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Method and system for producing a table image showing indirect data representations

  • US 5,632,009 A
  • Filed: 03/05/1996
  • Issued: 05/20/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of operating a machine to present a graphical view of data in a tabular format;

  • the machine including;

    output circuitry connected to a display having a display area for presenting images;

    a processor connected for providing images to the output circuitry; and

    memory for storing data;

    the data stored in the memory including instruction data indicating instructions the processor executes;

    the processor being further connected for accessing the data stored in the memory;

    the method comprising;

    operating the processor to obtain a plurality of source data items included in an n-dimensional (nD) data array stored in the memory;

    respective ones of the plurality of source data items in a first dimension of the nD data array each being referred to as a case data item and each indicating a set of source data items in a second dimension of the nD data array;

    each source data item included in the set of source data items in the second dimension being referred to as a variable data item and indicating variable information about the case data item;

    the set of variable data items for each case data item being identically ordered with respect to the variable information provided about the case data item such that a first variable data item for a first case data item indicates first variable information about the first case data item and a first variable data item for a second case data item indicates first variable information about the second case data item;

    each of the plurality of first variable data items indicated by respective ones of the case data items being referred to as a first column data item;

    each source data item stored in the nD array having a source data value indicating a direct representation of information about the respective source data item;

    operating the processor to determine a graphical display object for each respective first column data item;

    each graphical display object representing an indirect graphical representation of the source data value indicated by the respective first column data item;

    each graphical display object having display features in common with each other graphical display object representing a first column data item;

    each graphical display object further having a display feature, referred to as a value display feature, representing the source data value of a respective first column data item;

    a value display feature of a first graphical display object visually distinguishing the first graphical display object from a second graphical display object representing a respective first column data item having a different source data value;

    operating the processor to produce image definition data defining an image, referred to as a table image, for presentation in the display area;

    the table image defining a two-dimensional (2D) region in the display area for displaying the source data values of the plurality of source data items included in the nD array;

    the table image including a plurality of cell regions arranged in a two-dimensional (2D) grid of horizontally-arranged cell regions referred to as rows and vertically-arranged cell regions referred to as columns;

    a number of rows in the 2D grid being determined according to the respective case data items in the first dimension of the nD data array;

    a number of columns in the 2D grid being determined according to a number of the variable data items included in each set of variable data items in the second dimension of the nD data array;

    each cell region in the table image being paired with a respective source data item in the nD data array;

    operating the processor to produce image definition data defining each graphical display object representing a respective one of the plurality of first column data items;

    each graphical display object having size dimensions suitable for presentation in a respective one of the cell regions in a first column of the table image;

    operating the processor to present the table image in the display area and to present the graphical display objects in respective ones of the cell regions in the first column of the table image;

    the table image showing in the first column indirect representations of the source data values for respectively paired first column data items;

    the graphical display objects shown in the first column being visually similar as a result of having display features in common with each other graphical display object;

    the graphical display objects shown in the first column being visually distinguishable from one another as a result of each having a value display feature representing the source data value of the respective first column data item represented by the graphical display object.

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