to a display state in an analysis using any graph that represents the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an exemplary object thereof is to provide a technique that enables preventing a decrease in the visibility of a graph when a node that was in a non-display state is switched to a display state.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] An information processing apparatus according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes a direction determination means for determining in which direction to display a second node with respect to a first node when switching at least one second node related to the first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, and a display control means for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination means.

[0009] A display control method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes a direction determination process for determining in which direction to display a second node with respect to a first node when switching at least one second node related to the first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, and a display control process for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination process, which are executed by at least one processor.

[0010] A display control program according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to function as direction determination means for determining in which direction a second node related to a first node is to be displayed with respect to the first node when switching at least one second node related to the first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, and display control means for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination means.

Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, there is an exemplary effect that a technique can be provided that enables prevention of a decrease in the visibility of a graph when a node that has been in a non-display state is switched to a display state.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to the following exemplary embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims. For example, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means employed in the following exemplary embodiments may also be included in the scope of the present invention. Also, embodiments obtained by appropriately omitting a part of the technical means employed in the following exemplary embodiments may also be included in the scope of the present invention. Further, the effects mentioned in the following exemplary embodiments are merely examples of the effects expected in those exemplary embodiments and do not define the scope of the present invention. That is, embodiments that do not exhibit the effects mentioned in the following exemplary embodiments may also be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0014] 〔First Exemplary Embodiment〕 A first exemplary embodiment, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This exemplary embodiment is a basic form of each of the exemplary embodiments described later. Note that the scope of application of each technical means employed in this exemplary embodiment is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. That is, each technical means employed in this exemplary embodiment can be employed in other exemplary embodiments included in the present disclosure as long as there are no particular technical obstacles. Also, each technical means shown in the drawings referred to for explaining this exemplary embodiment can be employed in other exemplary embodiments included in the present disclosure as long as there are no particular technical obstacles.

[0015] (Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus 1) The configuration of information processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of information processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1, information processing apparatus 1 includes a direction determination unit 101 and a display control unit 102.

[0016] When switching at least one second node related to a first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, the direction determination unit 101 determines in which direction the second node is to be displayed with respect to the first node.

[0017] Note that both the first node and the second node are nodes constituting the above graph. Also, the second node only needs to be related to the first node, and for example, it may be a node in a connection relationship with the first node or a node displayed instead of the first node. Also, the timing for determining the direction may be the time when the second node is switched from the non-display state to the display state, or a time point before that (for example, the time point when the arrangement of each node in the graph is determined, the time point when the arrangement change of the node is completed, etc.).

[0018] Also, the above "graph" may be one that represents the relationships between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges. For example, the above "graph" may be a directed graph including directed edges, or an undirected graph not including directed edges. Also, the directed edges may be one-way edges or two-way edges. Further, the above "graph" may or may not include loops. For a specific example, the above graph may be a causal graph representing the causal relationships between elements by nodes and edges, or a knowledge graph representing various knowledge and their relationships by nodes and edges. Here, "node" can also be read as a vertex, a node, or a point. Also, "edge" can also be read as a branch, a side, a link, or a line.

[0019] The display control unit 102 causes the second node to be displayed in the direction determined by the direction determination unit 101. Note that the display device for displaying the graph is arbitrary and may be provided in the information processing apparatus 1 or may be provided in another device.

[0020] As described above, in the information processing apparatus 1, in a graph representing the relationships between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, when at least one second node related to the first node is switched from a non-display state to a display state, a direction determination unit 101 that determines in which direction the second node is to be displayed with respect to the first node, and a display control unit 102 that causes the second node to be displayed in the direction determined by the direction determination unit 101 are provided. Therefore, according to the information processing apparatus 1, an effect can be obtained that it is possible to prevent a decrease in the visibility of the graph when the second node that has been in the non-display state is switched to the display state.

[0021] (Display control program) The functions of the above-described information processing apparatus 1 can also be realized by a program. The display control program according to this exemplary embodiment functions as a direction determination means for determining in which direction the second node is to be displayed with respect to the first node when at least one second node related to the first node is switched from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, and a display control means for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination means. Therefore, according to this display control program, an effect can be obtained that it is possible to prevent a decrease in the visibility of the graph when the second node that was in a non-display state is switched to a display state.

[0022] (Flow of the display control method) The flow of the display control method will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the display control method. Note that the execution subject of each step in this display control method may be a processor included in the information processing apparatus 1, or may be a processor included in another apparatus, or may be processors provided in different apparatuses for each step.

[0023] In S1 (direction determination process), one or a plurality of processors determine in which direction the second node is to be displayed with respect to the first node when at least one second node related to the first node is switched from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges.

[0024] In S2 (display control process), one or a plurality of processors display the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination process of S1.

[0025] As described above, in the display control method, when one or more processors switch at least one second node related to a first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, a direction determination process for determining in which direction the second node is to be displayed with respect to the first node, and a display control process for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination process are included. Therefore, according to the display control method, an effect can be obtained that it is possible to prevent a decrease in the visibility of the graph when the second node that has been in the non-display state is switched to the display state.

[0026] 〔Second Exemplary Embodiment〕 A second exemplary embodiment, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Components having the same functions as those described in the above-described exemplary embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Note that the scope of application of each technical means employed in this exemplary embodiment is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. That is, each technical means employed in this exemplary embodiment can be employed in other exemplary embodiments included in the present disclosure as long as there are no particular technical obstacles. In addition, each technical means shown in each drawing referred to for explaining this exemplary embodiment can be employed in other exemplary embodiments included in the present disclosure as long as there are no particular technical obstacles. These matters are also common to the third exemplary embodiment described later.

[0027] (Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus 1A) The configuration of the information processing apparatus 1A will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing apparatus 1A. As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing apparatus 1A includes a control unit 10A that comprehensively controls each part of the information processing apparatus 1A, and a storage unit 11A that stores various data used by the information processing apparatus 1A. Further, the information processing apparatus 1A includes a communication unit 12A for the information processing apparatus 1A to communicate with other devices, an input unit 13A that receives input of various data to the information processing apparatus 1A, and an output unit 14A for the information processing apparatus 1A to output various data. Also, as shown in the figure, the control unit 10A of the information processing apparatus 1A includes a direction determination unit 101A, a display control unit 102A, a classification unit 103A, and a reception unit 104A. The classification unit 103A will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

[0028] Similar to the direction determination unit 101 included in the information processing apparatus 1 of the exemplary embodiment 1, the direction determination unit 101A determines in which direction the second node is to be displayed with respect to the first node when switching at least one second node related to the first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges.

[0029] Similar to the display control unit 102 included in the information processing apparatus 1 of the exemplary embodiment 1, the display control unit 102A displays the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination unit 101A. The method of determining the direction by the direction determination unit 101A and the details of the display control by the display control unit 102A will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

[0030] The reception unit 104A receives various operations by the user of the information processing apparatus 1A. For example, the reception unit 104A receives an operation to switch the display state of a node or an operation to change the arrangement of nodes.

[0031] (Example 1 of switching the display state of a node) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of switching the display state of nodes by the information processing apparatus 1A. In the example of FIG. 4, the display control unit 102A is displaying a graph G1 in which nodes N1 and N2 are connected by an edge (ST1). Node N1 is a node indicating a latent variable derived from a plurality of observed variables. Similarly, node N2 is also a node indicating a latent variable derived from a plurality of observed variables. The edge from node N1 to N2 indicates that there is a causal relationship between these latent variables, that is, "awareness of health" affects "motivation for work". In ST1, the nodes indicating the observed variables corresponding to node N1 and the nodes indicating the observed variables corresponding to node N2 are both not displayed.

[0032] By presenting the graph G1 to the user, the user can be made to recognize the importance of healthcare and be motivated to take action on healthcare. That is, the information processing apparatus 1A can also be used to promote healthcare. Note that the information processing apparatus 1A can be used for various purposes other than promoting healthcare.

[0033] Also, the display control unit 102A is also displaying an object A1 for switching the display state of the nodes and a cursor Cu for performing an operation on the displayed object. Note that the boundary line L shown in FIG. 4 is a reference line for determining the direction in which the nodes are to be displayed. The display control unit 102A may or may not display the boundary line L. To represent this, the boundary line L is shown as a dashed line in FIG. 4. In ST1, when the reception unit 104A receives an operation of selecting the object A1 with the cursor Cu, the image to be displayed by the display control unit 102A transitions to ST2.

[0034] In ST2, nodes n11 to n13 connected to node N1 are displayed, and nodes n21 to n23 connected to node N2 are displayed. Nodes n11 to n13 connected to node N1 respectively represent observed variables that are the basis of the latent variable "awareness of health". Similarly, nodes n21 to n23 connected to node N2 respectively represent observed variables that are the basis of the latent variable "motivation for work".

[0035] Note that hereinafter, switching a node from a non-display state to a display state may be expressed as "expanding". Also, a node that can be switched from a non-display state to a display state may be called an "expanding node", and a node in a connection relationship with the expanding node may be called an "original node for expansion". In the example of FIG. 4, nodes N1 and N2 are original nodes for expansion, and nodes n11 to n13 and n21 to n23 are expanding nodes.

[0036] Here, nodes n11 to n13 are expanded to the left of node N1, while nodes n21 to n23 are expanded to the right of node N2. The expansion directions of these nodes are determined by the direction determination unit 101A. That is, the direction determination unit 101A determines to expand nodes n11 to n13 related to node N1 located on the left side of the boundary line L to the left of node N1. On the other hand, the direction determination unit 101A determines to expand nodes n21 to n23 related to node N2 located on the right side of the boundary line L to the right of node N2.

[0037] Thus, in the example of FIG. 4, the direction determination unit 101A determines the expansion directions of nodes n11 to n13 based on the arrangement of node N1. Also, the expansion direction is the direction from node N1 toward the outside of the display area. Similarly, the direction determination unit 101A determines the expansion directions of nodes n21 to n23 based on the arrangement of node N2. Also, the expansion direction is the direction from node N2 toward the outside of the display area. As a result, nodes n11 to n13 and nodes n21 to n23 do not overlap with or come too close to other nodes, and good visibility is maintained even in ST2.

[0038] Note that the node serving as the expansion source is not limited to the node indicating the latent variable, and the node to be expanded is not limited to the node indicating the observed variable. The information processing apparatus 1A can be applied to display control when expanding any node related to any expansion source node. For example, the expansion source node may be a node indicating a composite variable, and in this case, the node to be expanded is a node indicating the observed variable that is the source of the composite variable.

[0039] As described above, the direction determination unit 101A may determine the direction in which the node to be expanded is to be displayed based on the arrangement of the node serving as the expansion source in the display area of the graph G1. As a result, in addition to the effect exhibited by the information processing apparatus 1, an effect is obtained in which it is possible to display the node to be expanded in an appropriate direction according to the arrangement of the node serving as the expansion source.

[0040] Also, as described above, the direction determination unit 101A may determine the direction from the node serving as the expansion source toward the outside of the display area as the direction in which the node to be expanded is to be displayed. As a result, the positional relationship between the node serving as the expansion source and the node to be expanded is fixed as a relationship between the inside and the outside of the display area. Therefore, according to the above configuration, in addition to the effect exhibited by the information processing apparatus 1, an effect is obtained in which it is possible to easily recognize the relationship between the node serving as the expansion source and the node to be expanded.

[0041] When performing the display as shown in FIG. 4, for each divided area (the area on the left side and the area on the right side of the boundary line L) defined by dividing the display area of the graph G1 by the boundary line L, the direction in which the nodes are expanded may be set in advance. That is, the display area of the graph G1 may be divided into a plurality of divided areas, and a direction may be assigned to each of the divided areas. And in this case, the direction determination unit 101A may determine, as the direction in which the node to be expanded is to be displayed, the direction assigned to the divided area in which the original node is arranged among the plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the display area. Thereby, in addition to the effect exhibited by the information processing apparatus 1, an effect that nodes can be expanded in an appropriate direction with simple processing can be obtained.

[0042] Specifically, in the example of FIG. 4, for the area on the left side of the boundary line L, the expansion direction may be set to the left side, and for the area on the right side, the expansion direction may be set to the right side. Thereby, the direction determination unit 101A can determine that the direction in which the nodes n11 to n13 are to be displayed is the left side of the node N1, and can determine that the direction in which the nodes n21 to n23 are to be displayed is the left side of the node N2. Also, the expansion directions set for each of the divided areas in this way are all directions toward the outside of the display area. Thereby, the direction determination unit 101A can determine, for the node N1, the direction from the node N1 toward the outside of the display area as the expansion direction, and can determine, for the node N2, the direction from the node N2 toward the outside of the display area as the expansion direction.

[0043] Note that in ST2, when the reception unit 104A receives an operation of selecting the object A1 with the cursor Cu, the image to be displayed by the display control unit 102A returns to ST1. Note that the switching of the display states of the nodes n11 to n13 and n21 to n23 does not necessarily have to be performed in a batch, and the display states may be switched individually.

[0044] (Another setting example 1 of the divided area) In the example of FIG. 4, the display area of graph G1 is bisected left and right to set two divided areas, but the divided areas can be set arbitrarily. For example, four divided areas may be set as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another setting example of the divided areas. In the example of FIG. 5, the display area AR1 of graph G2 is divided by boundary lines L1 and L2 to set divided areas ar1 to ar4. Note that nodes N1 to N4 included in graph G2 are nodes indicating latent variables. Also, nodes n11 and n12, n21 to n23, n31 to n33, n41 and n42 are nodes indicating observed variables corresponding to nodes N1 to N4 respectively. Each node indicating a latent variable is a source node, and each node indicating an observed variable is a node to be expanded. FIG. 5 shows a state in which each node indicating an observed variable is expanded.

[0045] The display area AR1 is a rectangular area, and the boundary lines L1 and L2 are its diagonals. As a result, the divided areas ar1 to 4 are triangular areas extending from the center of the display area AR1 in the left, up, right, and down directions respectively. In the divided areas ar1 to 4, expansion directions of left, up, right, and down are set respectively. Thereby, the direction determination unit 101A can determine the expansion directions of nodes n11 and n12 that are in a connection relationship with node N1 arranged in the divided area ar1 to be the left direction. Similarly, the direction determination unit 101A can determine the expansion directions of nodes n21 to n23 to be the up direction, the expansion directions of nodes n31 to n33 to be the right direction, and the expansion directions of nodes n41 and n42 to be the down direction.

[0046] As in the example of FIG. 5, it is preferable to set divided areas that become wider as going from the center of the display area to the outside, and set the expansion direction in each divided area to be the direction from the center of the display area to the outside, so that sufficient display areas for each node to be expanded can be secured. Also, by setting such divided areas, nodes indicating latent variables with high importance in graph G2 are grouped and displayed near the center of the display area, and nodes indicating observed variables are displayed outside thereof. Thereby, the content of graph G2 can be made easier to intuitively recognize.

[0047] (Another setting example 2 of the division area) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing still another setting example of the division area. In the example of FIG. 6, the display area AR1 of the graph G3 is divided by boundary lines L3 and L4 to set division areas ar1 to ar4.

[0048] The boundary lines L3 and L4 intersect near the center of the rectangular display area AR1, but are set at positions deviated from the diagonal line. For this reason, the division areas ar2 and ar4 are triangular, but the division areas ar1 and ar3 are pentagonal. Also, the division areas ar1 and ar3 are wider areas than the division areas ar2 and ar4. Therefore, the setting of the division area in FIG. 6 is effective when the number of nodes of the expansion source arranged in the division areas ar1 and ar3 is large, or when the number of nodes expanded from those nodes of the expansion source is large. The position and number of the boundary lines may be set in the division unit 103A described later, or may be settable by the user.

[0049] (Another setting example 3 of the division area) FIG. 7 is a diagram showing still another setting example of the division area. In the example of FIG. 7, the display area AR1 of the graph G4 is divided by boundary lines L5 and L6 which are curves to set division areas ar1 to ar4. In this way, the boundary line defining the division area may be a curve. By making the boundary line defining the division area a curve, it becomes possible to make each node of the expansion source belong to an appropriate division area. Note that, regarding the shape of the boundary line, like the position and number of the boundary lines, it may be set in the division unit 103A described later, or may be settable by the user.

[0050] (Setting example of the division area by the division unit 103A) The dividing unit 103A divides the display area according to the graph and sets a plurality of divided areas. The dividing unit 103A is not an essential component, but according to the information processing apparatus 1A provided with the dividing unit 103A, in addition to the effects exhibited by the information processing apparatus 1, an effect can be obtained in which appropriate divided areas according to the graph are set and nodes can be expanded in an appropriate expansion direction.

[0051] The method for setting the divided areas by the dividing unit 103A may be any method as long as nodes can be expanded with good visibility in each of the set divided areas, and is not particularly limited. For example, the dividing unit 103A may set the divided areas by assigning a divided area to each node of the expansion source.

[0052] This will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of setting divided areas according to the graph. In the example of FIG. 8, a graph G5 including nodes N1 to N5 each indicating a latent variable is displayed in the display area AR1. ST1 in FIG. 8 shows an example of setting divided areas by the dividing unit 103A, and ST2 shows an example of expanding nodes using the set divided areas. Note that in ST1, the nodes of the observed variables in the connection relationship with the nodes N1 to N5 are all in a non-display state.

[0053] In ST1, the dividing unit 103A sets boundary lines L7 to L11 starting from a point P that is the center of the display area AR1, and thereby assigns divided areas ar1 to ar5 to each of the nodes N1 to N5. For example, the dividing unit 103A may use, as the boundary line L7, a line segment that is equidistant from the center of the node N1 and the center of the node N5 and extends from the point P to the outer edge of the display area AR1. Similarly, the dividing unit 103A can set a boundary line L8 that separates between the nodes N1 and N2, a boundary line L9 that separates between the nodes N2 and N3, a boundary line L10 that separates between the nodes N3 and N4, and a boundary line L11 that separates between the nodes N4 and N5. Note that in the example of FIG. 8, all of the boundary lines L7 to L11 are straight lines, but some or all of the boundary lines may be curved lines.

[0054] Also, the partitioning unit 103A may set the expansion direction of the nodes in each partitioned area. For example, when one side of the set partitioned area forms the outer edge of the display area AR1, the partitioning unit 103A may set the direction from the center P of the display area AR1 toward that side as the expansion direction. For example, the partitioning unit 103A may set the expansion direction in the partitioned area ar2 to be upward.

[0055] Also, when two sides of the set partitioned area, such as in the partitioned areas ar1, ar3, and ar4, form the outer edge of the display area AR1, the partitioning unit 103A may set the direction from the center P of the display area AR1 toward the longer side as the expansion direction. For example, the partitioning unit 103A may set the expansion directions of the partitioned areas ar1, ar3, and ar4 to be leftward, rightward, and downward, respectively.

[0056] Note that for a partitioned area where two sides of the set partitioned area, such as in the partitioned area ar5, form the outer edge of the display area AR1 and there is no significant difference in the lengths of those two sides, the partitioning unit 103A may set the direction toward either one of those sides or the direction toward the intersection of those sides as the expansion direction. For example, the partitioning unit 103A may set the expansion direction of the partitioned area ar5 to be leftward or downward, or may set it to be the lower left direction.

[0057] As shown in ST2 of FIG. 8, by setting the partitioned areas ar1 to ar5 shown in ST1 of the same figure, each node expanded from each of the nodes N1 to N5 can be displayed with good visibility.

[0058] In the example of FIG. 8, one division area is set for each node to be expanded. However, the division unit 103A may allocate one division area to a plurality of nodes to be expanded. Further, the division unit 103A may set the division area so that the number of nodes to be expanded belonging to one division area is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit. For example, in the example of FIG. 8, when the upper limit is set to 2, the division unit 103A may use the division area from the boundary line L10 to L7 (the area combining the division areas ar4 and ar5) as the division area allocated to the nodes N4 and N5. Note that the upper limit may be a fixed value, or may be set by the division unit 103A according to the number of nodes to be expanded included in the graph or the like.

[0059] Further, when the size or shape of the display area AR1 changes, or when the reception unit 104A receives an operation to change the arrangement of the nodes, the division unit 103A may re-set the division area based on the changed display area AR1 and / or the arrangement of the nodes.

[0060] (Processing when changing the arrangement of nodes) When the arrangement of the nodes to be expanded is changed across the division area in the state where the nodes are expanded, the division area may not be re-set, and the direction in which the nodes to be expanded are displayed may be changed according to the change in the arrangement of the nodes to be expanded. This will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example when the arrangement of the nodes to be expanded is changed across the division area.

[0061] In the example of FIG. 9, a graph G6 including the nodes N1 to N5 of the latent variable is displayed in the display area AR1. Further, the nodes of the observed variables corresponding to the nodes N1 to N5 are also in the display state. The display area AR1 is divided into division areas ar1 to ar4 by the boundary lines L1 and L2.

[0062] In ST1 of FIG. 9, node N5 is selected by cursor Cu. At this point, node N5 is located within the divided area ar4. Also, nodes n51 and n52 connected to node N5 are displayed in the downward direction with respect to node N5. This is because the expansion direction in the divided area ar4 is set to the downward direction.

[0063] In ST2 of FIG. 9, node N5 has been moved to the divided area ar3 by cursor Cu. For example, the reception unit 104A may receive an operation of selecting and dragging node N5 as an operation to change the arrangement of node N5.

[0064] Here, the expansion direction in the divided area ar3 is set to the right direction. Therefore, in ST2, the display positions of nodes n51 and n52 connected to node N5 change in the right direction with respect to node N5. When performing such a display, the direction determination unit 101A determines the direction in which nodes n51 and n52 are to be displayed at each position during the rearrangement of node N5. Then, the display control unit 102A displays nodes n51 and n52 in the determined direction.

[0065] In ST3, the operation of moving node N5 is completed, and the arrangement of node N5 is determined within the divided area ar3. In ST3, the direction in which nodes n51 and n52 are displayed is the right direction with respect to node N5, similar to ST2.

[0066] As described above, the information processing apparatus 1A may include a reception unit 104A that receives an operation to change the arrangement of nodes. And when the arrangement of the expanded node is changed while the expanded node is in the display state, the display control unit 102A may change the direction in which the expanded node is displayed in accordance with the change in the arrangement. Thereby, in addition to the effect exhibited by the information processing apparatus 1, an effect can be obtained that enables the user to confirm how the expanded node is displayed when the node from which expansion is made is moved, while determining an optimal arrangement.

[0067] (Process flow) The process flow executed by the information processing apparatus 1A will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the process flow executed by the information processing apparatus 1A. FIG. 10 includes each process of the display control method of the present exemplary embodiment.

[0068] In S11, the display control unit 102A causes a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges to be displayed. For example, the display control unit 102A may perform the process of S11 when the reception unit 104A receives an operation to cause the graph to be displayed. Note that the information processing apparatus 1A may also generate the graph and analyze the relationship between the elements that are the source of the graph.

[0069] In S12, the reception unit 104A determines whether a switching operation for switching the display state of a node in the graph displayed in S11 has been performed. For example, the reception unit 104A may determine that a switching operation has been performed when the object A1 shown in FIG. 4 is operated. If it is determined YES in S12, the process proceeds to S13. On the other hand, if it is determined NO in S12, the reception unit 104A continues to wait for the switching operation.

[0070] In S13, the reception unit 104A determines whether the switching operation detected in S12 is an operation for switching a non-displayed node to a displayed state. If it is determined YES in S13, the process proceeds to S14. On the other hand, if it is determined NO in S13, that is, if the switching operation detected in S12 is an operation for switching a displayed node to a non-displayed state, the process proceeds to S16. In S16, the display control unit 102A makes the node that is the target of the switching operation and the edges connected thereto non-displayed, and then the process returns to S12.

[0071] In S14 (direction determination process), the direction determination unit 101A determines in which direction to display the nodes to be expanded with respect to the source node of expansion, that is, determines the expansion direction. For example, the direction determination unit 101A may determine in which of a plurality of divided regions obtained by dividing the display area of the graph the source node of expansion is located. Then, the direction determination unit 101A may determine the direction assigned to the divided region in which the node is located as the expansion direction.

[0072] Although not shown in FIG. 10, before performing the process of S14, the division unit 103A may divide the display area according to the graph displayed in S11 to set a plurality of divided regions. Further, the division unit 103A may assign the expansion direction of the node to each of the set divided regions. In this case, in S14, the direction determination unit 101A determines in which of the divided regions set by the division unit 103A the source node of expansion is arranged.

[0073] In S15 (display control process), the display control unit 102A displays the target node, that is, the node to be expanded, in the direction determined in S14. After that, the process returns to S12.

[0074] 〔Third exemplary embodiment〕 (Configuration of information processing apparatus 1B) The configuration of the information processing apparatus 1B will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing apparatus 1B. As shown in FIG. 11, the information processing apparatus 1B includes a control unit 10B that comprehensively controls each part of the information processing apparatus 1B. The control unit 10B includes a direction determination unit 101B, a display control unit 102B, a reception unit 104B, and a grouping unit 105B. Note that the flow of the process executed by the information processing apparatus 1B is the same as the flow of the process in the second exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 10. Further, the grouping unit 105B will be described later with reference to FIG. 13.

[0075] Similar to the direction determination unit 101 included in the information processing apparatus 1 of the exemplary embodiment 1, the direction determination unit 101B determines in which direction with respect to the first node the second node is to be displayed when switching at least one second node related to the first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges. The method for determining the expansion direction by the direction determination unit 101B will be described later with reference to FIG. 12.

[0076] Similar to the display control unit 102 included in the information processing apparatus 1 of the exemplary embodiment 1, the display control unit 102B displays the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination unit 101B.

[0077] Similar to the reception unit 104A included in the information processing apparatus 1A of the exemplary embodiment 2, the reception unit 104B receives various operations by the user of the information processing apparatus 1B. For example, the reception unit 104B may receive an operation to change the arrangement of nodes. Further, when the reception unit 104B receives an operation to change the arrangement of the node from which the node has been expanded in the state where the node has been expanded, the direction determination unit 101B may determine the expansion direction at each position during the arrangement change. Thereby, the display control unit 102B can change the direction in which the expanded node is displayed as the arrangement is changed.

[0078] (Method for Determining Expansion Direction) A method for the direction determination unit 101B to determine the expansion direction of the node will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the expansion direction of the node. The graph G7 shown in FIG. 12 includes nodes N1 to N5 corresponding to latent variables. Among these, the node of the observed variable corresponding to the node N1 is non-displayed, but the nodes (n21 to n52) of the observed variables corresponding to the nodes N2 to N5 are all displayed.

[0079] When displaying the nodes of the observation variables corresponding to node N1, the direction determination unit 101B divides the area around node N1 into a plurality of regions. In the example of FIG. 12, the direction determination unit 101B bisects the rectangular region AR2 centered on node N1 in the vertical direction to define regions ar21 and ar22. The size of the rectangular region AR2 may be a fixed value, or the direction determination unit 101B may set a rectangular region with a size corresponding to the number of nodes to be expanded, etc.

[0080] Next, the direction determination unit 101B counts the number of nodes arranged in each region. In the example of FIG. 12, the number of nodes arranged in region ar21 is 3, and the number of nodes arranged in region ar22 is zero. Note that it is not necessary to count node N1 itself.

[0081] Then, the direction determination unit 101B identifies the region with the fewest number of arranged nodes, and determines the direction in which that region is located as the direction for displaying the nodes to be expanded. In the example of FIG. 12, the direction determination unit 101B determines the direction in which region ar22 is located, that is, the lower direction with respect to node N1, as the direction for displaying the nodes to be expanded.

[0082] Note that the area around node N1 may be divided into three or more regions. However, the size of each region is preferably at least wide enough for the nodes to be expanded to fit within that region. Also, the direction determination unit 101B may determine the direction in which a region is located among the plurality of regions defined around node N1, where the number of nodes arranged in that region is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, as the expansion direction.

[0083] Also, there may be a plurality of regions where the number of arranged nodes is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. In such a case, which direction the region is located in may be defined in advance as the expansion direction. For example, it may be defined that the region located in the direction away from the node being expanded towards the outside of the graph display area is preferentially set as the expansion direction.

[0084] As described above, the direction determination unit 101B determines the direction in which the node to be expanded (the second node) is to be displayed based on the arrangement of other nodes displayed around the node from which expansion starts (the first node). As a result, in addition to the effect exhibited by the information processing apparatus 1, an effect is obtained in that it becomes possible to expand the node in an appropriate expansion direction in consideration of the arrangement of other surrounding nodes.

[0085] Note that it is also possible to combine the method for determining the expansion direction described in the exemplary embodiment 2 with the method for determining the expansion direction in the present exemplary embodiment. That is, the direction determination unit 101B may determine the expansion direction of the node to be expanded based on both the arrangement of the node from which expansion starts in the display area of the graph and the arrangement of other nodes displayed around the node from which expansion starts.

[0086] For example, similar to the direction determination unit 101A, the direction determination unit 101B may determine in which of a plurality of divided areas the node from which expansion starts is arranged. Then, if no other nodes are arranged in the direction assigned to the divided area in which the node from which expansion starts is arranged, the direction determination unit 101B may determine that direction as the expansion direction, and if other nodes are arranged, it may determine the direction in which no other nodes are arranged as the expansion direction. Also, for example, the direction determination unit 101B may determine, as the expansion direction, the direction among the directions from the node from which expansion starts toward the outside of the display area of the graph in which no other nodes are arranged.

[0087] Also, as described above, the direction determination unit 101B may divide the periphery of the node from which expansion starts into a plurality of areas and determine the direction in which the node to be expanded is to be displayed based on the number of other nodes arranged in each area. As a result, in addition to the effect exhibited by the information processing apparatus 1, an effect is obtained in that it becomes possible to expand the node in the most appropriate area around the node from which expansion starts.

[0088] (Regarding grouping and expansion) The grouping of nodes and the expansion of the grouped nodes will be described based on FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the grouping of nodes and the expansion of the grouped nodes. The grouping of nodes is performed by the grouping unit 105B. The grouping unit 105B groups a plurality of nodes that are in a connection relationship.

[0089] FIG. 13 shows a graph including nodes N1 to N9. The reception unit 104B receives the designation of the nodes to be grouped. Then, when the nodes to be grouped are designated, the grouping unit 105B sets the designated nodes as one group. In ST1, as shown by the dashed circle, nodes N1 to N3 are designated as one group. Similarly, nodes N4 to N6 and nodes N7 to N8 are also each designated as one group. Note that the grouping unit 105B may automatically group the related nodes.

[0090] Regarding the nodes grouped by the grouping unit 105B, instead of displaying each node belonging to the group, it becomes possible to display one node (hereinafter referred to as an alternative node) representing those nodes. In ST2 of FIG. 13, the display control unit 102B displays an alternative node displayed as "N1 + N2 + N3" instead of nodes N1 to N3 grouped in ST1. Note that hereinafter, this alternative node is denoted as "alternative node (N1 to N3)". The other alternative nodes are also denoted in the same way. Also, in ST2, the display control unit 102B displays alternative node (N4 to N6) and alternative node (N7 to N8) instead of nodes N4 to N6 and N7 to N8, respectively. In this way, by displaying alternative nodes instead of each node belonging to one group, it becomes possible to make it easier to recognize the relationship between the nodes.

[0091] In addition, the reception unit 104B may receive an operation to change the arrangement of the alternative nodes. This makes it possible to more easily recognize the relationship between the nodes. For example, by changing the arrangement of each node including the alternative nodes as in ST3 of FIG. 13, the relationship between the nodes can be more easily recognized. However, if the display mode is restored after changing the arrangement of the alternative nodes, the visibility of the graph may decrease due to the nodes corresponding to the alternative nodes overlapping or being close to other nodes.

[0092] Therefore, when the direction determination unit 101B displays a plurality of corresponding nodes instead of the alternative node, that is, when switching each node related to the alternative node from the non-display state to the display state, the direction determination unit 101B may determine in which direction each node is to be displayed with respect to the alternative node. Then, the display control unit 102B may display each node in the determined direction. This can reduce the possibility that the visibility of the graph decreases when the display mode of the alternative node is switched. When restoring the alternative node to the original node display, a part of the nodes to be displayed may be displayed at the position where the alternative node was displayed.

[0093] For example, in ST3 of FIG. 13, no other nodes are arranged in the upper direction of the alternative nodes (N1 to N3). Therefore, when the direction determination unit 101B restores the alternative nodes (N4 to N6) to the display of nodes N4 to N6, the direction determination unit 101B may determine the direction in which nodes N4 to N6 are to be displayed as the upper direction with respect to the alternative nodes (N1 to N3). As a result, as shown in ST4 of FIG. 13, the display control unit 102B displays node N4, which is connected to the alternative nodes (N1 to N3) among nodes N4 to N6, at the position where the alternative nodes (N4 to N6) were displayed, and displays nodes N5 and N6 in the upper direction with respect to the position where the alternative nodes (N4 to N6) were displayed. It can be said that nodes N4 to N6 displayed in ST4 do not overlap or are close to other nodes, and the visibility of graph G8 is kept good.

[0094] Note that, as in Exemplary Embodiment 2, the direction determination unit 101B may determine the expansion direction of the alternative node based on the arrangement of the alternative nodes in the display area of the graph G8. In this case, the direction determination unit 101B may determine the expansion direction according to in which of the preset section areas the alternative node for changing the display mode is arranged. Further, a section unit 103A may be provided as in Exemplary Embodiment 2, and the direction determination unit 101B may determine the expansion direction according to in which of the section areas set by the section unit 103A it is arranged.

[0095] [Modification Example] The execution subject of each process described in each of the above exemplary embodiments is arbitrary and is not limited to the above examples. That is, the functions of the information processing apparatuses 1, 1A, and 1B can be realized by a plurality of mutually communicable devices (which can also be referred to as processors). For example, each process described in the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 10 can also be executed by being shared among a plurality of processors. That is, the execution subject of each process in each of the above exemplary embodiments may be one processor or a plurality of processors.

[0096] [Example of Realization by Software] Some or all of the functions of the information processing apparatuses 1, 1A, and 1B may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit (IC chip), or may be realized by software.

[0097] In the latter case, the information processing apparatuses 1, 1A, and 1B are realized by, for example, a computer that executes instructions of a program that is software for realizing each function. An example of such a computer (hereinafter referred to as computer C) is shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the computer C that functions as the information processing apparatus 1, 1A, or 1B.

[0098] Computer C includes at least one processor C1 and at least one memory C2. A program P (display control program) for operating computer C as each of the above devices is recorded in memory C2. In computer C, processor C1 reads and executes program P from memory C2, thereby realizing each function of information processing apparatuses 1, 1A, or 1B.

[0099] As processor C1, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPU (Floating point number Processing Unit), PPU (Physics Processing Unit), TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), quantum processor, microcontroller, or a combination thereof can be used. As memory C2, for example, a flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof can be used.

[0100] Note that computer C may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding program P during execution or temporarily storing various data. Also, computer C may further include a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from other devices. Also, computer C may further include an input / output interface for connecting input / output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, display, and printer.

[0101] Also, the program P can be recorded on a non-transitory tangible recording medium M that can be read by the computer C. As such a recording medium M, for example, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, or a programmable logic circuit can be used. The computer C can obtain the program P via such a recording medium M. Also, the program P can be transmitted via a transmission medium. As such a transmission medium, for example, a communication network or a broadcast wave can be used. The computer C can also obtain the program P via such a transmission medium.

[0102] [Supplementary Note 1] The present disclosure includes the technologies described in the following supplementary notes. However, the present invention is not limited to the technologies described in the following supplementary notes, and various modifications are possible within the scope indicated in the claims.

[0103] (Supplementary Note A1) In a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, when at least one second node related to a first node is switched from a non-display state to a display state, direction determination means for determining in which direction with respect to the first node the second node is to be displayed, and display control means for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination means. An information processing apparatus comprising:

[0104] (Supplementary Note A2) The direction determination means determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the arrangement of the first node in the display area of the graph. The information processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note A1.

[0105] (Supplementary Note A3) The direction determination means determines the direction from the first node toward the outside of the display area as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed. The information processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note A2.

[0106] (Supplementary Note A4) The direction determination means determines, as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed, the direction assigned to the divided area in which the first node is arranged, out of a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the display area, according to the information processing apparatus described in Supplementary Note A2 or A3.

[0107] (Supplementary Note A5) The information processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note A4, comprising dividing means for dividing the display area according to the graph and setting a plurality of the divided areas.

[0108] (Supplementary Note A6) The direction determination means determines, as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed, the direction based on the arrangement of other nodes displayed around the first node, according to the information processing apparatus described in any one of Supplementary Notes A1 to A5.

[0109] (Supplementary Note A7) The direction determination means divides the periphery of the first node into a plurality of areas, and determines, as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed, the direction based on the number of other nodes arranged in each area, according to the information processing apparatus described in Supplementary Note A6.

[0110] (Supplementary Note A8) The information processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes A1 to A7, comprising reception means for receiving an operation for changing the arrangement of the first node, and when the arrangement of the first node is changed while the second node is in a display state, the display control means changes the direction in which the second node is to be displayed in accordance with the change in the arrangement.

[0111] (Supplementary Note B1) A display control method in which at least one processor executes direction determination processing for determining, when switching at least one second node related to a first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, in which direction the second node is to be displayed with respect to the first node, and display control processing for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination processing.

[0112] (Appendix B2) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the arrangement of the first node in the display area of the graph. The display control method according to Appendix B1.

[0113] (Appendix B3) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor determines the direction from the first node toward the outside of the display area as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed. The display control method according to Appendix B2.

[0114] (Appendix B4) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor determines the direction assigned to the partition area in which the first node is arranged among the plurality of partition areas obtained by partitioning the display area as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed. The display control method according to Appendix B2 or B3.

[0115] (Appendix B5) The display control method according to Appendix B4, wherein the at least one processor includes a partitioning process of partitioning the display area according to the graph to set a plurality of the partition areas.

[0116] (Appendix B6) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the arrangement of other nodes displayed around the first node. The display control method according to any one of Appendices B1 to B5.

[0117] (Appendix B7) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor divides the periphery of the first node into a plurality of areas, and determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the number of other nodes arranged in each area. The display control method according to Appendix B6.

[0118] (Appendix B8) The at least one processor includes a reception process for receiving an operation for changing the arrangement of the first node, and in the display control process, when the arrangement of the first node is changed while the second node is in a display state, the at least one processor changes the direction in which the second node is displayed in accordance with the change in the arrangement. The display control method according to any one of Appendices B1 to B7.

[0119] (Appendix C1) A display control program that causes a computer to function as a direction determination means for determining a direction in which a second node related to a first node is to be displayed with respect to the first node when switching at least one second node related to the first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph in which relationships between a plurality of elements are represented by nodes and edges, and a display control means for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination means.

[0120] (Appendix C2) The direction determination means determines a direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the arrangement of the first node in a display area of the graph. The display control program according to Appendix C1.

[0121] (Appendix C3) The direction determination means determines a direction from the first node toward the outside of the display area as a direction in which the second node is to be displayed. The display control program according to Appendix C2.

[0122] (Appendix C4) The direction determination means determines, as a direction in which the second node is to be displayed, a direction assigned to a section area in which the first node is arranged among a plurality of section areas obtained by dividing the display area. The display control program according to Appendix C2 or C3.

[0123] (Appendix C5) The display control program according to Supplementary Note C4, which causes the computer to function as a dividing means for dividing the display area according to the graph and setting a plurality of the divided areas.

[0124] (Supplementary Note C6) The display control program according to any one of Supplementary Notes C1 to C5, wherein the direction determining means determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the arrangement of other nodes displayed around the first node.

[0125] (Supplementary Note C7) The display control program according to Supplementary Note C6, wherein the direction determining means divides the periphery of the first node into a plurality of regions, and determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the number of other nodes arranged in each region.

[0126] (Supplementary Note C8) The display control program according to any one of Supplementary Notes C1 to C7, which causes the computer to function as a reception means for receiving an operation for changing the arrangement of the first node, and when the arrangement of the first node is changed while the second node is in a displayed state, the display control means changes the direction in which the second node is displayed in accordance with the change in the arrangement.

[0127] (Supplementary Note D1) An information processing apparatus including at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor executes a direction determination process of determining in which direction the second node is to be displayed with respect to the first node when switching at least one second node related to the first node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, and a display control process of displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination process.

[0128] (Supplementary Note D2) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the arrangement of the first node in the display area of the graph, the information processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note D1.

[0129] (Supplementary Note D3) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor determines the direction from the first node toward the outside of the display area as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed, the information processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note D2.

[0130] (Supplementary Note D4) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor determines the direction assigned to the division area in which the first node is arranged among the plurality of division areas obtained by dividing the display area as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed, the information processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note D2 or D3.

[0131] (Supplementary Note D5) The at least one processor executes a division process of dividing the display area according to the graph and setting a plurality of the division areas, the information processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note D4.

[0132] (Supplementary Note D6) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the arrangement of other nodes displayed around the first node, the information processing apparatus according to any one of Supplementary Notes D1 to D5.

[0133] (Supplementary Note D7) In the direction determination process, the at least one processor divides the periphery of the first node into a plurality of areas, and determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the number of other nodes arranged in each area, the information processing apparatus according to Supplementary Note D6.

[0134] (Supplementary Note D8) An information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendices D1 to D7, which executes reception processing for receiving an operation for changing the arrangement of the first node, and in the display control processing, when the arrangement of the first node is changed while the second node is in a display state, the at least one processor changes the direction in which the second node is displayed in accordance with the change in the arrangement.

[0135] (Appendix E) A non-transitory recording medium recording a display control program for causing a computer to execute direction determination processing for determining a direction in which at least one second node related to a first node is to be displayed with respect to the first node when switching the at least one second node from a non-display state to a display state in a graph representing relationships between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, and display control processing for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination processing.

Explanation of Signs

[0136] 1 Information processing apparatus 101 Direction determination unit (direction determination means) 102 Display control unit (display control means) 1A Information processing apparatus 101A Direction determination unit (direction determination means) 102A Display control unit (display control means) 103A Division unit (division means) 104A Reception unit (reception means) 1B Information processing apparatus 101B Direction determination unit (direction determination means) 102B Display control unit (display control means) 104B Reception unit (reception means)

Claims

1. In a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, when switching at least one second node related to a first node from a non-display state to a display state, direction determination means for determining in which direction with respect to the first node the second node is to be displayed; display control means for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination means. An information processing apparatus comprising the same.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the direction determination means determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the arrangement of the first node in the display area of the graph.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the direction determination means determines the direction from the first node toward the outside of the display area as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the direction determination means determines the direction assigned to the divided area in which the first node is arranged among a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the display area as the direction in which the second node is to be displayed.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising dividing means for dividing the display area according to the graph and setting a plurality of the divided areas.

6. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the direction determination means determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the arrangement of other nodes displayed around the first node.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the direction determination means divides the periphery of the first node into a plurality of areas and determines the direction in which the second node is to be displayed based on the number of other nodes arranged in each area.

8. comprising reception means for receiving an operation for changing the arrangement of the first node, The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the arrangement of the first node is changed while the second node is in a display state, the display control means changes the direction in which the second node is displayed in accordance with the change in the arrangement.

9. at least one processor is In a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, when switching at least one second node related to a first node from a non-display state to a display state, a direction determination process for determining in which direction with respect to the first node the second node is to be displayed, and a display control process for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination process. A display control method for executing the processes.

10. A computer, In a graph representing the relationship between a plurality of elements by nodes and edges, when switching at least one second node related to a first node from a non-display state to a display state, direction determination means for determining in which direction with respect to the first node the second node is to be displayed, and a display control program for causing the computer to function as display control means for displaying the second node in the direction determined by the direction determination means.

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