Computer systems and methods for the query and visualization of multidimensional databases

• US 7,882,144 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Inventors: Stolte, Chris, Tang, Diane L., Hanrahan, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis; Cheryl
• Application Number:
  US12/777,172
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 707/802, 707/805, 707/786, 707/999.102, 707/999.1
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/212 with details for data modelling support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 Column-oriented storage; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2282 Tablespace storage structures; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/03 Data mining
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

In response to a user request, a computer generates a graphical user interface on a computer display. A schema information region of the graphical user interface includes multiple operand names, each operand name associated with one or more fields of a multi-dimensional database. A data visualization region of the graphical user interface includes multiple shelves. Upon detecting a user selection of the operand names and a user request to associate each user-selected operand name with a respective shelf in the data visualization region, the computer generates a visual table in the data visualization region in accordance with the associations between the operand names and the corresponding shelves. The visual table includes a plurality of panes, each pane having at least one axis defined based on data for the fields associated with a respective operand name.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a computer having one or more processors and memory storing programs executed by the one or more processors;

generating a graphical user interface on a computer display, wherein the graphical user interface includes a schema information region and a data visualization region, wherein the schema information region includes multiple operand names, each operand name associated with one or more fields of a multi-dimensional database that includes at least one data hierarchy, and wherein the data visualization region includes a plurality of shelves;

detecting a user selection of one or more of the operand names and a user request to associate each user-selected operand name with a respective shelf in the data visualization region; and

generating a visual table in the data visualization region in accordance with the respective associations between the operand names and corresponding shelves, wherein the visual table includes a plurality of panes, each pane having at least one axis defined based on data for the one or more fields associated with a respective one of the operand names.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating within each of the panes at least one visual mark corresponding to a respective tuple in the database.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the visual marks is performed independently at each of the panes.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data hierarchy is generated automatically.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data hierarchy is associated with time and comprises a plurality of fields corresponding to different time dimensions.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the schema information region and the data visualization regions are displayed as separate windows in the graphical user interface on the computer display.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of the operand names corresponds to a measure or a dimension associated with the multi-dimensional database.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein a first subset of the plurality of shelves is associated with an x-axis of one or more of the plurality of panes, and a second subset of the plurality of shelves is associated with a y-axis of one or more of the plurality of panes.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the measures is associated with either one of the first subset of shelves or one of the second subset of shelves.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one of the operand names comprises a first measure associated with the multi-dimensional database, and wherein the at least one axis is defined based on data for the one or more fields associated with the first measure.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a computer having one or more processors and memory storing programs executed by the one or more processors;

receiving a visual specification from a user, wherein the visual specification corresponds to a data visualization scheme of a multi-dimensional database;

determining one or more queries from the visual specification, wherein at least one of the one or more queries includes a level corresponding to a modeled hierarchical structure of the database;

constructing one or more visual tables from the visual specification, wherein at least one of the one or more visual tables includes a plurality of panes;

retrieving a plurality of tuples from the multi-dimensional database, wherein each tuple satisfies at least one of the one or more queries; and

for each retrieved tuple, generating a respective visual mark within one of the plurality of panes of a respective visual table.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the modeled hierarchical structure is generated automatically.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the generating of the respective visual marks is performed independently at each of the plurality of panes.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the modeled hierarchical structure is associated with a time attribute of the database and comprises a plurality of fields corresponding to different time dimensions.

15. A computer system for automatically generating a graphical representation of a multi-dimensional database, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

generating a graphical user interface on a computer display, wherein the graphical user interface includes a schema information region and a data visualization region, wherein the schema information region includes multiple operand names, each operand name associated with one or more fields of a multi-dimensional database that includes at least one data hierarchy, and wherein the data visualization region includes a plurality of shelves;

detecting a user selection of one or more of the operand names and a user request to associate each user-selected operand name with a respective shelf in the data visualization region; and

generating a visual table in the data visualization region in accordance with the respective associations between the operand names and corresponding shelves, wherein the visual table includes a plurality of panes, each pane having at least one axis defined based on data for the one or more fields associated with a respective one of the operand names.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising instructions for generating within each of the panes at least one visual mark corresponding to a respective tuple in the database.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the generating of the visual marks is performed independently at each of the panes.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the data hierarchy is generated automatically.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the data hierarchy is associated with time and comprises a plurality of fields corresponding to different time dimensions.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein each of a plurality of the operand names corresponds to a measure or a dimension associated with the multi-dimensional database.

21. The computer system of claim 15, wherein a first subset of the plurality of shelves is associated with an x-axis of one or more of the plurality of panes, and a second subset of the plurality of shelves is associated with a y-axis of one or more of the plurality of panes.

22. The computer system of claim 15, wherein one of the operand names comprises a first measure associated with the multi-dimensional database, and wherein the at least one axis is defined based on data for the one or more fields associated with the first measure.

23. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

generate a graphical user interface on a computer display, wherein the graphical user interface includes a schema information region and a data visualization region, wherein the schema information region includes multiple operand names, each operand name associated with one or more fields of a multi-dimensional database that includes at least one data hierarchy, and wherein the data visualization region includes a plurality of shelves;

detect a user selection of one or more of the operand names and a user request to associate each user-selected operand name with a respective shelf in the data visualization region; and

generate a visual table in the data visualization region in accordance with the respective associations between the operand names and corresponding shelves, wherein the visual table includes a plurality of panes, each pane having at least one axis defined based on data for the one or more fields associated with a respective one of the operand names.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions for generating within each of the panes at least one visual mark corresponding to a respective tuple in the database.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the generating of the visual marks is performed independently at each of the panes.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the data hierarchy is generated automatically.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the data hierarchy is associated with time and comprises a plurality of fields corresponding to different time dimensions.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein each of a plurality of the operand names corresponds to a measure or a dimension associated with the multi-dimensional database.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein a first subset of the plurality of shelves is associated with an x-axis of one or more of the plurality of panes, and a second subset of the plurality of shelves is associated with a y-axis of one or more of the plurality of panes.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein one of the operand names comprises a first measure associated with the multi-dimensional database, and wherein the at least one axis is defined based on data for the one or more fields associated with the first measure.