Presentation of data using meta-morphing

• US 20070174262A1
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TARGIT A/S
• Original Assignee: TARGIT A/S
• Inventors: Middelfart, Morten
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24522 Translation of natural language queries to structured queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of making a presentation of data requested by a question received via a user interface of a database, wherein date items are categorized as measures of dimensions, and in which question data items of the type measures of dimensions can be associated to specify a set of data; the method comprises the following steps; parsing (301) the question for associations of dimensions and measures, if no association is found, create an association (307); searching (311) for presentation properties of stored associations; if presentation properties are found applying (313) the presentation properties to make a presentation of data specified by the association. Thereby, a user can request a computer presentation of data that a user'"'"'s preferences are applied. Additionally, a computer-readable medium, a computer program product and a user-interface is disclosed.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computer-implemented method of making a presentation of data that are retrieved by submitting a query to a database in which data items are categorized as being of a measures or a dimensions type;

said method comprises the following steps;

from a question received by a user interface, determining those items in the question that are contained in a predefined list of items that are available in the database and are defined to be of the measures type or the dimensions type;

based on the determined items, determining an association, which comprises a data item of the measures type and a data item of the dimensions type, which data items are comprised in the predefined list of data items;

based on the determined association and previously stored associations, which previously stored associations are each related to presentation properties, retrieving the presentation properties of the association, among the stored associations, which is most similar to the determined association;

applying the association to make a query to the database to retrieve data which are presented by means of the presentation properties;

wherein the determined associations of data items that are applied with the presentation properties to make a presentation are registered with a count that represents a frequency of use; and

in wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether a data item of the dimensions type or measures types is present in the question, and in the affirmative event selecting a data item of the measures type or the dimensions types, respectively, to create an association;

wherein selecting a data item of the measures type or dimensions type involves selecting the data items that are determined to be the most frequently used data items of the dimensions type or measures type, respectively.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining items in the question comprises the steps of:

parsing the question to identify fractions of the question;

comparing identified fractions to items comprised in the predefined list of items; and

selecting an item being determined as matching the fraction as a determined item.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises a step of:

receiving a spoken question, which is processed by a step of performing speech recognition to provide items in the question in computer-readable form.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of determining items in the question comprises:

determining whether a word in the question is similar to an item in the predefined list of items;

if the word is determined not to be similar, it is discarded;

however, if the word is determined to be similar, it is stored as a determined item.

25. A method according to claim 21, wherein the step of determining an association comprises the steps of:

searching a first storage to detect a previously used association, if any, involving the determined data items, and

in the event no previously used association involving the determined data items are found, creating an association involving the determined data item.

26. A method according to claim 21, comprising:

examining the question to detect combinations of associations, determining presentation properties by searching stored combinations of associations with assigned presentation properties; and

applying the presentation properties to make a presentation of data specified by the combinations of associations.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the step of selecting a data item of the measures type or dimensions type involves selecting from a storage the data items that can be associated with the determined data item in the question to create an association.

28. A method according to claim 21, wherein the step of selecting a data item of the measures type involves selecting from a storage the data items that are determined to be the most frequently used data items in association with the determined data item in the question.

29. A method according to claim 21, wherein the method comprises creation of a memory object for each determined data item of the dimensions type.

30. A method according to claim 21, wherein the step of retrieving the presentation properties comprises the steps of:

searching a first storage for presentation properties of a previously stored, like association, and in the event presentation properties of a previously stored, like association is found, applying the presentation properties to make a presentation of the data specified by the association.

31. A method according to claim 21, wherein the determination of presentation properties comprises a layered search for presentation properties.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the layered search comprises a first level with a search for a match of measures and same dimensions.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein the layered search comprises a second level with a search for a match of measures and different dimensions.

34. A method according to claim 31, wherein the layered search comprises a third level with a search for a match of dimension at primarily same level of dimension or secondarily at a different level of dimension.

35. A method according to claim 21, comprising the step of applying an expert system, arranged to determine and apply presentation properties, in the event no like association is found.

36. A computer-readable medium encoded with a program implementing the method set forth in claim 21 when run on a computer.

37. A computer program product implementing the method set forth in claim 21 when run on a computer.

38. A user-interface arranged to make a presentation of data requested by a question received via an input box on the user interface;

the user-interface is connected to a database wherein data items are categorized as measures or dimensions, and in which question data items of the type measures or dimensions can be associated to specify a set of data;

wherein the set of data is presented according to method set forth in claim 21.