Visual Interactions with Analytics

• US 20090322739A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Clarke, Steven John, Perez, Meghan R., Rubin, Darryl E., Mital, Vijay, Bapat, Vikram
• Application Number:
  US12/163,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20090322739A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Visual interaction with an analytics-driven model view composition application. The application includes a data-model binding component that binds input data to model parameters, an analytics solver component that solves for remaining unknown model parameters, and a view composition component that generates a view composition using the model parameters. In one visual interaction, various solutions of the model are provided in alternative views of various view compositions in a single integrated composition. In another interaction, regardless of whether there are multiple view compositions illustrated in a single integrated view, there might be visual prompts in the view composition that suggest an adjustment to make that might move the value of a particular model parameter in a desired direction.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to instantiate an analytics-driven model view composition application that includes:

a data-model binding component configured to bind model input data to one or more of a plurality of model parameters;

an analytics solver mechanism configured to solve for one or more output model variables using one or more input model variables and using a plurality of analytical relationships between the plurality of model parameters; and

a view composition mechanism configured generate a view composition that at least in part depends on a value of the solved one or more output model variables, wherein when first input data is provided to the data-model binding component the view composition mechanism generates a first view composition, wherein when second input data is provided to the data-model binding component the view composition mechanism generates a second view composition that is different than the first view composition, wherein the view composition mechanism is configured to generate an integrated view composition that includes a plurality of previously constructed view constructions including the first and second view compositions.

2. A computer program product in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are physical memory and/or storage media.

3. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated view composition includes a third view composition that was previously generated by the view composition mechanism.

4. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated view composition also includes a comparison element that visually represents a comparison of a value of at least one model parameter across at least some of the plurality of previously constructed view constructions in the integrated view composition.

5. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated view composition also includes a comparison element that visually represents a comparison of a value of at least one model parameter across all of the plurality of previously constructed view constructions in the integrated view composition.

6. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated view composition includes a selection mechanism that allows the user to visually emphasize a selected subset of one or more of the plurality of previously constructed view constructions.

7. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated view composition includes a selection mechanism that allows the user to visually indicate that one or more parameters, whether or not they were previously unknown, are now input model variables as a result of their values changing.

8. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated view composition includes a selection mechanism that allows the user to visually emphasize a selected view construction of the plurality of previously constructed view constructions.

9. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the plurality of analytical relationships includes at least one constraint relationship.

10. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the plurality of analytical relationships includes at least one rules relationship.

11. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the plurality of analytical relationships includes at least one simulation relationship.

12. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the analytics solver mechanism comprises:

a collection of a specialized solvers that are each capable of solving for one or more output model variables given the one or more input model variables and given a plurality of analytical relationships the plurality of model parameters including the one or more input and output model variables; and

a solver framework configured to coordinating processing of at least some of the specialized solvers in the collection to thereby cause the collection of specialized solvers to solve for the one or more output model variables.

13. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated view composition includes a mechanism for a user to designate what model parameters should be treated as an output model variables thereby triggering another solve by the analytical solver mechanism.

14. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, where the first input data and the second input data are different.

15. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first input data and the second input data are the same data, wherein the first view composition and the second view composition result from alternative solutions to the model given the same set of input model variables, and given the same plurality of analytical relationships between the plurality of model parameters.

16. A computer program product in accordance with claim 2, wherein the integrated view composition includes a visual prompt for an adjustment that could be made that would trend a value of a model parameter of interest in a particular direction.

17. A computer program product comprising one or more physical computer-readable media having thereon one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to instantiate an analytics-driven model view composition application that includes:

a data-model binding component configured to bind model input data to one or more of a plurality of model parameters;

an analytics solver mechanism configured to solve for one or more output model variables using the one or more input model variables and using a plurality of analytical relationships between the plurality of model parameters; and

a view composition mechanism configured generate a view composition that at least in part depends on a value of the solved-for output model variables,

18. A computer program product in accordance with claim 17, wherein the view composition allows a user to designate what model parameters should be treated as an output model variable thereby triggering another solve by the analytical solver mechanism.

19. A computer program product in accordance with claim 17, wherein the view composition includes a visual prompt for an adjustment that could be made that would trend a value of a model parameter of interest in a particular direction.

20. A physical system that drives a computing system to perform an analytics-driven model view composition application that includes:

a data-model binding component configured to bind model input data to one or more of a plurality of model parameters to thereby create one or more known model parameters;

an analytics solver mechanism configured to solve for one or more output model variables using the one or more input model variables and using a plurality of analytical relationships between the plurality of model parameters; and

a view composition mechanism configured generate a view composition that at least in part depends on a value of the solved-for one or more output model variables, wherein when first input data is provided to the data-model binding component the view composition mechanism generates a first view composition, wherein when second input data is provided to the data-model binding component the view composition mechanism generates a second view composition that is different than the first view composition, wherein the view composition mechanism is configured to generate an integrated view composition that includes a plurality of previously constructed view constructions including the first and second view constructions,

wherein the integrated view composition also includes a comparison element that visually represents a comparison of a value of at least one model parameter across at least some of the plurality of previously constructed view constructions in the integrated view composition.

wherein the integrated view composition includes a selection mechanism that allows the user to visually emphasize a selected subset of one or more of the plurality of previously constructed view constructions, and

wherein the integrated view composition includes a visual prompt for an adjustment that could be made that would trend a value of a model parameter of interest in a particular direction.