Multi-source data visualization system

• US 20090006318A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud Software Group
• Original Assignee: Spotfire AB (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Thoresson, Johan, Lehtipalo, Tobias, Vulcan, Daniel, Fortes, Tommy
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

In one general aspect, the application discloses a data visualization method in which at least two retrieved data tables are associated based on a selection of at least one common field. A visualization is displayed for data from a first of the tables and input for query devices is received to filter data for a second of the tables. The displayed visualization for the first table can then be updated in response to the received query device input for the second table based on the created association.

Claims

1. A data visualization system, comprising:

multi-source record access logic operative to;

access records belonging to a first data source including a first set of data fields, and

access records belonging to a second data source including a second set of data fields,

query device presentation logic operative to present a plurality of query devices that are responsive to user interaction and that correspond to fields from the first set and fields from the second set,

combined visualization logic operative to display visualizations corresponding to records accessed in the first data source and visualizations corresponding to records accessed in the second data source, wherein the visualizations are responsive to filtering functions defined by the query devices, and

common record association logic operative to associate one or more fields in the first data source with one or more fields in the second data source.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the query device presentation logic is operative to present a common query device for common fields associated by the common record association logic.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the combined visualization logic is responsive to a mode selection to select different methods of filtering data for common fields associated by the common record association logic.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the different methods of filtering include exclude filtered out rows, include filtered rows only, and ignore filtering.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the record association logic is operative to present an association control to the user in response to a user request to open more than one data source for a single visualization.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-source record access logic, query device presentation logic, and combined visualization logic are operative to present a plurality of different grouped visualizations that each operate on different sets of two or more different data sources.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the combined visualization logic is operative to display the tables and visualizations in a single unified presentation area.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the combined visualization logic is operative to present a data source selection control associated with the visualizations.

9. The system of claim 1 in which the combined visualization logic is operative to display one or more interactive elements in one visualization that are responsive to user interaction to affect the display of one or more visual elements in another visualization.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the record access logic is operative to access differently formatted data sets and enable the query device presentation logic and combined visualization logic to operate on the differently formatted data sets.

11. The system of claim 1 further including save logic operative to save the visualizations.

12. The system of claim 1 further including record consolidation logic operative to consolidate records from the first data source with records from the second data source.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-source record access logic is operative to present a source addition control to the user.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the visualizations for associated tables are controlled by a same set of grouped query devices.

15. A data visualization method, comprising:

retrieving a plurality of data tables,

associating at least two of the data tables based on a selection of at least one common field,

displaying a visualization for data from a first of the tables,

receiving input for query devices to filter data for a second of the tables, and

updating the displayed visualization for the first of the tables in response to the received query device input for the second of the tables based on an association created in the step of associating.

16. A data visualization system, comprising:

means for retrieving a plurality of data tables,

means for associating at least two of the data tables based on a selection of at least one common field,

means for displaying a visualization for data from a first of the tables, means for receiving input for query devices to filter data for a second of the tables, and

means for updating the displayed visualization for the first of the tables in response to the received query device input for the second of the tables based on an association created by the means for associating.

17. A data visualization system, comprising:

multi-source record access logic operative to;

access records belonging to a first data source including a first set of data fields, and

access records belonging to a second data source including a second set of data fields,

query device presentation logic operative to present a unified group of a plurality of query devices that are responsive to user interaction, wherein at least some of the query devices correspond to a field from the first set and at least some of the query devices correspond to fields from the second set, and

combined visualization logic operative to display visualizations corresponding to records accessed in the first data source and visualizations corresponding to records accessed in the second data source, wherein the visualizations are responsive to filtering functions defined by the query devices, and

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the combined visualization logic is operative to display the visualizations and the tables on a single unified page.

19. A data visualization method, comprising:

retrieving a plurality of data tables,

displaying visualizations for the plurality of tables,

presenting a unified group of query devices for fields in each of the plurality of tables, and

updating the displayed visualizations based on input received by the query devices.

20. A data visualization system, comprising:

means for retrieving a plurality of data tables,

means for displaying visualizations for the plurality of tables,

means for presenting a unified group of query devices for fields in each of the plurality of tables, and

means for updating the displayed visualizations based on input received by the query devices.