Method and system for replacing data in a structured design template

• US 7,962,443 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anthony Krinsky
• Original Assignee: Interactive Documents, LLC
• Inventors: Krinsky, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Uyen T.
• Application Number:
  US11/933,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

A method and system for replacing data in a design template. An end-user may provide a dynamic, structured client data set to be adapted to a predetermined, structured design template (e.g., a map or report). A repository of design templates may be searched to discover a list of candidate templates that may be capable of matching the client data. The end-user may select a design template that may be capable of showing the client data. The server may match the client data to a data structure for a candidate design template by using a data replacement approach, such as a column/alias approach. The end-user may potentially enlarge the matching set by providing information to help the matching algorithm; for example, providing column aliases where the matching algorithm may match template data column and column alias names with those specified for the client dataset.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(A) receiving, from a client computing device at a delivery server, a user data set, the user data set including a first plurality of fields, wherein the first plurality of fields comprises dynamic structured data;

(B) determining, via the delivery server, whether the user data set matches one or more of a plurality of ready-built design templates stored in a repository, each of the plurality of ready-built design templates including a second plurality of fields comprising replaceable data, based on one or more of the group consisting of a comparison between the first plurality of fields and the second plurality of fields, a comparison between a first plurality of labels corresponding to the first plurality of fields and a second plurality of labels corresponding to the second plurality of fields, a comparison between the user data set and a data descriptor, and a comparison between a data type of at least one of the first plurality of fields and a data type of at least one of the second plurality of fields;

(C) returning, to client computing device, an output representing a matching subset of the plurality of ready-built design templates stored in the repository;

(D) receiving, from the client computing device, input representing a selection by a user of at least one ready-built design template from the matching subset; and

(E) generating a graphical representation on the client computing device by replacing the replaceable data of the second plurality of fields of the selected at least one ready-built design template from the matching subset with the data set of the first plurality of fields.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises determining, via the delivery server, that a plural subset of the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates matches the user data set, and wherein the method further comprises:

(F) presenting, to a user, output representing the plural subset of the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates; and

(G) receiving, from the user, input representing a selection by the user of one of the plural subset of the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of labels comprises at least one of a first plurality of column names and a first plurality of column aliases, and wherein the second plurality of labels comprises at least one of a second plurality of column names and a second plurality of column aliases.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises determining, via the delivery server, whether the user data set matches the one or more of the plurality of the ready-built design templates by at least one of determining whether the first corresponding plurality of labels match the second corresponding plurality of labels verbatim, and determining whether the first corresponding plurality of labels match synonyms of the second corresponding plurality of labels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises determining, via the delivery server, whether the first plurality of fields is equal in number to or greater in number than the second plurality of fields.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) receiving, from a user, input representing a hint; and

wherein (B) comprises determining whether the user data set matches the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates based on the hint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises determining, via a delivery server, whether the user data set matches the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates based on a comparison between the user data set and a design template data set of the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of fields includes a first field including a datum including a first value, wherein the second plurality of fields includes a second field corresponding to the first field, wherein the second field is associated with a domain membership function, and wherein (B) comprises determining, via a delivery server, whether the first value satisfies the domain membership function.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the domain membership function defines at least one of a range of values, a semantic meaning, and a phonetic feature, and wherein (B) comprises at least one of determining, via a delivery server, whether the first value is within the range of values, determining whether the first value has the semantic meaning, and determining whether the first value has the phonetic feature.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) providing, by the delivery server, data from the user data set into the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates comprise a template for at least one of a geographical map and a business report, and wherein the graphical representation comprises rendering an image of at least one of the geographical map and the business report incorporating the user data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(F) prior to (B), receiving, from a user, input modifying the first plurality of fields to provide a first modified plurality of fields; and

wherein (B) comprises determining whether the user data set matches the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates based on a comparison between the first modified plurality of fields and the second plurality of fields.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein (B) comprises determining, via the delivery server, that a plural subset of the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates matches the user data set, and wherein the method further comprises:

(F) automatic selection of one of the plural subset of the plurality of design templates based on prior user selections or system or user presets.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein (B) comprises determining based on one or more of the group consisting of a comparison between an entirety of the first plurality of fields and an entirety of the second plurality of fields, a comparison between a first plurality of labels corresponding to an entirety of the first plurality of fields and a second plurality of labels corresponding to an entirety of the second plurality of fields, a comparison between an entirety of the user data set and the data descriptor, and a comparison between a data type of at least one of the first plurality of fields and a data type of at least one of the second plurality of fields.

15. A design and data replacement system, comprising:

a client computing device;

a delivery server; and

a repository including a plurality of ready-built design templates,

wherein the delivery server comprises logic configured to;

(A) receive, from the client computing device, a user data set, the user data set including a first plurality of fields, wherein the first plurality of fields comprises dynamic structured data;

(B) determine whether the user data set matches one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates stored in the repository, each of the plurality of ready-built design templates including a second plurality of fields comprising replaceable data, based on one or more of the group consisting of a comparison between the first plurality of fields and the second plurality of fields, a comparison between a first plurality of labels corresponding to the first plurality of fields and a second plurality of labels corresponding to the second plurality of fields, a comparison between the user data set and a data descriptor, and a comparison between a data type of at least one of the first plurality of fields and a data type of at least one of the second plurality of fields;

(C) return, to the client computing device, an output representing a matching subset of the plurality of read-built design templates stored in the repository;

(D) receive, from the client computing device, input representing a selection by a user of at least one ready-built design template from the matching subset; and

(E) generate a graphical representation on the client computing device by replacing the replaceable data of the second plurality of fields of the selected at least one ready-built design template from the matching subset with the data set of the first plurality of fields.

16. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein (B) comprises determining that a plural subset of the one or more plurality of ready-built design templates matches the user data set, and wherein the delivery server further comprises logic configured to:

(F) present, to a user, output representing the plural subset of the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates; and

(G) receive, from the user, input representing a selection by the user of one of the plural subset of the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates.

17. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of labels comprises at least one of a first plurality of column names and a first plurality of column aliases, and wherein the second plurality of labels comprises at least one of a second plurality of column names and a second plurality of column aliases.

18. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein (B) comprises determining whether the data set matches the one or more of the plurality of the ready-built design templates by at least one of determining whether the first corresponding plurality of labels match the second corresponding plurality of labels verbatim, and determining whether the first corresponding plurality of labels match synonyms of the second corresponding plurality of labels.

19. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein (B) comprises determining whether the first plurality of fields is equal in number to or greater in number than the second plurality of fields.

20. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein the delivery server further comprises logic configured to:

(F) receive, from a user, input representing a hint; and

wherein (B) comprises determining whether the user data set matches the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates based on the hint.

21. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein (B) comprises determining whether the user data set matches the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design template based on a comparison between the user data set and a design template data set of the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates.

22. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of fields includes a first field including a datum including a first value, wherein the second plurality of fields includes a second field corresponding to the first field, wherein the second field is associated with a domain membership function, and wherein (B) comprises determining whether the first value satisfies the domain membership function.

23. The design and data replacement system of claim 22, wherein the domain membership function defines at least one of a range of values, a semantic meaning, and a phonetic feature, and wherein (B) comprises at least one of determining whether the first value is within the range of values, determining whether the first value has the semantic meaning, and determining whether the first value has the phonetic feature.

24. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein the delivery server further comprises logic configured to:

provide data from the user data set into the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates.

25. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates comprise a template for at least one of a geographical map and a business report, and wherein the geographical representation comprises rendering an image of at least one of the geographical map and the business report incorporating the user data.

26. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein the delivery server further comprises logic configured to:

(F) prior to (B), receive, from a user, input modifying the first plurality of fields to provide a first modified plurality of fields; and

wherein (B) comprises determining whether the user data set matches the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates based on a comparison between the first modified plurality of fields and the second plurality of fields.

27. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein (B) comprises determining that a plural subset of the one or more of the plurality of ready-built design templates matches the user data set, and wherein the delivery server further comprises logic configured to:

(F) automatically select one of the plural subset of the plurality of design templates based on prior user selections or system or user presets.

28. The design and data replacement system of claim 15, wherein (B) comprises determining based on one or more of the group consisting of a comparison between an entirety of the first plurality of fields and an entirety of the second plurality of fields, a comparison between a first plurality of labels corresponding to an entirety of the first plurality of fields and a second plurality of labels corresponding to an entirety of the second plurality of fields, a comparison between an entirety of the user data set and the data descriptor, and a comparison between a data type of at least one of the first plurality of fields and a data type of at least one of the second plurality of fields.