System And Method For Document Cluster Placement Within A Display

Abstract

A system and method for document cluster placement within a display is provided. Concepts that are shared between two or more clusters of documents are identified. For each concept, a list of all the clusters that share that concept is built. In each list, one or more clusters that have at least one anchor point along an open edge are identified as anchor clusters. For each list, one of the anchor clusters from that list is selected and one or more of the clusters remaining in that list are placed along an open vector extending from the selected anchor cluster.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for document cluster placement within a display, comprising:
 concepts each shared between two or more clusters of documents; and   a central processing unit to build for each shared concept a list of all the clusters that share that concept, to identify as anchor clusters one or more clusters in the list that each have at least one anchor point along an open edge, to select one of the anchor clusters from each list, and to place one or more of the clusters remaining in that list along an open vector extending from the selected anchor cluster.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the central processing unit identifies a radius of each of the one or more clusters remaining in one such list prior to placement and places only those clusters within the list having the identified radius that does not overlap the selected anchor cluster. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the central processing unit skips each cluster for placement within the display that overlaps with the selected cluster. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the central processing unit identifies one or more anchor points on one of the one or more placed clusters. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 4 , wherein the central processing unit determines an angle of each of the one or more anchor points on the placed cluster. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 5 , wherein the central processing unit identifies a vector extending at the determined angle from a center of the placed cluster through one of the anchor points for that anchor cluster. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the central processing unit places along the vector of the placed cluster one or more other document clusters that are related to the placed cluster. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the central processing unit grafts onto the placed cluster one or more spines of document clusters that are related to the placed cluster. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the central processing unit represents each cluster as one of a circular shape and a non-circular shape. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein each list of clusters is built by selecting a concept for that list, comparing the concept with each cluster, and identifying for placement in the list the two or more clusters that share the concept. 
     
     
         11 . A method for document cluster placement within a display, comprising:
 identifying concepts, wherein each concept is shared between two or more clusters of documents;   building for each shared concept a list of all the clusters that share that concept;   identifying as anchor clusters one or more clusters in the list that each have at least one anchor point along an open edge; and   for each list, selecting one of the anchor clusters from the list and placing one or more of the clusters remaining in that list along an open vector extending from the selected anchor cluster.   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying a radius of each of the one or more clusters remaining in one such list prior to placement; and   only placing those clusters within the list with the radius that does not overlap the selected anchor cluster.   
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 skipping each cluster for placement within the display that overlaps with the selected cluster.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying one or more anchor points on one of the one or more placed clusters.   
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining an angle of each of the one or more anchor points on the placed cluster.   
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 identifying a vector extending at the determined angle from a center of the placed cluster through one of the anchor points for that anchor cluster.   
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , further comprising at least one of:
 placing along the vector of the placed cluster one or more other document clusters that are related to the placed cluster.   
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 16 , further comprising at least one of:
 grafting onto the placed cluster along the vector, one or more spines of document clusters that share concepts with the placed cluster.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 representing each cluster as one of a circular shape and a non-circular shape.   
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein each list of clusters is built by:
 selecting a concept for that list;   comparing the concept with each cluster; and   identifying for placement in the list the two or more clusters that share the concept.