Unified interactive data analysis system

• US 20070203902A1
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud Software Group
• Original Assignee: TIBCO Software Incorporated (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Lehtipalo, Tobias, Fortes, Tommy, Hergens, Johan, Bauerle, Lars, Thorsell, Magnus
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system for analyzing data from a data set is disclosed. The system includes analysis logic responsive to a dimensional analysis control and an attribute analysis control for the same data. This logic can incrementally update the state of a data presentation from an existing state to a new state, and then remain responsive in the new state to further user input via the dimensional data analysis control and further user input via the attribute analysis control to further incrementally update the presentation.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing data from a data set, comprising:

a dimensional analysis control responsive to user input to navigate dimensionally organized data in the data set according to its dimensional organization,

an attribute analysis control responsive to user input to analyze the data in the data set according to its attributes, wherein the dimensional analysis control and the attribute analysis control include at least one graphically rendered control responsive to position-based user interaction, and

interactive analysis logic that is responsive to the dimensional analysis control and the attribute analysis control for the same data, and is responsive to user input via the dimensional data analysis control and user input via the attribute analysis control to incrementally update the state of a data presentation from an existing state to a new state and then remains responsive in the new state to further user input via the dimensional data analysis control and further user input via the attribute analysis control to incrementally update the presentation from the new state to further new states.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the interactive analysis logic is operative to present a visualization of at least a subset of the data in the data set in one or more visualization windows, and wherein each visualization is simultaneously and interactively responsive to the dimensional analysis control and the attribute analysis control.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the interactive analysis logic is operative to update the graphical data visualization in response to user input via the dimensional analysis control and user input via the attribute analysis control independent of intermediate user interaction with any other controls.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein user input via the dimensional analysis control causes the dimensional analysis control to transition between one of at least three states, wherein user input via the attribute analysis control causes the attribute analysis control to transition between one of at least three states, and wherein each state transition generates one of a series of different successive queries to the data set.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the interactive analysis logic is operative to update the data presentation in less than one second.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein parameters of the dimensional analysis control are responsive to changes in data selection using the attribute analysis control.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein parameters of the attribute analysis control are responsive to navigation through hierarchies using the dimensional control.

8. The system of claim 1 further including aggregation measure control logic operative to aggregate data sets defined using the dimensional control according to different aggregation measures.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a same type of control can be used for dimensionally organized data and non-dimensionally organized data.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the dimensional analysis control is substantially continuously adjustable.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the dimensional analysis control and the attribute analysis control are responsive to actuation by a same pointing device.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the dimensional analysis control includes a slider.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the dimensional analysis control includes a filter control.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the dimensional analysis control includes a hierarchically organized filter control.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the dimensional analysis control includes a tree-based control.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the dimensional analysis control for one dimension and a further dimensional access control for another dimension are associated with the same visualization.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes logic operative to recognize dimensional organization in the data set.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes dimension input logic operative to retrieve external stored dimensions for the data set.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes dimension input logic operative to retrieve external stored dimensions for the data set from local storage.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes dimension input logic operative to retrieve external stored dimensions for the data set from an external system.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes dimension user input logic responsive to user input to retrieve dimensions for the data set.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein dimensional and attribute information is stored in a centrally managed model that can be shared among many users.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the dimensionally organized data are organized according to a hierarchy.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the system includes stored logic to handle predetermined types of hierarchies.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the system includes stored logic to handle a plurality of the following types of hierarchies:

time-based hierarchies, money-based hierarchies, and distance-based hierarchies.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein a same data subset can be treated as an attribute or a dimension.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the data analysis system includes spreadsheet functionality.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the data analysis system includes interactive data visualization logic operative to include graphical visualizations in the data presentation.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the data analysis system is a statistical package that includes a plurality of advanced statistical functions.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein the data analysis system is an OLAP system and wherein the dimensional analysis control is an OLAP control.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein the data analysis system is a reporting system.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein the data set is accessed from a commercial relational database.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the data analysis system is built into the commercial relational database.

34. The system of claim 1 wherein the data analysis system is built into a larger product and provides one or more data analysis views that relate to the functions of the larger product.

35. The system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of further analysis controls is available to the user.

36. A method for analyzing data from a data set, comprising:

receiving at least one attribute analysis command from a user to analyze the data in the data set according to its attributes,

incrementally updating the state of a data presentation from an existing state to a new state in response to the attribute analysis command received in the step of receiving an attribute analysis command,

receiving at least one dimensional analysis command from a user to navigate dimensionally organized data in the data set according to its dimensional organization,

incrementally updating the state of a data presentation from an existing state to a new state in response to the dimensional analysis command received in the step of receiving a dimensional analysis command,

remaining responsive to further graphical attribute analysis commands and to further graphical dimensional analysis commands to incrementally update the presentation to further new states after each of the steps of incrementally updating, and

wherein at least one of the attribute analysis command and the dimensional analysis command is based on position-based interaction.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the graphical attribute analysis command and the graphical dimensional analysis command are received from a pointing device.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein parameters of the dimensional analysis command are responsive to changes in data selection based on the attribute analysis command.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein parameters of the attribute analysis command are responsive to navigation through hierarchies based on the dimensional command.

40. The method of claim 36 further including receiving an aggregation measure command and changing an aggregation measure for the data set based on the aggregation measure command.

41. The method of claim 36 wherein the dimensionally organized data are organized according to a hierarchy.

42. The method of claim 36 wherein a same data subset can be treated as an attribute or a dimension.

43. A system for analyzing data from a data set, comprising:

means for receiving attribute analysis commands from a user to analyze the data in the data set according to its attributes,

means for incrementally updating the state of a data presentation from existing states to new states in response to the attribute analysis commands received by the means for receiving attribute analysis commands,

means for receiving dimensional analysis commands from a user to navigate dimensionally organized data in the data set according to its dimensional organization,

means for incrementally updating the state of a data presentation from existing states to new states in response to the dimensional analysis commands received by the means for receiving dimensional analysis commands,

means for remaining responsive to further graphical attribute analysis commands and to further graphical dimensional analysis commands to incrementally update the presentation to further new states, and

wherein at least one of the means for receiving an attribute analysis command and the means for receiving a dimensional analysis command is graphically rendered.