Interpolation between relational tables for purposes of animating a data visualization

• US 6,034,697 A
• Filed: 12/09/1997
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Becker, Barry Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US08/987,242
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 345/433, 345/440, 345/430, 345/431, 345/133, 345/150
• US Class Current: 345/606
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product are provided for a new data visualization tool that visually approximates a scatter plot and provides smooth animation of graphics by using interpolated data. An interpolation process is performed over pre-processed bins of scattered data points. A user can smoothly animate a plot along several dimensions by using an external query device to vary a selected data attribute. If the external query device (or slider) control is positioned in between discrete positions of the slider, the displayed plot corresponds to interpolated data. Adjacent data structures are determined corresponding to the position of the external query device. The adjacent data structures are merged together, then aggregated the using the spatial columns of the data structure as a unique key. An interpolated bin is generated, where the weight of the bin is interpolated and the dependent attribute is also interpolated and weighted. The interpolated dependent attribute is mapped to color in the visualized scatter plot. The plot appears as rendered splats corresponding to bin positions of the interpolated bins, where each splat has an opacity that is a function of the interpolated weight of data points in the corresponding bin.

Claims

1. A method of interpolating data for animating a scatter plot of data points in a computer system capable of displaying a plurality of colors using an external query data attribute, comprising the steps of:

(1) determining adjacent data tables corresponding to a position of a first external querying device that queries the data attribute, wherein the adjacent data tables include a first data table and a second data table, and wherein each data table comprises a plurality of processed bins of data points,

(2) merging the first adjacent data table with the second adjacent data table;

(3) aggregating the data points from the merged data tables using a spatial column of the data table as a unique key;

(4) generating interpolated bins;

(5) mapping to color an interpolated dependent attribute associated with the data points in a respective interpolated bin, wherein the interpolated attribute is weighted; and

(6) rendering a data visualization representative of the interpolated data points.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (6) comprises the step of:

rendering splats at bin positions of the interpolated bins, each splat having an opacity that is a function of the interpolated weight of data points in a corresponding bin, whereby, a splat plot can be displayed that visually approximates the scatter plot of interpolated data points.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interpolated attribute of step (5) is weighted by the sum of record weights.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) further comprises the step of:

setting a value for t, wherein t represents an intermediate position between discrete positions of the first external query device, wherein a first discrete external query device position corresponds to the first data table, and a second discrete external query device position corresponds to the second data table.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step (2) further comprises the steps of:

(a) generating a first new weight column to add to the first data table, wherein the first new weight column is equal to (1-t)*(weight);

(b) generating a first new weighted value column to add to the first data table, wherein the first new weighted value column is equal to (1-t)*(weight)* (value);

(c) generating a second new weight column to add to the second data table, wherein the second new weight column is equal to (t)*(weight),

(d) generating a second new weighted value column to add to the second data table, wherein the second new weighted value column is equal to (t)* (weight)*(value); and

(e) aggregating by summation the new weight column and the new weighted value column from the first and second data tables.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein step (4) comprises the step of:

generating an interpolated bin by dividing the summed new weighted value by the summed new weight to generate the interpolated values.

7. The method of claim 1 for animating at least two external query attributes of a scatter plot of data points, further comprising the steps of:

setting a value for t, wherein t represents an intermediate position between discrete positions of the first external query device, wherein a first discrete external query device position corresponds to the first data table, and a second discrete external query device position corresponds to the second data table; and

setting a value for v, wherein v represents an intermediate position between discrete positions of a second external query device, wherein a first position of the second external query device corresponds to a third data table, and a second position of the second external query device corresponds to a fourth data table.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of processed bins are generated by a processing method, said processing method comprising the steps of:

binning the data points into bins by discretizing each attribute to be plotted along a respective axis in the splat plot according to a binning resolution;

determining a bin position for each bin; and

determining a weight of data points in each bin.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each bin position has at least one position coordinate, each position coordinate corresponds to an axis in the scatter plot.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each bin position includes two position coordinates corresponding to two respective attributes associated with the data points, and further comprising the step of:

displaying a two-dimensional splat plot that includes the rendered splats located at respective bin positions along two axes in said two-dimensional splat plot.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein each bin position includes three position coordinates corresponding to three respective attributes associated with the data points, and further comprising the step of:

displaying a three-dimensional splat plot that includes the rendered splats located at respective bin positions along three axes in said three-dimensional splat plot.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a splat plot that includes the rendered splats;

displaying a dragger object;

permitting a user to select a region in the splat plot by moving the dragger object to the region; and

displaying information about the region;

whereby information on regions inside a rendered data visualization can be read.

13. A system for animating a scatter plot of data points using an external query data attribute, comprising:

a binning module for binning the data points into bins and for determining a bin position for each bin;

a counter unit for determining a weight of data points in each bin;

a first external query device for querying the data attribute of said bins;

an interpolation module for interpolating data points corresponding to an intermediate position between discrete positions of said first external query device, wherein said first external query device corresponds to the external query attribute of said data points; and

a rendering unit for rendering a data visualization representative of the interpolated data points.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said rendering unit renders splats at bin positions of interpolated bins, each splat having an opacity that is a function of an interpolated count of data points in said interpolated bin, whereby a splat plot can be displayed that visually approximates the scatter plot of data points.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each bin position includes three position coordinates corresponding to three respective attributes associated with the data points, and wherein said rendering unit displays a three-dimensional splat plot that includes said rendered splats located at respective bin positions along three axes in said three-dimensional splat plot.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a second external query device for querying a second attribute of the data points, wherein said interpolation module interpolates data points corresponding to an intermediate position between discrete positions of said second external query device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said interpolation module determines a value for t, wherein t represents a position between discrete positions of said first external query device, wherein a first discrete position of said first external query device corresponds to a first data table, and a second discrete position of said first external query device corresponds to a second data table, and wherein said interpolation module determines a value for v, wherein v represents a given position between discrete positions of said second external query device, wherein a first discrete position of said second external query device corresponds to a third data table, and a second position of said second external query device corresponds to a fourth data table.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein said interpolation module determines a value for t, wherein t represents said intermediate position between said discrete positions of said first external query device, wherein a first discrete position of said first external query device corresponds to a first data table, and a second discrete position of said first external query device corresponds to a second data table, and wherein said interpolation module generates an interpolated bin based on said value for t.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said interpolation module merges said first adjacent data table with said second adjacent data table and aggregates said merged data points using spatial columns of said data tables as unique keys, wherein said first and second adjacent data tables each comprise a plurality of processed bins of data points.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a graphics processor in a computer system to animate an external query attribute of a scatter plot of data points that visually approximates a scatter plot of data points, said computer program logic comprising:

means for enabling the graphics processor to bin the data points into bins;

means for enabling the graphics processor to determine a bin position for each bin;

means for enabling the graphics processor to determine a count of data points in each bin;

means for enabling the graphics processor to interpolate data points corresponding to an intermediate position between discrete positions of an external query device, wherein said external query device queries the external query attribute of the data points; and

means for enabling the graphics processor to render a data visualization representative of the interpolated data points.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said means for enabling the graphics processor to render a data visualization renders splats at bin locations of interpolated bins, each splat having an opacity that is a function of said interpolated count of data points in a corresponding bin, whereby, a splat plot can be displayed that visually approximates the scatter plot of interpolated data points.

22. A system for animating an external query attribute of a visually approximated scatter plot of data points, comprising:

means for binning the data points into bins;

means for determining a bin position for each bin;

means for determining a weight of data points in each bin;

means for externally querying the attribute of said bins;

means for interpolating data points corresponding to a given position between discrete positions of said external query means, wherein said external query means corresponds to the external query attribute of said data points; and

means for rendering splats at bin positions of interpolated bins, each splat having an opacity that is a function of an interpolated weight of data points in said interpolated bin, whereby a splat plot can be displayed that visually approximates the scatter plot of data points.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for displaying a splat plot that includes said rendered splats;

means for displaying a dragger object;

means for permitting a user to select a region in the splat plot by moving said dragger object to said region; and

means for displaying information about said region;

whereby information on regions inside a rendered splat plot can be read.