Flow fields

• US 10,001,907 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Grieve, Richard Stephen, Hogg, Martin, Lord, Simon Leaver, O'Neill, Conor, Steadman, James, Chesney, Adam, Karmakar, Suman, Vangasse, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santos, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US14/174,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 707751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 Column-oriented storage; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2456 Join operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A computing device can automatically generate a flow diagram showing statuses that objects in a system can possess, and the possible transitions between these statuses. Using snapshots of database data, the device can determine how the statuses of these objects have changed over time. The device can analyze the data to suggest which database fields likely represent object status. The device can render the flow diagram to illustrate system states at different selected times. Each rendered flow diagram can indicate, for the selected time point, the quantity of objects that possessed each status at that time, and, for a selected time interval, the quantity of objects that changed from each status to each other status during that time interval. The statuses can be represented in the flow diagram as status bubbles having sizes that are based on the quantities of objects having those bubble'"'"'s statuses at the selected time point.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating, by a computer system, for each column from a plurality of columns of a table storing data for a plurality of objects, a score representing a likelihood that the column includes a plurality of statuses for the plurality of objects, wherein the score is generated based on information about data stored within the column;

identifying, by the computer system, a first subset of columns from the plurality of columns based on the scores generated for the plurality of columns, wherein at least one column from the plurality of columns is not included in the first subset of columns, the first subset of columns including one or more columns from the plurality of columns having a higher likelihood of including a plurality of statuses for the plurality of objects than the columns from the plurality of columns not included in the first subset of columns;

displaying, by the computer system, a graphical user interface (GUI) including a first status stored by a first column from the first subset of columns;

receiving a first user input selecting the first status as a destination status;

determining, based on changes in the table over time, a flow from a source status for the plurality of objects to the destination status; and

updating, by the computer system, the GUI to include a flow diagram showing the flow from the source status to the destination status, the flow diagram including a first graphical element representing the destination status and a second graphical element representing the source status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the flow diagram, comprises:

capturing a first snapshot of the table during a first time point;

capturing a second snapshot of the table during a second time point, wherein the first time point and the second time point define a specified time period;

determining the flow from the source status to the destination status using the first snapshot and the second snapshot; and

displaying the flow from the source status to the destination status for the specified time period, using the flow diagram including the first graphical element and the second graphical element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating, for each column from the plurality of columns, the score comprises:

generating a data type score for a column based on a data type of the data stored within the column and based upon a maximum length of data that can be stored in the column, wherein the data type score indicates a higher likelihood for integers and strings than for Boolean and binary data types, and wherein the data type score indicates a higher likelihood for shorter strings than for longer strings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating, for each column from the plurality of columns, the score comprises:

generating a distinct value score for a column based on a number of distinct values stored within the column, wherein the distinct value score indicates a higher likelihood when the number of distinct values is lower.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating, for each column from the plurality of columns, the score comprises:

generating a first distinct value score for a first column from the plurality of columns based on a first quantity of distinct values stored by the first column;

generating a second distinct value score for a second column from the plurality of columns based on a second quantity of distinct values stored by the second column; and

including the first column in the first subset of columns based on the first quantity being smaller than the second quantity, wherein, the first quantity being smaller than the second quantity indicates that the first distinct value score indicates a higher likelihood that the first column stores a plurality of statuses than a likelihood that the second column stores a plurality of statuses as indicated by the second distinct value score.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating, for each column from the plurality of columns, the score comprises:

generating a first distinct value score for a first column from the plurality of columns based on a first quantity of distinct values stored by the first column;

generating a second distinct value score for a second column from the plurality of columns based on a second quantity of distinct values stored by the second column; and

excluding the first column from the first subset of columns based on the first quantity being larger than the second quantity, wherein, the first quantity being larger than the second quantity indicates that the first distinct value score indicates a lower likelihood that the first column stores a plurality of statuses than a likelihood that the second column stores a plurality of statuses as indicated by the second distinct value score.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating, for each column from the plurality of columns, the score comprises:

generating a query usage score for a column based on a number of historical queries that resulted in a value stored by the column being returned as a result of the historical queries.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating, for each column from the plurality of columns, the score comprises:

generating a name score for a column based on whether the column contains one or more words from a specified set of words.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the computer system, to a user, data stored by the first subset of columns.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking, by the computer system, the scores generated for the plurality of columns, and wherein the identifying comprises identifying the first subset of columns based on the ranking of the scores.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first subset of columns comprises:

selecting a column from the plurality of columns for inclusion in the first subset of columns if the score generated for the column meets or exceeds a threshold.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the flow diagram includes:

displaying, by the computer system, for each of the graphical elements, the corresponding status.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the graphical elements displayed in the flow diagram is sized based on a number of the plurality of objects that possess the corresponding status that is represented by the graphical element.

14. The method of claim 1,

receiving a second user input selecting the source status, wherein the first user input is received through user interaction with the first graphical element, wherein the second user input is received through user interaction with the second graphical element, and wherein determining the flow from the source status to the destination status includes determining, by the computer system, a number of the plurality of objects that transitioned from the source status to the destination status.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding, to the flow diagram, a connection between the first graphical element and the second graphical element based on status transitions of the plurality of objects.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of states of the flow diagram, wherein each state corresponds to a different time period; and

wherein each state includes the first graphical element and the second graphical element.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

generating for each column from a plurality of columns of a table storing data for a plurality of objects, a score representing a likelihood that the column includes a plurality of statuses for the plurality of objects, wherein the score is generated based on information about data stored within the column;

identifying a first subset of columns from the plurality of columns based on the scores generated for the plurality of columns, wherein at least one column from the plurality of columns is not included in the first subset of columns, the first subset of columns including one or more columns from the plurality of columns having a higher likelihood of including a plurality of statuses for the plurality of objects than the columns from the plurality of columns not included in the first subset of columns;

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) including a first status stored by a first column from the first subset of columns;

receiving a first user input selecting the first status as a destination status;

determining, based on changes in the table over time, a flow from a source status for the plurality of objects to the destination status; and

updating the GUI to include a flow diagram showing the flow from the source status to the destination status, the flow diagram including a first graphical element representing the destination status and a second graphical element representing the source status.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein generating the score for each column includes:

generating, for a column, at least two scores selected from the following;

a data type score based on a data type of the data stored within the column and based upon a maximum length of data that can be stored in the column;

a distinct value score for the column based on a number of distinct values stored within the column;

a query usage score for the column based on a number of historical queries that resulted in a value stored by the column being returned as a result of the historical queries;

or

a name score for the column based on whether the column contains one or more words from a specified set of words; and

generating the score for the column as a total score computed from the at least two scores.

19. A system comprising:

a display; and

a controller coupled to the display, the controller configured to;

generate for each column from a plurality of columns of a table storing data for a plurality of objects, a score representing a likelihood that the column includes a plurality of statuses for the plurality of objects, wherein the score is generated based on information about data stored within the column;

identify a first subset of columns from the plurality of columns based on the scores generated for the plurality of columns, wherein at least one column from the plurality of columns is not included in the first subset of columns, the first subset of columns including one or more columns from the plurality of columns having a higher likelihood of including a plurality of statuses for the plurality of objects than the columns from the plurality of columns not included in the first subset of columns;

render, on the display, a graphical user interface (GUI) including a first status stored by a first column from the first subset of columns;

receive a first user input selecting the first status as a destination status;

determine, based on changes in the table over time, a flow from a source status for the plurality of objects to the destination status; and

update the GUI to include a flow diagram showing the flow from the source status to the destination status, the flow diagram including a first graphical element representing the destination status and a second graphical element representing the source status.