Patent ID: 7609257

Claim:
A method for analysing a plurality of data elements having both temporal and spatial properties, a first data element and a second data element of the plurality of data elements linked by at least one association element, the method stored as instructions on a memory for execution by a computer processor, the instructions comprising of: selecting the first data element from the plurality of data elements; providing at least one search criteria for use in analysing the properties of the plurality of data elements with respect to at least one property of the first data element; applying the at least one search criteria to the properties of the plurality of data elements for identifying the second data element from the plurality of data elements and the corresponding at least one association element, the at least one association element configured for representing a connection between the first data element and the second data element, the connection having a first property common to a property of the first data element and a second property common to a property of the second data element, the connection for representing a communication event as the same event for both of the data elements; and generating a visual representation of the first and second data elements and the association element configured for display on a user interface for subsequent interaction with user events, the visual representation including a spatial domain including a reference surface for providing a spatial reference frame having at least two spatial dimensions and including a temporal domain operatively coupled to the spatial domain for providing a common temporal reference frame for locations of interest in the spatial domain, the first data element and the second data element being adapted for positioning at different locations in the spatial reference frame and an occurrence time of the communication event adapted for being a parameter of the communication event.