Data analysis system with automated query and visualization environment setup

• US 7,216,116 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cloud Software Group
• Original Assignee: Spotfire AB (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Ahlberg, Christopher, Nilsson, Martin B., Truve, Staffan, Wistrand, Erik, Fasth, Anders S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US09/865,163
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-157, 345/672, 345/682, 345/648, 345/687, 345/856, 345/835, 345/764, 345/780, 345/771, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/7, 707/104.1, 705/10, 705/7, 706/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

A primary graphical input device such as a scroll bar or slider is displayed in order to allow graphical input and adjustment of at least one parameter, such as the page number of a displayed document in a word-processing program or a range value in a data visualization routine. Whenever a user activates the graphical input device, the user may set and change the parameter not only purely graphically, as in conventional applications, for example by dragging some portion of the primary device by moving a mouse, but also by entering a specific value into the secondary graphical input device, for example, via a keyboard. The invention thus provides an intuitive way for a user to quickly and easily navigate graphical objects not only by using pointing devices, but also by entering alphabetic or numeric input, all while maintaining the inherent advantages of “point and click” graphical displays.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing data from a stored data set, comprising:

retrieving a plurality of data records from the stored data set, wherein each record includes a plurality of fields,

automatically detecting from the data records retrieved from the stored data set a minimum value and a maximum value for a data range for each of at least a plurality of the fields in the data records retrieved from the stored data set,

automatically assigning a display query device to each of the plurality of fields,

automatically assigning scales to the display query devices for each of the plurality of fields based on the automatically detected minimum and maximum values,

automatically assigning an order to the display query devices for each of the plurality of fields based on information in the stored data set,

displaying a graphical visualization of relationships between at least a subset of the data records retrieved from the stored data set,

displaying the display query devices in the older automatically assigned to them,

sensing adjustment by the user of one or more of the query devices, and

updating the graphical visualization based on the sensed adjustments of the query devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically assigning a query device to each of the plurality of fields automatically assigns at least one graphical query device that responds to at least one graphical primary user input action that corresponds to a value of one of the fields and responds to at least one non-graphical, secondary user input action corresponding to a value of one of the fields.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically assigning a query device to each of the plurality of fields automatically assigns at least one query device that includes a slider.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein automatically assigning a query device to each of the plurality of fields automatically assigns at least one query device that includes a plurality of sliders for selecting a range of one of the fields.

5. The method of claim 1 further including automatically detecting a data type for at least the plurality of fields and wherein automatically assigning a query device automatically assigns at least some of the query devices based on results of automatically detecting a data type.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein automatically assigning a display query device automatically assigns one of a plurality of types of query device in response to automatically detecting a data type.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein automatically detecting a data type detects field names from the stored data set.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein detecting maximum and minimum values is based on automatically detecting a data type.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein automatically assigning a query device to each of the plurality of fields assigns different types of query devices to different fields based on results of automatically detecting a data type.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein detecting maximum and minimum values for the different fields is based on automatically detecting a data type for the different fields.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically assigning a display query device assigns one of a plurality of different types of query device in response to automatically detecting a data range.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically assigning a display query device assigns one of a plurality of different types of query device in response to user input.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a visualization displays a visualization that shows a relationship between an independent field and a plurality of dependent fields and further including selecting one of the fields to assign to be the independent field.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein selecting one of the fields to assign to be the independent field is based on user input.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein selecting one of the fields to assign to be the independent field is automatic.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the data set is stored in a database.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the data set is stored in a data set file.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the assignments made in automatically assigning are user-changeable.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the visualization includes an X-Y plot.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the visualization includes a bar graph.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the visualization includes a pie chart.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting maximum and minimum values is based on sampling the stored data set.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically assigning an order is based on the evaluation of relationships between a field for an independent variable and a plurality of fields for dependent variables independent of a preexisting order of the fields.

24. A system for visualizing data from a data set, comprising:

storage for the data set,

a channel to access the storage,

a user input device,

a display device, and

a main processing system connected through the channel for communication with the stored data set in the storage, the main processing system being operative to;

retrieve a plurality of data records from the data set through the channel, wherein each record includes a plurality of fields,

automatically detect from the data records retrieved from the data set a minimum value and a maximum value for a data range for each of at least a plurality of the fields in the data records retrieved from the data set,

automatically assign a display query device to each of the plurality of fields,

automatically assign scales to the display query devices for the plurality of fields based on the minimum and maximum values,

automatically assign an order to the display query devices for each of the plurality of fields based on information in the data set,

display on the display device a graphical visualization of relationships between at least a subset of the data records retrieved from the data set,

display the display query devices in the order assigned to them,

sense adjustment by the user using of one or more of the query devices by means of the user input device, and

update the graphical visualization on the display device based on adjustments of the query devices.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the main processing system is further operative to automatically detect a data type for the fields.

26. A system for visualizing data from a stored data set, comprising:

means for retrieving a plurality of data records from the stored data set, wherein each record includes a plurality of fields,

means for automatically detecting from the data records retrieved from the stored data set a minimum value and a maximum value for a data range for each of at least a plurality of the fields in the data records retrieved from the stored data set,

means for automatically assigning a display query device to each of the plurality of fields,

means for automatically assigning scales to the display query devices for each of the plurality of fields based on the minimum and maximum values detected by the means for automatically detecting,

means for automatically assigning an order to the display query devices for each of the plurality of fields based on information in the stored data set and for displaying the display query devices in the assigned order,

means for displaying a graphical visualization of relationships between at least a subset of the data records retrieved from the stored data set,

means for sensing adjustment by the user of one or more of the query devices, and

means for updating the graphical visualization based on adjustments of the query devices sensed by the means for sensing.