METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INTELLIGENT EXPLORATORY VISUALIZATION AND ANALYSIS

• US 20100205238A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cao, Nan, Liu, Shi Xia, Zhou, Michelle, Gotz, David H., Lu, Jie, Qian, Wei Hong, Wen, Zhen, Kissa, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/367,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205238A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for intelligent exploratory visualization and analysis. A semantics-based client-server application architecture is provided that enables interactive visualization and analysis applications over the web. From the client perspective, user activities are observed and the client determines if a sequence of user activities comprises one or more predefined semantics-based user actions. Semantics-based action descriptor are then sent to the server, optionally with any related parameters, and a response is then received from the server. From the server perspective, one or more semantics-based action descriptors are received from the client with an action type selected from a predefined set of types, wherein the semantics-based action descriptors are based on a sequence of activities of a user. The server processes the semantics-based action descriptors and sends a response to the client in response to the one or more semantics-based action descriptors.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a client and a server in a browser-based application environment, comprising:

observing user activities;

determining if a sequence of user activities comprises one or more predefined semantics-based user actions;

sending a semantics-based action descriptor to said server; and

receiving a response from said server in response to said semantics-based action descriptor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said user activities comprise at least one of keystrokes and other user inputs.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining if a predefined user event has occurred and sending an event descriptor to said server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the client is comprised of one or more interface modules and a central client-side coordinator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said browser-based application environment is a visualization analysis application that comprises one or more of a visualization canvas, a query module, a visualization recommendation canvas, and an action tracking component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of sending said semantics-based action descriptor further comprises the step of sending one or more parameters related to said predefined semantics-based user action.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of a client-side coordinator obtaining additional data from one or more other interface components.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of receiving an event descriptor from said client, wherein said event descriptor is processed by a particular module in said server.

8. A method for communicating between a client and a server in a browser-based application environment, comprising:

receiving one or more semantics-based action descriptors from said client with an action type selected from a predefined set of types, wherein said semantics-based action descriptors are based on a sequence of activities of a user;

processing said semantics-based action descriptors; and

sending a response to said client in response to said one or more semantics-based action descriptors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said activities of said user comprise at least one of keystrokes and other user inputs.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of receiving said semantics-based action descriptors further comprises the step of receiving one or more parameters related to said predefined semantics-based user action type.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said processing step processes each of said predefined semantics-based action descriptors through a process based on a semantic type of said corresponding predefined semantics-based action.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said server comprises one or more of an action tracking component, a query manager, and a visualization recommender.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said action tracking component, based on a type of action reported, builds a logical model of a visual analysis behavior of said user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said query module executes one or more queries against a data store.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said visualization recommender specifies one or more visualization types to be employed.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said action tracker records said response to each processed action.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein said response sent to said client includes one or more individual client response fragments produced by one or more stages in said server.

19. A client device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

observe user activities;

determine if a sequence of user activities comprises one or more predefined semantics-based user actions;

send a semantics-based action descriptor to said server; and

receive a response from said server in response to said semantics-based action descriptor.

20. A server device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

receive one or more semantics-based action descriptors from said client with an action type selected from a predefined set of types, wherein said semantics-based action descriptors are based on a sequence of activities of a user;

process said semantics-based action descriptors; and

send a response to said client in response to said one or more semantics-based action descriptors.