Patent ID: 7454395
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An information processing apparatus which displays a tree diagram that represents, in a tree form, a hierarchical structure of a plurality of components which constitute an electronic product, comprising: a memory unit which stores attribute information which indicates a characteristic quantity of each of the plurality of components, and parent-child relationship information which indicates a parent-child relationship between the plurality of components including at least one parent component and a child component the parent-child relationship is defined under a restrictive condition such that each child component of the plurality of components does not have two or more parent components; means for calculating, based on the parent-child relationship information, positions on the tree diagram where a plurality of nodes corresponding to the plurality of components are to be arranged; means for calculating, for each component of the plurality of components, a sum of the characteristic quantity of the component and the characteristic quantities of all child components associated with the component, based on the attribute information and the parent-child relationship information, wherein a sum calculated for a parent component having no child components is given b the characteristic quantity of the parent component itself, and a sum calculated for a parent component having child components is given the sum of the characteristic quantity of the parent component itself and the characteristic quantities of all of the child components; means for determining, for each of the nodes on the tree diagram, a mode of a branch line which is to connect the node to a parent node thereof, based on the sum calculated for the each of the components; and means for creating the tree diagram based on the calculated positions of the nodes and the determined mode of the branch line corresponding to each node.