Chart-type agnostic scene graph for defining a chart

• US 10,304,225 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Allyn, Barry Christopher, Zhou, Qijin, Berglund, Kurt William
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anh-Tuan V
• Application Number:
  US15/395,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20180189988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities

Abstract

Generating a chart-type agnostic data structure for defining a chart for use in chart rendering, animation, interactivity, and accessibility via a web client is provided. Aspects of a charting system are operative to represent output of a server-side chart layout engine in a data structure that can transmitted to and consumed by the web client for rendering an interactive chart. For example, aspects of the charting system enable for chart layout and chart rendering to exist separately, providing efficient chart layout and preventing external exposure of chart layout code.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for defining how to render a chart, comprising:

performing a chart layout for a chart based on a chart description;

generating a scene graph defining the layout of the chart, wherein the scene graph is agnostic of a chart-type, wherein generating the scene graph includes;

providing a mapping, with the scene graph, to a web client, wherein the mapping comprises a data field for each scene graph point that indicates to which point in a chart description, received from the web client, the scene graph point is associated, wherein the mapping is read by the web client and enables the web client to compare two separate scene graphs and identify the common scene graph points by the data field, and wherein the web client locally animates changes between common scene graph points without needing other scene graphs be generated to represent the changes between scene graph points;

converting the scene graph from a first format to a second format, wherein the second format is consumable by the web client; and

transmitting the converted scene graph to the web client for rendering the chart, thereby providing an interactive chart via the web client that does not expose chart layout code.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the scene graph comprises:

generating a collection of nodes, each node representing a chart element; and

specifying a node type for each node, the node type defining a chart element type.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein specifying the node type for each node comprises selecting the node type from a list of chart element types including:

a series;

a chart area;

a plot area;

a title;

an axis label;

an axis title;

a legend;

grid lines;

tick marks; and

a data point label.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein generating the scene graph comprises specifying geometry for each node, the geometry indicating how to render the associated chart element.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein specifying geometry for each node comprises specifying to render an image of the node.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein specifying geometry for each node comprises specifying a list of graphics operations for rendering the node.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein generating the scene graph comprises specifying a list of children nodes the associated chart element has, wherein a child node inherits properties from its parent node, and wherein specification of a parent-child relationship defines a rendering order for the chart.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein generating the scene graph comprises adding custom data to a node, the custom data providing the mapping to the chart description and to data that the associated chart element represents.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein a type of node in the scene graph is generic across at least two types of charts, and wherein the type of node builds one of two or more types of charts.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the semantic information includes data that represents the specific graph data point.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein providing the mapping to the chart description enables the web client also to locally provide accessibility functionalities.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein converting the scene graph from the first format to the second format comprises converting the scene graph from a C++ data structure to a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) data structure.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating a scene graph comprises optimizing the scene graph based on a requested size of the chart included in the chart description, wherein optimizing the scene graph comprises culling data points or figures and segments within data point geometry to return geometric operations that operate on a pixel size of the chart.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein prior to performing the chart layout for the chart based on the chart description, receiving the chart description defining the chart to be rendered via the web client.

15. A system for defining how to render a chart, the system including a computing device comprising:

at least one processing device; and

at least one computer readable data storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the computing device to;

perform a chart layout for a chart based on a chart description;

generate a scene graph defining the layout of the chart, wherein the scene graph is agnostic of a chart-type, wherein generating the scene graph includes;

providing a mapping, with the scene graph, to a web client, and wherein the mapping comprises a data field for each scene graph point that indicates to which point in a chart description, received from the web client, the scene graph point is associated, wherein the mapping is read by the web client and enables the web client to compare two separate scene graphs and identify the common scene graph points by the data field, and wherein the web client locally animates changes between common scene graph points without needing other scene graphs be generated to represent the changes between scene graph points;

convert the scene graph from a first format to a second format, wherein the second format is consumable by the web client; and

transmit the converted scene graph to the web client for rendering the chart, thereby providing an interactive chart via the web client that does not expose chart layout code.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the scene graph defines a rendering order for the chart and comprises a collection of nodes, each node representing a chart element; and

wherein in generating the scene graph, the system is operative to specify a node type for each node, the node type defining an associated chart element type selected from a list of chart element types including;

a series;

a chart area;

a plot area;

a title;

an axis label;

an axis title;

a legend;

grid lines;

tick marks; and

a data point label.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein in generating the scene graph, the system is operative to specify geometry indicating how to render the associated chart element, the geometry specifying:

to render an image of the node;

or

a list of graphics operations for rendering the node.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the scene graph includes custom data associated with a node, the custom data providing the mapping to the chart description and to data that the associated chart element represents, wherein the mapping also enables the web client to:

locally provide accessibility functionalities.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein in converting the scene graph from the first format to the second format, the system is operative to convert the scene graph from a C++ data structure to a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) data structure.

20. A computer readable storage device including computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processing unit is operative to:

receive a chart description for a chart to be rendered via a web client;

perform a chart layout for the chart based on the chart description;

generate a scene graph defining the layout of the chart, wherein the scene graph is agnostic of a chart-type, defines a rendering order for the chart, and comprises a collection of nodes, each node representing a chart element, wherein generating the scene graph includes;

providing a mapping, with the scene graph, to a web client, and wherein the mapping comprises a data field for each scene graph point that indicates to which point in a chart description, received from the web client, the scene graph point is associated, wherein the mapping is read by the web client and enables the web client to compare two separate scene graphs and identify the common scene graph points by the data field, and wherein the web client locally animates changes between common scene graph points without needing other scene graphs be generated to represent the changes between scene graph points;

convert the scene graph from a C++ data structure to a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) data structure, wherein the JSON data structure is consumable by the web client; and

transmit the converted scene graph to the web client for rendering the chart, thereby providing an interactive chart via the web client that does not expose chart layout code.