Tree Node Display Anchor Mechanism for Hierarchy Clutter Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tree structure displays become cluttered and difficult to manage when viewing nodes at a low level of hierarchy due to numerous branches of parent/child node relationships, making it hard to visualize and navigate the system topology.
Innovation Solution
An anchor node creation command is received, allowing the processor to remove branches of parent and sibling nodes from the display, displaying the given node as a topmost node, with a compact listing providing context and navigation options to sibling and child nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the tree structure display shows all parent node branches, then the complete hierarchy is visible, but the display becomes cluttered and difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tree structure display into two parts: a compact listing showing only ancestor nodes (root to parent) and a main display area showing the selected node and its children. This segmentation reduces display complexity while preserving hierarchy context through the compact listing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary intermediate parent nodes from the main display area, keeping only the essential hierarchy information in a compact listing. This extraction eliminates clutter while maintaining the necessary contextual information about the node's position in the hierarchy.
2Ease of operation
If the tree structure display includes all sibling nodes, then complete navigation is possible, but the display becomes cluttered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments sibling nodes into two groups: those displayed in the main area and those stored in a compact listing. The main display shows only relevant sibling nodes, while the compact listing provides access to all siblings through navigation commands, maintaining both ease of operation and reduced complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a dimensional aspect by introducing a compact listing that provides vertical navigation context alongside the horizontal display of sibling nodes. This allows users to navigate siblings through a different dimensional approach, reducing the need to display all siblings simultaneously.
3Loss of information
If the tree structure display maintains full hierarchy, then context is preserved, but nodes at low levels become difficult to visualize
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts intermediate parent nodes from the main display path, creating a simplified view that starts from the root and goes directly to the selected node. This extraction removes obstacles that blocked visibility of low-level nodes while preserving hierarchy context through the compact listing of ancestors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the compact listing as an additional dimensional layer that provides hierarchy context without interfering with the main display area. This allows nodes at low levels to be visualized clearly while maintaining awareness of their position in the overall hierarchy through the separate compact listing dimension.
Data Source
AI summary
For displaying a node of a tree structure, a processor receives an anchor node creation command for a given node of a tree structure of nodes. The given node has one or more branches of parent nodes. The processor further removes the one or more branches of parent nodes and branches of sibling nodes of the given node from a display of the tree structure. In addition, the processor displays the given node as a topmost node of the tree structure.