Chart view for reusable data markup language

• US 6,920,608 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: e-Numerate Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: e-Numerate Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Russell T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): QUELER, ADAM M
• Application Number:
  US09/573,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/503, 715/526, 715/529, 707/100
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

Methods and systems provide a “chart view” for a markup language referred to as Reusable Data Markup Language (“RDML”). Generally, a chart view comprises the components necessary for automatically manipulating and displaying a graphical display of numerical data contained in RDML markup documents. RDML is a markup language, such as the Hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”) or the Extensible Markup Language (“XML”). Generally, RDML facilitates the browsing and manipulation of numbers, as opposed to text as in HTML, and does so by requiring attributes describing the meaning of the numbers to be attached to the numbers. Upon receiving RDML markup documents, the chart view transforms, formats, manipulates and displays data stored in the markup documents using the attributes describing the meaning of the data. The chart view uses the attributes of the numbers to, for example, facilitate the simultaneous display of different series of numbers of different types on a single chart and automatically display appropriate axis labels, axis titles, chart titles, number precision, etc. A chart view may be a component of a data viewer used to retrieve, manipulate, and view documents in the RDML format.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system having a display showing a chart, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving multiple series of numerical values, each series having a uniquely corresponding set of tags indicating characteristics of the numerical values;

displaying a first series of numerical values on the chart;

automatically determining an axis label for the numerical values based on at least one of the tags; and

displaying an axis label on the chart;

receiving an indication of a transformation of the first series of numerical values;

automatically determining a new axis label in response to the indicated transformation; and

displaying the new axis label.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the axis label is an x-axis label.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the axis label is a y-axis label.

4. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method, the data processing system having a display showing a chart, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving multiple series of numerical values, each series having a uniquely corresponding set of tags indicating characteristics of the numerical values;

displaying a first series of numerical values on the chart;

automatically determining an axis label for the numerical values based on at least one of the tags; and

displaying an axis label on the chart;

receiving an indication of a transformation of the first series of numerical values;

automatically determining a new axis label in response to the indicated transformation; and

displaying the new axis label.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the axis label is an x-axis label.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the axis label is a y-axis label.