Graphically manipulating a database

• US 20070271285A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Qianjie, Zhong, Harris, Jon M., Eichorn, Lisa S., Peter, Jessica J., Walters, Tyler A., Joyner, Wilbert R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A method and system for managing a database through a graphical representation is presented. The method the method includes dynamically adjusting data in a database by graphically manipulating a graph that represents the database. In one embodiment, a predictive cone is overlaid onto the graph. The predictive cone is created from a heuristic algorithm that uses past historical data to predict where future real data will track on the graph.

Claims

1. A computer-implementable method comprising:

dynamically adjusting data in a database by directly manipulating a graph that represents the data in the database.

2. The computer-implementable method of claim 1, wherein the graph is displayed in a Graphical User Interface (GUI), and wherein the graph is directly manipulated through the use of a cursor to move a datapoint on the graph.

3. The computer-implementable method of claim 2, wherein the graph contains a line, and wherein the datapoint is a point on the line, and wherein moving the datapoint to a new position causes a partial portion of the line to move towards the new position, and wherein moving the datapoint to the new position causes a change to database data that is represented by the line.

4. The computer-implementable method of claim 1, wherein the graph contains a first line that represents first data in the database, and wherein the method further comprises:

manually overlaying a second line onto the graph using an input device, wherein manually overlaying the second line causes a change to second data that is represented by the second line; and

automatically creating a target zone for a real data track between the first line and the second line.

5. The computer-implementable method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating a predictive cone that is based on updated data that predicts a change to a current pathway of the real data track; and

overlaying the predictive cone from a most recent end of the current pathway of the real data track.

6. The computer-implementable method of claim 4, wherein points on the graph above the first line are deemed to exceed the target zone, and wherein points on the graph below the second line are deemed to fail to meet the target zone.

7. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the data bus; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

dynamically adjusting data in a database by directly manipulating a graph that represents the data in the database.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the graph is displayed in a Graphical User Interface (GUI), and wherein the graph is directly manipulated through the use of a cursor to move a datapoint on the graph.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the graph contains a line, and wherein the datapoint is a point on the line, and wherein moving the datapoint to a new position causes a partial portion of the line to move towards the new position.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the graph contains a first line that was generated by the database, and wherein the instructions are further configured for:

manually overlaying a second line onto the graph using an input device; and

automatically creating a target zone for a real data track between the first line and the second line.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further configured for:

generating a predictive cone that is based on updated data that predicts a change to a current pathway of the real data track; and

overlaying the predictive cone from a most recent end of the current pathway of the real data track.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein points on the graph above the first line are deemed to exceed the target zone, and wherein points on the graph below the second line are deemed to fail to meet the target zone.

13. A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

dynamically adjusting data in a database by directly manipulating a graph that represents the data in the database.

14. The computer-usable medium of claim 14, wherein the graph is displayed in a Graphical User Interface (GUI), and wherein the graph is directly manipulated through the use of a cursor to move a datapoint on the graph.

16. The computer-usable medium of claim 14, wherein the graph contains a first line that was generated by the database, and wherein the instructions are further configured for:

manually overlaying a second line onto the graph using an input device; and

automatically creating a target zone for a real data track between the first line and the second line.

18. The computer-useable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client computer from a server at a remote location.

19. The computer-useable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a service provider to a customer on an on-demand basis.

15. The computer-usable medium of claim 15, wherein the graph contains a line, and wherein the datapoint is a point on the line, and wherein moving the datapoint to a new position causes a partial portion of the line to move towards the new position.

17. The computer-usable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further configured for:

generating a predictive cone that is based on updated data that predicts a change to a current pathway of the real data track; and

overlaying the predictive cone from a most recent end of the current pathway of the real data track.