Automatic Selection of Different Visualizations for the Organization of Multivariate Data

• US 20120313947A1
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rope, Daniel J., Wills, Graham J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,299,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a computer-implemented method comprises generating a plurality of charts to visually represent a multivariate data set, mapping variables within the multivariate data set to components of each chart, calculating a score value for each chart based on a plurality of factors, and presenting one or more of the plurality of charts based on corresponding score value.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A system comprising:

a computer system including at least one data module configured to;

generate a plurality of charts to visually represent a multivariate data set;

map variables within the multivariate data set to components of each chart;

calculate a score value for each chart based on a plurality of factors; and

present one or more of the plurality of charts based on corresponding score value.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein one of the plurality of factors comprises strength of association between components of each chart.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein one of the plurality of factors comprises suitability of each chart component and the variable mapped to that chart component.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein one of the plurality of factors comprises complexity of each chart.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the data module is configured to present one or more of the plurality of charts by presenting a subset of the plurality of charts, the subset of charts having greater score values.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the data module is configured to generate a plurality of charts by initially reducing a search space of potential chart candidates to be considered for presentation based on corresponding score value by analyzing metadata associated with the multivariate data set in combination with statistical analysis of the data to determine relationships between variables of the multivariate data set.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the data module is configured to present one or more plurality of charts based on corresponding score value by:

presenting a visual display comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein the nodes represent variables of the multivariate data set; and

facilitating navigation from the visual display to charts associated with a variable of the multivariate data set in response to selection of a node corresponding with the variable.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each node of the visual display is connected with at least one other node, and a connection between two nodes indicates a bivariate relationship between variables of the multivariate data set associated with the two nodes.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to;

generate a plurality of charts to visually represent a multivariate data set;

map variables within the multivariate data set to components of each chart;

calculate a score value for each chart based on a plurality of factors; and

present one or more of the plurality of charts based on corresponding score value.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein one of the plurality of factors comprises strength of association between components of each chart.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein one of the plurality of factors comprises suitability of each chart component and the variable mapped to that chart component.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein one of the plurality of factors comprises complexity of each chart.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to present one or more of the plurality of charts by presenting a subset of the plurality of charts, the subset of charts having greater score values.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to generate a plurality of charts by initially reducing a search space of potential chart candidates to be considered for presentation based on corresponding score value by analyzing metadata associated with the multivariate data set in combination with statistical analysis of the data to determine relationships between variables of the multivariate data set.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to present one or more plurality of charts based on corresponding score value by:

presenting a visual display comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein the nodes represent variables of the multivariate data set; and

facilitating navigation from the visual display to charts associated with a variable of the multivariate data set in response to selection of a node corresponding with the variable.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein each node of the visual display is connected with at least one other node, and a connection between two nodes indicates a bivariate relationship between variables of the multivariate data set associated with the two nodes.