DECISION AIDING USER INTERFACES

• US 20120030598A1
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Latzina, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results

Abstract

Various embodiments include at least one of a system, method, and software providing at least one user interface allowing a user to rapidly choose an optimal item, as represented by multi-attribute data objects, among a set of comparable items. One example method embodiment includes receiving a dataset having a plurality of data objects with a plurality of data object attributes. The method further includes generating a view of the data objects within a user interface on a display device. Such a view may include a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of data objects along a first axis with data objects positioned in proximity to a first pole of the first axis relative to importance of the data objects according to data object attribute criterion. The view may also include a representation of data object attributes including at least two designated as data object attribute criterion.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a dataset including a plurality of data objects having a plurality of data object attributes;

generating a view of the plurality of data objects within a user interface on a display device, the view including;

a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of data objects along a first axis with data objects positioned in proximity to a first pole of the first axis relative to importance of the data objects according to data object attribute criterion;

a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of data object attributes, the subset of the plurality of data object attributes including one or more data object attributes designated as the data object attribute criterion, the subset of the plurality of data object attributes positioned along a second axis in proximity to a first pole of the second axis according to data object attribute configuration settings, the data object attribute criterion formed from the designation of the subset of data object attributes as the data object attribute criterion, the proximity of each of the subset of data object attributes positioned in proximity to the first pole of the first axis, and the data object attribute configuration settings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pole of the first axis and the first pole of the second axis are identified in a precedence configuration setting consumed by the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, within the user interface, input modifying a location of a data object attribute on the second axis to a first location in proximity to the first pole on the second axis; and

reordering locations of the plurality of data objects along the first axis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object attribute configuration settings of the data object attribute criterion include:

data designating a position of each of the subset of the plurality of data object attributes relative to a position from the first pole of the second axis.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data object attribute configuration settings of the data object attribute criterion include:

a ranking rule associated with at least one of the subset of the data object attributes, with application of the ranking rule affecting an importance determination by identifying, at least in part, a position of respective data objects in proximity to the first pole of the first axis.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data object attribute configuration settings of the data object attribute criterion include:

a filtering rule associated with at least one of the subset of data object attributes, with application of the filtering rule removing data objects from view within the user interface based on a value of the at least one of the subset of data object attributes is excluded by the filtering rule.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, within the user interface, input modifying a location of one data object attribute of the subset of data object attributes on the second axis to a first location in proximity to the first pole on the second axis; and

reordering locations of the plurality of data objects along the first axis as a function of at least one of a ranking rule and filtering rule associated with the one data object attribute.

8. A tangible computer-readable medium, with instructions stored thereon executable by at least one computer processor to cause a computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving a dataset including a plurality of data objects having a plurality of data object attributes;

generating a view of the plurality of data objects within a user interface on a display device, the view including;

a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of data objects along a first axis with data objects positioned in proximity to a first pole of the first axis relative to importance of the data objects according to data object attribute criterion;

a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of data object attributes along a second axis with at least two data object attributes positioned in proximity to a first pole of the second axis relative to importance of the at least two data object attributes according to data object attribute configuration settings, the proximity of the at least two data object attributes positioned in proximity to the first pole of the first axis and the data object attribute configuration settings forming the data object attribute criterion.

9. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the data object attribute criterion is a data item stored within and retrieved from a memory device of the computer performing the method.

10. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, within the user interface, input modifying a location of a data object attribute on the second axis to a first location in proximity to the first pole on the second axis; and

reordering locations of the plurality of data objects along the first axis.

11. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10, the data object attribute configuration settings of the data object attribute criterion including:

data designating a position of each of the at least two data object attributes relative to a position from the first pole of the second axis.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11, the data object attribute configuration settings of the data object attribute criterion including:

a ranking rule associated with at least one of the at least two data object attributes, with application of the ranking rule affecting an importance determination and thereby identifying, at least in part, a position of respective data objects in proximity to the first pole of the first axis.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 12, the data object attribute configuration settings of the data object attribute criterion including:

a filtering rule associated with at least one of the at least two data object attributes, with application of the filtering rule removing data objects from view within the user interface based on a value of the at least one of the at least two data object attributes is excluded by the filtering rule.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, within the user interface, input modifying a location of one data object attribute on the second axis to a first location in proximity to the first pole on the second axis; and

reordering locations of the plurality of data objects along the first axis as a function of at least one of a ranking rule and filtering rule associated with the one data object attribute.

15. A system comprising:

a processor, a memory device, a display device, one or more input devices, and a network interface device coupled to a bus;

an instruction set stored in the memory device and executable by the processor to;

receive, via the one or more input devices, selection input for selection of data objects from a remote location;

form and submit a data query over a network via the network interface device for data objects based on the selection input;

receive via the network interface device from the remote location, a dataset including a plurality of data objects each having a plurality of data object attributes;

generate a view, on the display device, of the plurality of data objects within a user interface, the view including;

a subset of the plurality of data objects along a first axis with data objects positioned in proximity to a first pole of the first axis relative to a ranking of the data objects according to data object attribute criterion;

a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of data object attributes along a second axis with at least two data object attributes positioned in proximity to a first pole of the second axis relative to a ranking of the at least two data object attributes according to data object attribute configuration settings, the position of the at least two data object attributes in proximity to the first pole of the first axis and the data object attribute configuration settings forming the data object attribute criterion.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote location is a database.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the database is a database of products available for purchase.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the data object attribute criterion is received as user input ranking the data object attributes and providing the data object attribute configuration settings.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the data object attribute configuration settings include:

data designating a position of each of the at least two data object attributes relative to a position from the first pole of the second axis.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the data object attribute configuration settings further include at least one of:

a ranking rule associated with at least one of the at least two data object attributes, with application of the ranking rule affecting an importance determination and thereby identifying, at least in part, a position of respective data objects in proximity to the first pole of the first axis; and

a filtering rule associated with at least one of the at least two data object attributes, with application of the filtering rule removing data objects from view within the user interface based on a value of the at least one of the at least two data object attributes is excluded by the filtering rule.

21. A method comprising:

receive a dataset including a plurality of data objects having a plurality of data object attributes; and

generate a view of the plurality of data objects within a user interface on a display device according to;

a user interface precedence configuration defining an order of precedence of user interface locations where data objects and data object attributes are to be displayed according to a data object attribute criterion; and

the data object attribute criterion including;

data identifying at least two data object attributes;

data defining a precedence of the at least two identified attributes in ranking the plurality of data objects; and

at least one of;

a ranking rule associated with at least one of the at least two identified data object attributes for ranking the plurality of data objects; and

a filtering rule associated with at least one of the at least two identified data object attributes, with application of the filtering rule removing data objects from view within the user interface based on a value of the at least one of the at least two identified data object attributes is excluded by the filtering rule.