METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CALCULATING BREAKPOINTS IN A DATA VISUALIZATION SYSTEM

• US 20130094767A1
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New BIS Safe Luxco S.A R.L
• Original Assignee: Business Intelligence Solutions Safe B.V.
• Inventors: Cardno, Andrew John
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/199
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

In a data visualization computing system, a computer implemented method of determining transition boundaries from data values in a data set for the generation of a graphical heatmap representation of the data values, the method including the steps of the data visualization computing system: retrieving the data values in the data set; determining a logarithmic base value, wherein the base value is calculated based on the retrieved data values; and generating transition boundaries for the heatmap representation by calculating transition boundary values, wherein the transition boundary values are calculated using an exponential function with a base value equal to the determined logarithmic base value and an exponent value that is incrementally increased from a value of one to a maximum exponent value to represent the retrieved data values.

Claims

1. In a data visualization computing system, a computer implemented method of determining transition boundaries from data values in a data set for the generation of a graphical heatmap representation of the data values, the method including the steps of the data visualization computing system:

retrieving the data values in the data set;

determining a logarithmic base value, wherein the base value is calculated based on the retrieved data values; and

generating transition boundaries for the heatmap representation by calculating transition boundary values, wherein the transition boundary values are calculated using an exponential function with a base value equal to the determined logarithmic base value and an exponent value that is incrementally increased from a value of one to a maximum exponent value to represent the retrieved data values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the base value is calculated from minimum data values within the data set.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the base value is calculated as the lowest data value in the data set that is greater than 1.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the base value is calculated from one or more maximum data values within the data set.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the base value is calculated as a percentage value or fraction of the maximum data value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the base value is calculated from the total data value of the data set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the base value is calculated as a percentage value or fraction of the total data value.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of

determining a maximum data value from the data values in the data set;

determining the logarithmic base value based on the determined maximum data value; and

generating the transition boundaries between a zero value to the maximum data value by calculating the transition boundary values using the exponential function where the exponent value is incrementally increased to the maximum exponent value where the maximum exponent value results in a transition boundary value that is greater than or equal to the maximum data value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the exponent value is increased in fractions.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the exponent is increased in integers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the exponent is increased in units with a value between 1 and 3.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the calculated transition boundary values are used as maxima or minima for the transition boundaries.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the transition boundaries determine in what form the data values are represented in the graphical heatmap representation.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the transition boundaries determine what color or shade the data values are represented in the graphical heatmap representation.

12. In a data visualization computing system, a computer implemented method of determining transition boundaries from data values in a data set for the generation of a graphical heatmap representation of the data values, the method including the steps of the data visualization computing system:

retrieving the data values in the data set;

determining a maximum data value from the retrieved data values;

determining how many transition boundaries are required for generating the heatmap; and

calculating a logarithmic base value; and

generating the transition boundaries for the heatmap representation by calculating transition boundary values, where the transition boundary values are calculated using an exponential function with a base value equal to the determined logarithmic base value and an exponent value that is incrementally increased from a value of one to a value equal to the number of determined transition boundaries.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the logarithmic base value is determined from a detected user selection

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the logarithmic base value is determined from a look up table with reference to the maximum data value and the number of transition boundaries.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the logarithmic base value is determined by calculating yx where y is equal to the maximum data value, and x is equal to 1 divided by the number of transition boundaries.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the number of transition boundaries is determined based on a detected user selection.

20. A data visualization computing system for determining transition boundaries from data values in a data set for the generation of a graphical heatmap representation of the data values, the data visualization computing system including:

a data retrieval module arranged to retrieve the data values in the data set;

a data analysis module arranged to determine a logarithmic base value, wherein the base value is calculated based on the retrieved data values and a set of rules stored in a rules engine; and

a breakpoint calculation module arranged to generate transition boundaries for the heatmap representation by calculating transition boundary values, wherein the transition boundary values are calculated using an exponential function with a base value equal to the determined logarithmic base value and an exponent value that is incrementally increased from a value of one to a maximum exponent value to represent the retrieved data values.

21. A data visualization computing system for determining transition boundaries from data values in a data set for the generation of a graphical heatmap representation of the data values, the data visualization computing system including:

a data retrieval module arranged to retrieve the data values in the data set;

a data analysis module arranged to determine a maximum data value from the data values in the data set, determine how many transition boundaries are required for generating the heatmap and calculate a logarithmic base value; and

a breakpoint calculation module arranged to generate the transition boundaries for the heatmap representation by calculating transition boundary values, where the transition boundary values are calculated using an exponential function with a base value equal to the determined logarithmic base value and an exponent value that is incrementally increased from a value of one to a value equal to the number of determined transition boundaries.