RANKING VISUALIZATION TYPES BASED UPON FITNESS FOR VISUALIZING A DATA SET

• US 20090287673A1
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chronister, Benjamin L, Lee, David Benjamin, Cory, Daniel Philip
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for ranking visualization types. In order to rank the visualization types, visualization metadata is generated for each of the visualization types and data set metadata is generated for the data set. A suitability score is then computed based upon the visualization metadata and the data set metadata through the use of data mapping rules and chart selection rules. The visualization types are then ranked according to the computed scores. A user interface may then be displayed that includes visual representations corresponding to the visualization types that are ordered according to the ranking. One of the visual representations may then be selected to apply the corresponding visualization type to the data set

Claims

1. A method for ranking a plurality of visualization types, the method comprising:

generating visualization metadata for each of the plurality of visualization types;

generating data set metadata for a data set;

calculating a suitability score for each of the plurality of visualization types based upon the visualization metadata and the data set metadata; and

ranking the plurality of visualization types based upon the calculated suitability scores.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visualization metadata comprises data describing one or more attributes of a visualization type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set metadata comprises data describing one or more attributes of the data set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability score comprises a number indicating the suitability of a visualization type for use with the data set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating a suitability score for a visualization type comprises:

using data mapping rules to create a mapping between one or more columns in the data set to an axis or a series in the visualization type; and

using chart selection rules to calculate the suitability score for the data set in view of the mapping.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the plurality of visualization types based upon the calculated suitability scores comprises ranking the plurality of visualization types based upon the calculated suitability scores and upon the contents of a user profile.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set comprises tabular data or other structured data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising visual representations corresponding to the visualization types, the visual representations being ordered according to the ranking;

receiving a selection of one of the visual representations; and

rendering the data set using the visualization type corresponding to the selected visual representation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the visual representations comprise preview images showing the application of each visualization type to the data set.

10. A computer storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request to assist with the selection of one of a plurality of visualization types for use with a data set; and

in response to the request, to generate a ranking of the visualization types according to their suitability for use with the data set, to display a user interface comprising visual representations of the visualization types ordered according to the ranking, to receive a selection of one of the visual representations, and to render the data set using the visualization type that corresponds to the selected visual representation.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 10, wherein the data set comprises tabular data or other structured data having one or more columns.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein generating a ranking of the visualization types according to their suitability for use with the data set comprises:

generating visualization metadata for each of the plurality of visualization types;

generating data set metadata for the data set;

calculating a suitability score for each of the plurality of visualization types based upon the visualization metadata and the data set metadata; and

generating a ranking of the plurality of visualization types according to their suitability for use with the data set based upon the calculated suitability scores.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 12, wherein the visualization metadata comprises data describing one or more attributes of a visualization type.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the data set metadata comprises data describing one or more attributes of the data set.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the suitability score comprises a number indicating the suitability of a visualization type for use with the data set.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein calculating a suitability score for a visualization type comprises:

using data mapping rules to create a mapping between the columns in the data set to an axis or a series in the visualization type; and

using chart selection rules to calculate the suitability score for the data set in view of the mapping.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein generating a ranking of the visualization types according to their suitability for use with the data set comprises ranking the plurality of visualization types based upon the calculated suitability scores and upon the contents of a user profile.

18. A method for ranking a plurality of visualization types, the method comprising:

generating visualization metadata for each of the plurality of visualization types, the visualization metadata comprising data describing one or more attributes of a visualization type;

generating data set metadata for a data set, the data set metadata comprising data describing one or more attributes of the data set;

calculating a suitability score for each of the plurality of visualization types based upon the visualization metadata and the data set metadata, the suitability score comprising a number indicating the suitability of a visualization type for use with the data set;

generating a ranking of the plurality of visualization types based upon the calculated suitability scores;

displaying a user interface comprising visual representations corresponding to the visualization types, the visual representations being ordered according to the ranking;

receiving a selection of one of the visual representations; and

rendering the data set using the visualization type corresponding to the selected visual representation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein calculating a suitability score for a visualization type comprises:

using data mapping rules to create a mapping between one or more columns in the data set to an axis or a series in the visualization type; and

using chart selection rules to calculate the suitability score for the data set in view of the mapping.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein generating a ranking of the plurality of visualization types based upon the calculated suitability scores comprises ranking the plurality of visualization types based upon the calculated suitability scores and upon the contents of a user profile.