System and method for evaluating information aggregates by visualizing associated categories

• US 20040088323A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Elder, Michael D., Schirmer, Andrew L., Rokosz, Vaughn T., Schultz, Matthew, Jho, Jason Y.
• Granted Patent: US 7,065,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/103Y
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

System and method for evaluating an information aggregate by analyzing categories into which each document of the aggregate is placed. A metrics database stores for each document indicia including associated categories. A query engine is responsive to a user request and the metrics database for aggregating documents having same, unique attributes in an information aggregate and identifying categories associated with documents comprising the information aggregate; and a visualization engine visualizes the category or set of categories, such as by list or distribution frequency, and changes in time over conceptual or physical space.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating information aggregates, comprising:

collecting a plurality of documents having non-unique values on a shared attribute into an information aggregate;

identifying a category associated with said documents; and

visualizing said category.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying and visualizing a set of categories associated with said documents.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining and visualizing how said category spreads through space over time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining and visualizing how said category spreads through conceptual space over time.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining and visualizing how said category spreads through physical space over time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying for said aggregate a frequency distribution of categories.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying for said aggregate a visualization of changes of said frequency distribution over time.

8. A system for determining the nature of a document collection by analyzing categories into which each document is placed, comprising:

means for collecting a plurality of documents having non-unique values on a shared attribute into an information aggregate;

means for identifying a category associated with said documents; and

means for visualizing said category.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for identifying and visualizing a set of categories associated with said documents.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for determining and visualizing how said category spreads through space over time.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for displaying for said aggregate a frequency distribution of categories; and

means for displaying for said aggregate a visualization of changes of said frequency distribution over time.

12. System for evaluating an information aggregate, comprising:

a metrics database for storing document indicia including associated categories;

a query engine responsive to a user request and said metrics database for aggregating documents having same, unique attributes in an information aggregate;

said query engine further for identifying categories associated with documents comprising said information aggregate; and

a visualization engine for visualizing said categories.

13. The system of claim 12, said visualization engine further responsive to user request for visualizing changes in said categories over time.

14. The system of claim 12, said visualization engine further responsive to user request for visualizing changes in said categories with respect to physical or conceptual space over time.

15. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform a method for evaluating information aggregates, said method comprising:

collecting a plurality of documents having non-unique values on a shared attribute into an information aggregate;

identifying a category associated with said documents; and

visualizing said category.

16. The program storage device of claim 15, said method further comprising:

identifying and visualizing a set of categories associated with said documents;

displaying for said aggregate a frequency distribution of categories; and

displaying for said aggregate a visualization of changes of said frequency distribution over time.

17. The program storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

determining and visualizing how said category spreads through conceptual or physical space over time.

18. A computer program product for evaluating information aggregates according to the method comprising:

collecting a plurality of documents having non-unique values on a shared attribute into an information aggregate;

identifying a category associated with said documents; and

visualizing how said category spreads through space over time.