Patent ID: 7750908

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of visualizing a collection of graphs, each graph comprising an ordered set of pairs of values, each pair of values having a first value indicative of a first quantity along a first axis and a second value indicative of a second quantity along a second axis, said method comprising: providing a compressed display mode for each graph in which that graph is represented by a linear graph comprising a straight line along said first axis, said straight line having a visual property that varies along said first axis according to said second values, and said straight line being characterized by a width along said second axis, providing a compressed display in which all of said graphs are displayed in said compressed display mode, said straight lines corresponding to each graph being parallel to one another and being presented in an ordered sequence; and displaying for each linear graph at least one metadata value characterizing that linear graph, said metadata value being different from said values in that linear graph, positioning said at least one metadata value adjacent to that linear graph; wherein said at least one metadata value is represented by a graphical symbol having a dimension that varies according to said at least one metadata value.