Data Visualization Interactivity Architecture

• US 20100162152A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Becker, Chris, Allyn, Barry, Ruble, B. Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A data visualization interactivity architecture may be provided. The architecture may allow the creation of a data visualization, such as a chart, and may expose an interactive feature on the visualization. The architecture may provide integration with multiple rendering platforms. When a user selects the exposed feature, the architecture may translate the selection into a common format and modify the data visualization according to layout rules independent of the rendering platform.

Claims

1. A method for providing data visualization interactivity, the method comprising:

creating a data visualization according to a shared layout;

exposing at least one interactive feature for the data visualization;

providing an integration object associated with at least one of a plurality rendering platforms;

selecting the at least one interactive feature;

translating the selection of the at least one interactive feature via the integration object into a common format associated with the shared layout; and

modifying the data visualization according to the selected interactive feature.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one integration object for each of the plurality of rendering platforms.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a location for a pointer of a user input device; and

retrieving information about the received location, wherein the information comprises at least one of;

a description of possible modifications to the data visualization associated with the location and a description of at least one data point at the location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information about the received location is displayed in a tooltip.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering platform is independent of the shared layout

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one interactive feature comprises a data modification feature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one interactive feature comprises a data filtering feature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one interactive feature comprises a visual adjustment feature

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the layout comprises at least one of:

a pie chart, a bar chart, a scatter chart, a column chart, a line chart, an area chart, a doughnut chart, a radar chart, a surface chart, a bubble chart, and a stock chart.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing at least one hotspot object specific to the layout.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one hotspot object is associated with at least one structural element of the data visualization.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the selection of the at least one interactive feature comprises receiving a selection input from at least one of:

a mouse, a stylus, a keyboard, and a touch screen.

13. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing extensible interactivity for a data visualization, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

creating a data visualization according to a set of data;

exposing at least one hotspot;

receiving a selection of the at least one hotspot;

creating a changelist associated with the selection of the at least one hotspot;

storing a plurality of user input commands in the changelist;

processing the changelist; and

updating the data visualization according to the processed changelist.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the data visualization comprises a chart.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the hotspot comprises a location on the data visualization associated with at least one interactive feature.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising providing feedback to a user in response to receiving the selection of the hotspot, wherein the feedback comprises at least one of:

changing a user input cursor appearance and displaying a tooltip.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the provided feedback is associated with at least one interactive feature associated with the selected at least one hotspot.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein processing the changelist comprises:

commiting the changelist to a data visualization platform; and

applying the plurality of commands stored in the changelist to the data visualization.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein processing the changelist comprises:

selecting at least one command stored in the changelist; and

applying the selected at least one command stored in the changelist to the data visualization.

20. A system for providing data visualization interactivity, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

create a data visualization according to a layout associated with a data visualization platform, wherein the layout comprises at least one of;

a pie chart, a bar chart, a scatter chart, a column chart, a line chart, an area chart, a doughnut chart, a radar chart, a surface chart, a bubble chart, and a stock chart;

expose at least one interactive feature for the data visualization, wherein the interactive feature comprises at least one of;

a data modification feature, a data filtering feature, and a visual adjustment feature;

provide an integration object associated with at least one of a plurality rendering platforms, wherein the rendering platform comprises at least one of;

GDI, GDI+, Silverlight, WPF, and C# winforms;

receive a selection of at least one location on the data visualization from a user input device, wherein the user input device comprises at least one of;

a mouse, a stylus, a keyboard, and a touch screen;

determine whether the selected at least one location is associated with a hotspot, wherein determining whether the selected at least one location is associated with a hotspot comprises determining whether the selected at least one location comprises at least one of;

a data point, a structural element of the data visualization, a user interface menu item, a user interface command element, and a data visualization control element;

in response to determining that the selected at least one location is associated with a hotspot, translate the selection of the at least one interactive feature via the integration object into a common format associated with the data visualization platform, wherein being operative to translate the selection of the at least one interactive feature via the integration object comprises being operative to;

capture at least one characteristic of the selection, wherein the captured at least one characteristic is encoded in a format associated with at least one of the plurality rendering platforms and wherein the at least one characteristic of the selection comprises at least one of;

a mouse click, a drag operation, a drop operation, a mouse movement, and a scroll operation,

display at least one visual feedback associated with the at least one characteristic, wherein the at least one visual feedback comprises at least one of;

changing a cursor, drawing a line, drawing a shape, changing a title, changing a status display, and displaying a tooltip,

convert the at least one characteristic of the selection from the encoding format associated with the at least one of the plurality rendering platforms to a common encoding format associated with the data visualization platform,

create a change list according to the converted at least one characteristic of the selection, and

submit the change list to the data visualization platform; and

update the data visualization according to the submitted change list and at least one property of the hotspot at the at least one selected location.