Dynamically rendering visualizations of data sets

• US 7,996,786 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Michael, MacLaurin, Matthew, Turski, Andrzej
• Primary Examiner(s): Zahr; Ashraf
• Application Number:
  US11/682,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/788
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• 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

Computerized methods and systems for dynamically rendering visual representations of data sets are provided. Upon receiving a request for a particular data set (for instance, in response to receiving a search request), a data set is identified and a minimum portion thereof is retrieved that is necessary to render a visual representation of the data set. In this regard, items sharing a common characteristic may be grouped with one another so that only a single visual identifier of a group of data items may be displayed. In this way, a larger portion of the entire data set may be represented in a single view.

Claims

1. One or more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for dynamically rendering a visual representation of a data set, the method comprising:

receiving data associated with a plurality of data items from at least one data source;

organizing the received data items into groups in accordance with at least one criterion;

assigning a common visual identifier to members of the groups, respectively;

determining a spatial layout of the members of the groups within the display area;

selecting a format of the visual identifier assigned to each of the members of the groups, respectively;

estimating, based upon the selected visual identifiers, at least a portion of the plurality of data items that is capable of concurrent visual display by way of an estimation process comprising;

(a) determining a size of a display area; and

(b) estimating the portion of the plurality of data items capable of concurrent visual display based upon a combination of the spatial layout, the visual-identifier format associated with the groups, respectively, and the size of the display area;

retrieving a minimum portion of the received data necessary to render the visual representation of the data set; and

rendering the visual representation of the data set.

2. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein receiving data associated with a plurality of data items from at least one data source comprises receiving data associated with a plurality of search result items from at least a first data source and a second data source in response to a search query.

3. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 2, wherein organizing the received data items in accordance with at least one criterion comprises collating at least one search result item received from the first data source and at least one search result item received from the second data source, wherein the first and second data sources represent desperate physical locations that each store one or more of the received data items.

4. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein organizing the received data items in accordance with at least one criterion comprises organizing the received data items in accordance with a data source from which each data item is received.

5. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

estimating a size of the estimated portion of the plurality of data items relative to a size of the plurality of received data items, and

calculating at least one of a size and position of a data set position indicator based upon the estimated relative size.

6. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 5, wherein rendering the visible representation of the data set comprises rendering a visible representation of the data set and a visible representation of the data set position indicator.

7. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, further comprising determining if user input has been received subsequent to receiving the data associated with the plurality of data items.

8. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 7, wherein if it is determined that user input has been received subsequent to receiving the data associated with the plurality of data items, the method further comprises:

estimating at least an updated portion of the plurality of data items;

retrieving an updated minimum portion of the received data associated with the plurality of data items that is necessary to render an updated visual representation of the data set, the updated visual representation including the visual identifiers associated with each data item comprising the estimated updated portion of the plurality of data items; and

rendering the updated visual representation of the data set.

9. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 8, wherein if it is determined that the predetermined time period has passed since receiving the data associated with the plurality of data items, the method further comprises speculatively retrieving additional data associated with the plurality of data items that was not retrieved as part of the minimum portion.

10. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 7, wherein if it is determined that user input has not been received subsequent to receiving the data associated with the plurality of data items, it is determined whether a predetermined time period has passed since receiving the data associated with the plurality of data items.

11. A computer system for dynamically rendering a visual representation of a data set within an display area, the computer system comprising a processing unit coupled to a computer storage medium, the computer storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of computer software components executable by the processing unit, the computer software components comprising:

a data receiving module configured to receive data associated with a plurality of data items comprising the data set;

a data organizing module configured to organize two or more of the received data items, in accordance with at least one criterion, into at least two groups and to assign a common visual identifier to members of the groups, respectively;

a visual configuration module configured to determine a spatial layout of the members of the groups within the display area and to select a format of the visual identifier assigned to the members of each of the groups, respectively;

a display manager configured to perform an estimation process to identify a portion of the data set that is capable of concurrent visual display, wherein the estimation process comprises;

(a) determining a size of the display area available on a display device; and

(b) estimating the portion of the plurality of data items capable of concurrent visual display based upon a combination of the spatial layout, the visual-identifier format associated with the groups, respectively, and the size of the display area;

a data retrieval manager configured to retrieve a minimum portion of the received data necessary to render the visual representation of the estimated portion of the data set; and

a compound data display module configured to render within the single view on the display device the visual representation of the data set.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the visual configuration module is further configured to determine a configuration for the visual representation of the data set.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the display manager is further configured to estimate a size of the estimated portion of the plurality of data items relative to a size of the plurality of received data items, and wherein the visual configuration module comprises a position indication calculator configured to calculate at least one of a size and position of a data set position indicator based upon the estimated relative size.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the display manager is further configured to determine if user input has been received subsequent to receiving the data associated with the plurality of data items, and wherein if it is determined that user input has been received subsequent to receiving the data associated with the plurality of data items, estimating at least an updated portion of the plurality of data items.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the data retrieval manager is further configured to retrieve an updated minimum portion of the received data associated with the plurality of data items that is necessary to render an updated visual representation of the data set, the updated visual representation including the visual identifiers associated with each data item comprising the estimated updated portion of the plurality of data items;

and wherein the compound data display component is further configured to render the updated visual representation.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the data organizing module is further configured for assigning a visual representation to each of the groups, respectively, and wherein the visual representation is presented proximate to visual identifiers associated with the groups, respectively, to comprise the visual representation of the estimated portion of the data set.

17. A computerized method for rendering a visual representation of a data set, the method comprising:

receiving data associated with a plurality of data items;

organizing the received data items into a plurality of groups based upon at least one first criteria;

assigning a common visual identifier to members of the groups, respectively;

determining a spatial layout of the members of the groups within the display area;

selecting a format of the visual identifier each of the members of the plurality of groups, respectively;

estimating, based upon the selected visual identifiers, a portion of the visual identifiers that are capable of concurrent visual display by way of an estimation process comprising;

(a) determining a size of a display area; and

(b) estimating the portion of the plurality of data items capable of concurrent visual display based upon a combination of the spatial layout, the visual-identifier format associated with the groups, respectively, and the size of the display area;

retrieving a minimum portion of the received data associated with the data items that is necessary to render the estimated portion of the visual identifiers that are capable of concurrent visual display; and

rendering the estimated portion of the visual identifiers that are capable of concurrent visual display as the visual representation of the data set.