AUTOMATED PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION USING INFOGRAPHICS

• US 20140143252A1
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: SteamFunk Labs Inc. (Altaba Inc. (f/k/a Yahoo! Inc.))
• Inventors: Silverstein, Todd, Cutler-Stamm, Jeff, Tucker, D. Eli
• Granted Patent: US 9,922,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/80 of semi-structured data, e.g. markup language structured data such as SGML, XML or HTML content-based retrieval of web data G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/105 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

In one embodiment, a web browser-based scheme for combining structured data, infographic definitions, and visual styling information to render infographics and aggregate collections of infographics, referred to herein as “Vizumes” and “Personas.” In exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a relational database and/or a file system stores user data, infographic definitions, templates and palettes; combines these elements to produce individual infographic representations or a collection of infographic/visualizations (Vizumes) on a single canvas; allows users to choose different infographic visualizations of the same underlying data; and allows users to change the layout, font style, and color palette to instantly produce different visual presentations from the same data.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for creating one or more infographics, the method comprising:

(a) the processor receiving, from one or more third-party services, data in a first format, the data associated with an individual or an entity;

(b) the processor mapping the data from the first format to a second format according to a schema;

(c) the processor storing the mapped data, in the second format, on one or more storage devices;

(d) the processor reading at least a portion of the mapped data from one or more storage devices;

(e) the processor reading an infographic definition from one or more storage devices;

(f) the processor generating one or more infographics based on (i) the at least a portion of the mapped data and (ii) the infographic definition; and

(g) the processor providing the one or more generated infographics to an output device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the processor prompting a user to provide one or more additional data items included in the infographic definition but not received in step (a);

the processor receiving the one or more additional data items from the user; and

the processor storing the one or more additional data, in the second format, on one or more storage devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the processor notifying a user that updated data from one or more third-party services is available;

the processor obtaining permission from the user to update the stored mapped data based on the available updated data from one or more third-party services is available; and

the processor updating the stored mapped data based on the available updated data from one or more third-party services is available.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selections of (i) the at least a portion of the mapped data and (ii) the infographic definition used to generate the one or more infographics are determined by a template.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the processor enabling a sale or license of the template to a user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

step (f) comprises;

(f1) the processor transforming the at least a portion of the mapped data into visualization data in a third format based on the infographic definition; and

(f2) the processor applying at least one scripts or stylesheet to the visualization data in the third format to determine how the one or more infographics are rendered; and

step (g) comprises the processor rendering the one or more infographics based on the determination in step (f2).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the infographic definition includes at least one of:

(i) a reference to a subset of the schema describing the data to be visualized using the infographic definition, (ii) a transformation rule governing how the schema data is to be transformed to a different representation, (iii) a visual setting affecting the visual appearance of the infographic, and (iv) a rendering rule specifying how one or more individual data elements are to be rendered.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the processor assigning a uniform resource identifier to the one or more generated infographics; and

the processor generating one or more updated infographics using updated mapped data in response to a request from a user supplying the uniform resource identifier; and

the processor providing the one or more updated infographics to an output device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the processor enabling a sale or license of the infographic definition to a user.

10. (canceled)

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, having encoded thereon program code, wherein, when the program code is executed by a machine, the machine implements a method for creating one or more infographics, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, from one or more third-party services, data in a first format, the data associated with an individual or an entity;

(b) mapping the data from the first format to a second format according to a schema;

(c) storing the mapped data, in the second format, on one or more storage devices;

(d) reading at least a portion of the mapped data from one or more storage devices;

(e) reading an infographic definition from one or more storage devices;

(f) generating one or more infographics based on (i) the at least a portion of the mapped data and (ii) the infographic definition; and

(g) providing the one or more generated infographics to an output device.

12. A processor-implemented method for creating one or more infographics, the method comprising:

(a) the processor reading, from one or more storage devices, stored data associated with two or more individuals or entities;

(b) the processor reading an infographic definition from one or more storage devices;

(c) the processor generating one or more aggregate infographics based on (i) the stored data associated with the two or more individuals or entities and (ii) the infographic definition; and

(d) the processor providing the one or more generated aggregate infographics to an output device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more aggregate infographics are generated based on totals, rankings, orderings, or averages of the stored data associated with the two or more individuals or entities.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more aggregate infographics are generated so as to permit visual comparison of the two or more individuals or entities.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the selection of the infographic definition used to generate the one or more infographics is determined by a template.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the processor enabling a sale or license of the template to a user.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the processor enabling a sale or license of the infographic definition to a user.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

the processor assigning a uniform resource identifier to the one or more generated aggregate infographics; and

the processor generating one or more updated aggregate infographics using updated stored data in response to a request from a user supplying the uniform resource identifier; and

the processor providing the one or more updated aggregate infographics to an output device.

19. (canceled)

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, having encoded thereon program code, wherein, when the program code is executed by a machine, the machine implements a method for creating one or more infographics, the method comprising:

(a) reading, from one or more storage devices, stored data associated with two or more individuals or entities;

(b) reading an infographic definition from one or more storage devices;

(c) generating one or more aggregate infographics based on (i) the stored data associated with the two or more individuals or entities and (ii) the infographic definition; and

(d) providing the one or more generated aggregate infographics to an output device.