System and method for large-scale data visualization

• US 7,454,439 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gansner, Emden, Koutsofios, Eleftherios, North, Stephen Charles, Truscott, Russell N.
• Primary Examiner(s): PANNALA, SATHYANARAYA R
• Application Number:
  US09/721,884
• Time in Patent Office: 2,916 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 5, 707/104.1, 707/1, 705/37, 345/419, 709/245, 455/406
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a new visualization platform for the interactive exploration of large datasets. The present invention integrates a collection of relevant visualization techniques to provide a new visual metaphor for viewing large datasets. It is capable of providing comprehensive support for data exploration, integrating large-scale data visualization with querying, browsing, and statistical evaluation. A variety of techniques are utilized to minimize processing delays and the use of system resources, including processing pipelines, direct IO, memory mapping, and dynamic linking of “on-the-fly” generated code.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executed in a visualization platform that includes a physical display coupled to the visualization platform, a data collector element for collecting real-time data from a network, a visualization interface element, and an aggregation element interposed between the data collector element and the visualization interface element, characterized by:

said data collection element includes a schema file that includes an entry for each of a plurality of data record types, each entry specifying a data record format of an ordered set of fixed-length fields, and the collection module is constructed to;

receive data records of said types,

if the received data record is of a variety A, store the received data record in a storage medium with an association to said corresponding entry of said schema file, wherein the variety A data record is a record with an ordered fixed-length fields format that correspond to the entry of said schema file;

if the received data record is of a variety B, convert the received data record to an ordered fixed-length fields format that correspond to an entry of said schema file and store in said storage medium the converted data record with an association to said corresponding entry of said schema file, wherein the variety B data record is a record that does not have an ordered fixed-length fields format that correspond to an entry of said schema file; and

said aggregation element includes processing modules that process said records (DDS tool), and processing modules that process aggregates of said records (AGGR tool), and said aggregation element processes streams that contains pluralities of said records in a pipeline manner, and

said visualization interface element is constructed to display, on said display, information generated by one or more of said AGGR tool;

wherein the aggregation element also includes geometry modules that map data to display objects and coloring of said display objects, wherein the display objects are taken from a set that comprises points, lines, polygons, and triangles, each of said geometry modules having a standard input and a standard output, wherein the standard input is an input that accepts data that is sent to a geometry module, and the standard output is an output that transmits out of said geometry module processing results created by said geometry module.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the collection element is constructed to receive either said real-time data records from said network, or data records from a disk storage medium, as specified by a user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein said collection element is constructed to receive data records from said disk arrangement using a Direct-IO port of said disk storage medium.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of said DDS and AGGR tools has a standard input and a standard output, wherein a standard input is an input that accepts data that is sent to the tool, and a standard output is an output that transmits out processing results created by said tool, and said pipeline processing is executed by specifying that the standard output of one of said tools is pipelined to the standard input of one or more of said tools.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said processing is executes a plurality of said processing modules concurrently on data that is obtained from a specified source through execution of a DDS tool, and said specified source is taken from a set that includes said disk storage medium and standard input, wherein standard input is input that accepts information that is sent to the DDS tool.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the specified source is set via a parameter that is specified to an instantiation of said DDS tool.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said geometry modules concurrently map a plurality of data sets, each of which results in a distinct display of the mapped data set on said physical display.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said visualization interface element is further constructed to allow users that have access to the display provided by said physical display to alter data that is processed and displayed.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said visualization interface element includes a module to focus that which is displayed on said physical display onto a chosen dataset, and a module for altering the dataset that is processed and displayed.