GRAPHICAL INTERFACE DATA FRAGMENT OPERATIONS FOR DATA VISUALIZATION

• US 20140282145A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dewan, Prakash
• Granted Patent: US 9,239,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing visualizations of data with options for a user to manipulate the data visualizations. These data visualization options may provide flexible and rapid comparison of different fragments of data. In one example, a method includes outputting a display of a data visualization in a graphical user interface. The method further includes receiving a first user input selecting a first fragment of the data visualization to freeze. The method further includes receiving a second user input selecting a second fragment of the data visualization to reposition to a new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization. The method further includes outputting a revised display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface that displays the repositioned fragment of the data visualization in the new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting, by a computing device, a display of a data visualization in a graphical user interface;

receiving, by the computing device, a first user input selecting a first fragment of the data visualization to freeze, thereby defining a frozen fragment of the data visualization, wherein the first user input is entered via a pointer positioned at the first fragment of the data visualization in the display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface;

receiving, by the computing device, a second user input selecting a second fragment of the data visualization to reposition to a new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization, thereby defining a repositioned fragment of the data visualization, wherein the second user input is entered via the pointer positioned at the second fragment of the data visualization in the display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface; and

outputting, by the computing device, a revised display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface that displays the repositioned fragment of the data visualization in the new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the computing device, a visual indication of a boundary between the frozen fragment and a portion of the chart that remains non-frozen in the data visualization.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the computing device, a visual indication of a position of a join in the data visualization, where fragments of a portion of the data visualization that remain non-frozen and were previously positioned at opposing ends of a non-frozen portion of the data visualization are positioned adjacent to each other.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the computing device, a visual indication of a position of a discontinuity in the data visualization, where fragments of a portion of the data visualization that remain non-frozen and were previously separated by a portion of the data visualization that was subsequently frozen are positioned adjacent to each other.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the first user input, for selecting the first fragment of the data visualization to freeze, by receiving a right-click input while the pointer is positioned at the first fragment of the data visualization, and displaying a context menu comprising a selectable option to freeze the data fragment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the second user input, for selecting the second fragment of the data visualization to reposition to a new position relative to the frozen fragment, by receiving a left-click input while the pointer is positioned at the second fragment of the data visualization, and displaying the second fragment in a modified position that corresponds to a modified position of the pointer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user input repositions the repositioned fragment of the data visualization in superposition with the frozen fragment, the method further comprising:

outputting, by the computing device, a visual indication of a delta between the repositioned fragment and the frozen fragment in the revised display of the data visualization.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

outputting, by the computing device, a displayed number proximate to the visual indication of a delta, wherein the displayed number indicates the difference between values of data points corresponding to the repositioned fragment and the frozen fragment in the revised display of the data visualization.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data visualization comprises a column chart, the frozen fragment of the data visualization comprises one or more data columns of the column chart, and the repositioned fragment of the data visualization comprises one or more data columns of the column chart.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data visualization comprises a pie chart, the frozen fragment of the data visualization comprises one or more data pie slices of the pie chart, and the repositioned fragment of the data visualization comprises one or more data pie slices of the pie chart.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the frozen fragment is a first frozen fragment and the repositioned fragment is a first repositioned fragment, the method further comprising:

receiving a third user input selecting a third fragment of the data visualization to freeze, thereby defining a second frozen fragment of the data visualization, wherein the third user input is entered via the pointer positioned at the third fragment of the data visualization in the display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface;

receiving, by the computing device, a fourth user input selecting a fourth fragment of the data visualization to reposition to a new position relative to the first frozen fragment and second frozen fragment of the data visualization, thereby defining a second repositioned fragment of the data visualization, wherein the fourth user input is entered via the pointer positioned at the fourth fragment of the data visualization in the display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface; and

outputting, by the computing device, a new revised display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface that displays the second repositioned fragment of the data visualization in the new position relative to the first frozen fragment and second frozen fragment of the data visualization.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third user input selecting the frozen fragment to release from freezing; and

outputting, by the computing device, a new revised display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface that displays the repositioned fragment and the frozen fragment in positions in the data visualization previously occupied by the repositioned fragment and the frozen fragment prior to the freezing of the frozen fragment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the frozen fragment of the data visualization comprises freezing a range of data elements bounded at a first end by a data element indicated by a position of the pointer during the first user input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein defining the frozen fragment of the data visualization further comprises the range of data elements for freezing being bounded at an opposing end of the range from the first end by an edge of the data visualization.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the frozen fragment of the data visualization comprises freezing only one or more data elements indicated by one or more positions of the pointer during the first user input.

16. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable data storage devices; and

computer-executable program instructions, stored on the one or more computer-readable data storage devices for execution by the one or more processors, wherein the program instructions comprise;

program instructions for outputting a display of a data visualization in a graphical user interface;

program instructions for receiving a first user input selecting a first fragment of the data visualization to freeze, thereby defining a frozen fragment of the data visualization, wherein the first user input is entered via a pointer positioned at the first fragment of the data visualization in the display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface;

program instructions for receiving a second user input selecting a second fragment of the data visualization to reposition to a new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization, thereby defining a repositioned fragment of the data visualization, wherein the second user input is entered via a pointer positioned at the second fragment of the data visualization selected for repositioning in the graphical user interface; and

program instructions for outputting a revised display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface that displays the repositioned fragment of the data visualization in the new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization.

17. The computing system of claim 16, further comprising:

program instructions for displaying a visual indication of a boundary between the frozen fragment and a portion of the chart that remains non-frozen in the data visualization.

18. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

program instructions for displaying, by the computing device, a visual indication of a position of a join in the data visualization, where fragments of a portion of the data visualization that remain non-frozen and were previously positioned at opposing ends of a non-frozen portion of the data visualization are positioned adjacent to each other.

19. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

program instructions for displaying, by the computing device, a visual indication of a position of a discontinuity in the data visualization, where fragments of a portion of the data visualization that remain non-frozen and were previously separated by a portion of the data visualization that was subsequently frozen are positioned adjacent to each other.

20. A computer program product comprising executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, for configuring one or more programmable processors to:

output a display of a data visualization in a graphical user interface;

receive a first user input selecting a first fragment of the data visualization to freeze, thereby defining a frozen fragment of the data visualization, wherein the first user input is entered via a pointer positioned at the first fragment of the data visualization in the display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface;

receive a second user input selecting a second fragment of the data visualization to reposition to a new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization, thereby defining a repositioned fragment of the data visualization, wherein the second user input is entered via a pointer positioned at the second fragment of the data visualization selected for repositioning in the graphical user interface; and

output a revised display of the data visualization in the graphical user interface that displays the repositioned fragment of the data visualization in the new position relative to the frozen fragment of the data visualization.