Akamai Technologies, Inc.
System and method for visualization of beacon clusters on the web

Abstract:

A computer-implemented method for creating a visualization of beacons collected over a specified time period from users on a website. Beacons are rendered as nodes grouped into clusters, with relatedness between beacons being represented as a link. The number of nodes rendered is reduced along with the number of links that connect pairs of nodes. The resulting data structure is rendered as a force-directed chart by assigning force unit values to each of the nodes and links, each representative node of a cluster of nodes being assigned a relatively high negative charge and all remaining nodes in the cluster being assigned a relatively low negative charge. Link distances and strengths between unrelated/related clusters are also assigned values. A set of physical laws is applied to all of the nodes and links to determine their relative position in the visualization based on their assigned force unit values.