Abstract: A system and method for facilitating preservation of context information during navigation of a visualization. An example method includes representing hierarchical data via an orbit visualization; providing a first user option to navigate to a child node selected from among the one or more child nodes of the orbit visualization; and updating the orbit visualization in response to user selection of the first user option, resulting in an updated orbit visualization, wherein the updated orbit visualization includes a parent node positioned at a periphery of the visualization, and wherein the selected child node is positioned as a new central node of the updated orbit visualization. A carousel control may be displayed concurrently with the orbit visualization, wherein the carousel control includes one or more user options to navigate to a previously navigated-to node of the orbit visualization.

Abstract: A tile visualization has a window with a swim lane area and a panel area for displaying tiles that represent hierarchical data items. Tiles may be styled as cards. The swim lane displays an active tile and its immediate ancestors in a row or column. The active tile may be identified by a visual indicator. The panel displays one or more levels of the active tile's descendants. The descendants may be arranged in a matrix, or in columns each headed by an immediate descendant. The swim lane and panel are scrollable. A user can navigate up in the hierarchy by activating a tile in the swim lane, or down by activating a tile in the panel. Users may select one or more tiles without activating them.

Abstract: A chain visualization shows cards representing first, second and third hierarchical data items from a database. The second data item descends from the first. The third descends from the second. The visualization shows an ancestors chain, a descendants chain, and an active item location where the chains meet. The visualization shows a card visually associated with the ancestors chain for the first data item, a card in the active item location for the second data item, and a card visually associated with the descendants chain for the third data item. The cards present information from the data items. When a card is activated, it moves to the active item location. A descendant data item, descending from the new active item, is retrieved from the database. A card representing the descendant data item is displayed as visually associated with the descendants chain.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, in a given computer, of identifying at least one current speaker among at least three participants of a network-based collaborating system. The participants collaborate using a plurality of computers. The method includes receiving a first speech event signal at the given computer, the first speech event signal being generated by a first computer of the plurality of computers, the first speech event signal being generated responsive to voice input by a user of the first computer. The method further includes identifying, using the given computer and responsive to the receiving the first speech event signal from the first computer, to a user of the given computer an identity of a user of the first computer as a first current speaker.