Computer Systems and Methods for Visualizing Data

• US 20100312747A1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chris Stolte, Patrick Hanrahan
• Original Assignee: Chris Stolte, Patrick Hanrahan
• Inventors: Stolte, Chris, Hanrahan, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP

Abstract

A method for forming a visual plot using a hierarchical structure of a dataset. The dataset comprises a measure and a dimension. The dimension consists of a plurality of levels. The plurality of levels form a dimension hierarchy. The visual plot is constructed based on a specification. A first level from the plurality of levels is represented by a first component of the visual plot. A second level from the plurality of levels is represented by a second component of the visual plot. The dataset is queried to retrieve data in accordance with the specification. The data includes all or a portion of the dimension and all or a portion of the measure. The visual plot is populated with the retrieved data in accordance with the specification.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for visualizing a multidimensional dataset having a plurality of dimensions and measures, wherein one of the dimensions includes a first dimension level and a second dimension level, comprising:

at a computer having one or more processors and memory storing programs executed by the one or more processors;

displaying a graphical user interface window that includes a schema display region and a data visualization region, wherein;

the schema display region includes metadata identifying the first dimension level and the second dimension level, and

the data visualization region includes a first axis shelf, a second axis shelf, and a visual table;

detecting user requests to associate the metadata identifying the first dimension level with the first axis shelf and associate the metadata identifying the second dimension level with the second axis shelf;

in response to the user requests,

generating one or more panes in the visual table, each pane having a first axis and a second axis; and

populating each pane in the visual table with one or more marks, wherein each mark corresponds to a respective tuple in the multidimensional dataset and the mark is positioned along the first axis in accordance with a first field of the tuple that is associated with the first dimension level and along the second axis in accordance with a second field of the tuple that is associated with the second dimension level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein populating each pane in the visual table further includes:

constructing a visual specification, wherein the visual specification defines a mapping from the multidimensional dataset to each pane in the visual table; and

retrieving a plurality of tuples from the multidimensional dataset in accordance with the visual specification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multidimensional dataset is an OLAP dataset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first axis is in the horizontal direction and the second axis is in the vertical direction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimension is time and the dimension first dimension level is higher than the second dimension level in the natural hierarchy of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimension is location and the first dimension level is higher than the second dimension level in the natural hierarchy of location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimension is product and the first dimension level is higher than the second dimension level in the natural hierarchy of product.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mark includes a plurality of graphical attributes and the tuple includes a third field that is mapped to one of the graphical attributes of the mark.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of graphical attributes include one or more selected from the group consisting of color, value, size, shape, phrase, and symbol.

10. A computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein for forming a visual table from a multidimensional dataset having a plurality of dimensions and measures, wherein one of the dimensions includes a first dimension level and a second dimension level, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions that are executed by a computer system to:

display a graphical user interface window that includes a schema display region and a data visualization region, wherein;

the schema display region includes metadata identifying the first dimension level and the second dimension level, and

the data visualization region includes a first axis shelf, a second axis shelf, and a visual table;

detecting user requests to associate the metadata identifying the first dimension level with the first axis shelf and associate the metadata identifying the second dimension level with the second axis shelf;

in response to the user requests,

generate one or more panes in the visual table, each pane having a first axis and a second axis; and

populate each pane in the visual table with one or more marks, wherein each mark corresponds to a respective tuple in the multidimensional dataset and the mark is positioned along the first axis in accordance with a first field of the tuple that is associated with the first dimension level and along the second axis in accordance with a second field of the tuple that is associated with the second dimension level.

11. The computer readable storage medium and computer program mechanism of claim 10, wherein the instructions for populating each pane in the visual table further include:

instructions for constructing a visual specification, wherein the visual specification defines a mapping from the multidimensional dataset to each pane in the visual table; and

instructions for retrieving a plurality of tuples from the multidimensional dataset in accordance with the visual specification.

12. The computer readable storage medium and computer program mechanism of claim 10, wherein the multidimensional dataset is an OLAP dataset.

13. The computer readable storage medium and computer program mechanism of claim 10, wherein the first axis is in the horizontal direction and the second axis is in the vertical direction.

14. The computer readable storage medium and computer program mechanism of claim 10, wherein the dimension is time and the first dimension level is higher than the second dimension level in the natural hierarchy of time.

15. The computer readable storage medium and computer program mechanism of claim 10, wherein the dimension is location and the first dimension level is higher than the second dimension level in the natural hierarchy of location.

16. The computer readable storage medium and computer program mechanism of claim 10, wherein the dimension is product and the first dimension level is higher than the second dimension level in the natural hierarchy of product.

17. The computer readable storage medium and computer program mechanism of claim 10, wherein the mark includes a plurality of graphical attributes and the tuple includes a third field that is mapped to one of the graphical attributes of the mark.

18. The computer readable storage medium and computer program mechanism of claim 17, wherein the plurality of graphical attributes include one or more selected from the group consisting of color, value, size, shape, phrase, and symbol.

19. A computer system for visualizing a multidimensional dataset having a plurality of dimensions and measures, wherein one of the dimensions includes a first dimension level and a second dimension level, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including;

instructions for displaying a graphical user interface window that includes a schema display region and a data visualization region, wherein;

the schema display region includes metadata identifying the first dimension level and the second dimension level, and

the data visualization region includes a first axis shelf, a second axis shelf, and a visual table;

instructions for detecting user requests to associate the metadata identifying the first dimension level with the first axis shelf and associate the metadata identifying the second dimension level with the second axis shelf;

in response to the user requests,

instructions for generating one or more panes in the visual table, each pane having a first axis and a second axis; and

instructions for populating each pane in the visual table with one or more marks, wherein each mark corresponds to a respective tuple in the multidimensional dataset and the mark is positioned along the first axis in accordance with a first field of the tuple that is associated with the first dimension level and along the second axis in accordance with a second field of the tuple that is associated with the second dimension level.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the instructions for populating each pane in the visual table further include:

instructions for constructing a visual specification, wherein the visual specification defines a mapping from the dataset to each pane in the visual table; and

instructions for retrieving data records from the dataset in accordance with the visual specification.

21. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the multidimensional dataset is an OLAP dataset.

22. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the first axis is in the horizontal direction and the second axis is in the vertical direction.

23. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the dimension is time and the first dimension level is higher than the second dimension level in the natural hierarchy of time.

24. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the dimension is location and the first dimension level is higher than the second dimension level in the natural hierarchy of location.

25. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the dimension is product and the first dimension level is higher than the second dimension level in the natural hierarchy of product.

26. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the mark includes a plurality of graphical attributes and the tuple includes a third field that is mapped to one of the graphical attributes of the mark.

27. The computer system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of graphical attributes include one or more selected from the group consisting of color, value, size, shape, phrase, and symbol.