Patent ID: 7801873

Claim:
An information processing apparatus that generates a hierarchical tree that includes a first node that is a descendant of a root of the hierarchical tree, the information processing apparatus comprising: generating means for placing a second node in the hierarchical tree, based on first depth information a N−1 of the first node and second depth information b of the second node, the first node having a group number N−1, the second node having a group number N, wherein a a N−1 , b, and N−1 are natural numbers, 1≦b≦a N−1 +1, the generating means places the second node in the hierarchical tree as a child of the first node, in response to a determination that b=a N−1 +1, the generating means places the second node in the hierarchical tree as a child of a parent of the first node, in response to a determination that b=a N−1 , and the generating means places the second node in the hierarchical tree as a child of an ancestor of the first node that has depth information b−1, in response to a determination that b<a N−1 ; and controlling means for controlling a display of the hierarchical tree.