Disambiguation with respect to multi-grained dimension coordinates

• US 8,036,859 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NICE Systems Technologies Inc. (Nice Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Merced Systems Incorporated (Nice Ltd)
• Inventors: Dampier, Todd O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silver; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALLE, ANGEL J.
• Application Number:
  US11/615,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2, 705/14, 707/2, 707/3, 707/513
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24556 Aggregation; Duplicate elimination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries

Abstract

Each of a plurality of dimension coordinates corresponding to a report query has a finer grain and a coarser grain. A subset of the dimension coordinates are dimension coordinates for which there is ambiguity as to what coarser grain value should be associated with the finer grain value. For every unique finer grain value of the dimension coordinates of the subset, it is determined what coarser grain value to associate with all dimension coordinates of the subset having that finer grain value. The determined coarser grain value is the coarser grain value of one of the dimension coordinates, of the subset, having that finer grain value. For each of the dimension coordinates of the plurality of dimension coordinates not in the subset, the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate is the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate. A report is generated in view of the plurality of dimension coordinates and their associated coarser grain values.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of processing a report query to a dimensional data model by processing a plurality of dimension coordinates that exist within the dimensional data model, wherein each of the plurality of dimension coordinates has a second particular grain (“

finer grain”

) that is finer than a first particular grain (“

coarser grain”

) and having a value at the finer grain (“

finer grain value”

) and at the coarser grain (“

coarser grain value”

), the report query specifying a dimension coordinate constraint to which the plurality of dimension coordinates correspond, the computer-implemented method being carried out by at least one computing device executing instructions from a computer-readable medium, the method comprising;

for a temporal dimension having temporal characteristics of grain relationships including a subset of the plurality of dimension coordinates in which there is a time changing relationship of the grains over a time period of interest leading to-a potential ambiguity as to what coarser grain value to associate with a finer grain value in attributing facts at the finer grain value to the coarser grain value,

wherein

each of the dimension coordinates of the subset is such that there is at least one other dimension coordinate of the subset having a value at the finer grain value that is the same as the finer grain value of that dimension coordinate; and

the at least one other dimension coordinate also has a value at the coarser grain value that is different from the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate,

for every unique finer grain value of the dimension coordinates of the subset, by the at least one computing device, executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to determine the coarser grain value to associate with all dimension coordinates of the subset having that finer grain value, wherein the determined coarser grain value is the coarser grain value of one of the dimension coordinates, of the subset, having that finer grain value such that the relationship is disambiguated by applying a disambiguation criterion to determine the association between coarser grain values when the finer grain value is associated with at least two different coarser grain values during the time period of interest;

wherein, for each of the dimension coordinates of the plurality of dimension coordinates not in the subset, the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate is the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate;

the method further comprising by the at least one computing device, executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to generate a report in view of the plurality of dimension coordinates and their associated coarser grain values.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining step is at least in part in view of a disambiguation criterion in the report query.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein:

the report query directly specifies the disambiguation criterion.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein:

the report query indirectly specifies the disambiguation criterion.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the report generating step is further in view of the at least one computing device executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to process each of the plurality of dimension coordinates in accordance with the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one computing device executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to process each of the plurality of dimension coordinates in accordance with the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate includes at least one of the group consisting of;

the at least one computing device executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to use a metric value corresponding to the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate with respect to the finer grain value of that dimension coordinate; and

the at least one computing device executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to use a metric value corresponding to that dimension coordinate with respect to the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the subset includes every dimension coordinate of the plurality of dimension coordinates meeting the conditions that

there is at least one other dimension coordinate of the plurality of dimension coordinates having a finer grain value that is the same as the finer grain value of that dimension coordinate; and

the at least one other dimension coordinate also has a coarser grain value that is different from the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the dimension coordinates of the subset has a finer grain value that is different from the finer grain value of at least one other dimension coordinate of the subset.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein:

the disambiguation criterion is time based.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein:

the disambiguation criterion for a particular finer grain value is with respect to a time property associated with the dimension coordinates of the subset having that particular finer grain value.

11. A computer-implemented method of processing a report query to a dimensional data model by processing a plurality of dimension coordinates that exist within the dimensional data model, wherein each of the dimension coordinates has a second particular grain (“

finer grain”

) that is finer than a first particular grain (“

coarser grain”

) and having a value at the finer grain (“

finer grain value”

) and at the coarser grain (“

coarser grain value”

), the report query specifying constraints including dimension coordinate constraints and a time reporting range constraint, the plurality of dimension coordinates corresponding to the constraints specified by the report query, the computer-implemented method being carried out by at least one computing device executing instructions from a computer-readable medium, the method comprising;

for each of a plurality of disambiguation time chambers, each disambiguation time chamber corresponding to a different non-overlapping time period of the time reporting range,

for a temporal dimension having temporal characteristics of grain relationships including a subset of the plurality of dimension coordinates in which there is a time changing relationship of the grains over a time period of interest leading to a potential ambiguity as to what coarser grain value to associate with a finer grain value in attributing facts at the finer grain value to the coarser grain value,

wherein

each dimension coordinate of the subset is associated with the time period to which that disambiguation time chamber corresponds;

each of the dimension coordinates of the subset is such that there is at least one other dimension coordinate of the subset having a value at the finer grain value that is the same as the finer grain value of that dimension coordinate; and

the at least one other dimension coordinate also has a value at the coarser grain value that is different from the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate,

for every unique finer grain value of the dimension coordinates of the subset, by the at least one computing device, executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to determine the coarser grain value to associate with all dimension coordinates of the subset having that finer grain value, wherein the determined coarser grain value is the coarser grain value of one of the dimension coordinates, of the subset, having that finer grain value so that the relationship is disambiguated by applying a disambiguation criterion to determine the association between coarser grain values when the finer grain value is associated with at least two different coarser grain values during the time period of interest;

wherein, for each of the dimension coordinates of the plurality of dimension coordinates associated with the time period to which that disambiguation time chamber corresponds but is not in the subset, the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate is the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate;

the method further comprising by the at least one computing device, executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to generate a report in view of the plurality of dimension coordinates and their associated coarser grain values.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

by the at least one computing device, executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to generate the report includes by the at least one computing device, executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to generate the report at a time resolution by which the time reporting range is characterized; and

the disambiguation time chambers are the same size as the resolution of the time reporting range.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the disambiguation time chambers are larger than the resolution of the time reporting range.

14. A method of processing a report query to a dimensional data model by processing a plurality of dimension coordinates that exist within the dimensional data model, wherein each of the plurality of dimension coordinates has a second particular grain (“

finer grain”

) that is finer than a first particular grain (“

coarser grain”

) and having a value at the finer grain (finer grain value) and at the coarser grain (coarser grain value), the report query specifying a dimension coordinate constraint to which the plurality of dimension coordinates correspond, the method comprising;

by at least one computing device, executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to process the plurality of dimension coordinates in view of a processing specification in the report query and associated coarser grain values of the plurality of dimension coordinates;

wherein, for a temporal dimension having temporal characteristics of grain relationships for a subset of the plurality of dimension coordinates in which there is a time changing relationship of the grains over a time period of interest leading to a potential ambiguity as to what coarser grain value to associate with a finer grain value in attributing facts at the finer grain value to the coarser grain value,

each of the dimension coordinates of the subset is such that there is at least one other dimension coordinate of the subset having a finer grain value that is the same as the finer grain value of that dimension coordinate;

the at least one other dimension coordinate also has a coarser grain value that is different from the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate, and

for every unique finer grain value of the dimension coordinates of the subset, the coarser grain value to associate with all dimension coordinates of the subset having that finer grain value has been determined, wherein the determined coarser grain value is the coarser grain value of one of the dimension coordinates, of the subset, having that finer grain value so that the relationship is disambiguated by applying a disambiguation criterion to determine the association between coarser grain values when the finer grain value is associated with at least two different coarser grain values during the time period of interest; and

wherein, for each of the dimension coordinates of the plurality of dimension coordinates not in the subset, the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate is the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate;

the method further comprising by the at least one computing device, executing computer program instructions from the computer-readable medium to generate a report in view of the processing step.

15. A computer program product for processing a report query to a dimensional data model by processing a plurality of dimension coordinates that exist within the dimensional data model, wherein each of the plurality of dimension coordinates has a second particular grain (“

finer grain”

) that is finer than a first particular grain (“

coarser grain”

) and having a value at the finer grain (“

finer grain value”

) and at the coarser grain (“

coarser grain value”

), the report query specifying a dimension coordinate constraint to which the plurality of dimension coordinates correspond, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program instructions stored therein which are operable to cause at least one computing device to;

for a temporal dimension having temporal characteristics of grain relationships including a subset of the plurality of dimension coordinates in which there is a time changing relationship of the grains over a time period of interest leading to a potential ambiguity as to what coarser grain value to associate with a finer grain value in attributing facts at the finer grain value to the coarser grain value,

wherein

each of the dimension coordinates of the subset is such that there is at least one other dimension coordinate of the subset having a value at the finer grain value that is the same as the finer grain value of that dimension coordinate; and

the at least one other dimension coordinate also has a value at the coarser grain value that is different from the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate,

for every unique finer grain value of the dimension coordinates of the subset, determine the coarser grain value to associate with all dimension coordinates of the subset having that finer grain value, wherein the determined coarser grain value is the coarser grain value of one of the dimension coordinates, of the subset, having that finer grain value so that the relationship is disambiguated by applying a disambiguation criterion to determine the association between coarser grain values when the finer grain value is associated with at least two different coarser grain values during the time period of interest;

wherein, for each of the dimension coordinates of the plurality of dimension coordinates not in the subset, the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate is the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate;

the computer program instructions being further operable to cause the at least one computing device to generate a report in view of the plurality of dimension coordinates and their associated coarser grain values.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

determining associated coarser grain values is at least in part in view of a disambiguation criterion in the report query.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein:

the report query directly specifies the disambiguation criterion.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein:

the report query indirectly specifies the disambiguation criterion.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

the report generating is further in view of processing each of the plurality of dimension coordinates in accordance with the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein:

the at least one computing device being operable to process each of the plurality of dimension coordinates in accordance with the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate includes the at least one computing device being operable to do at least one of the group consisting of;

use a metric value corresponding to the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate with respect to the finer grain value of that dimension coordinate; and

use a metric value corresponding to that dimension coordinate with respect to the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

the subset includes every dimension coordinate of the plurality of dimension coordinates meeting the conditions that

there is at least one other dimension coordinate of the plurality of dimension coordinates having a finer grain value that is the same as the finer grain value of that dimension coordinate; and

the at least one other dimension coordinate also has a coarser grain value that is different from the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate.

22. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

at least one of the dimension coordinates of the subset has a finer grain value that is different from the finer grain value of at least one other dimension coordinate of the subset.

23. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein:

the disambiguation criterion is time based.

24. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein:

the disambiguation criterion for a particular finer grain value is with respect to a time property associated with the dimension coordinates of the subset having that particular finer grain value.

25. A computer program product for processing a report query to a dimensional data model by processing a plurality of dimension coordinates that exist within the dimensional data model, wherein each of the dimension coordinates has a second particular grain (“

finer grain”

) that is finer than a first particular grain (“

coarser grain”

) and having a value at the finer grain (“

finer grain value”

) and at the coarser grain (“

coarser grain value”

), the report query specifying constraints including dimension coordinate constraints and a time reporting range constraint, the plurality of dimension coordinates corresponding to the constraints specified by the report query, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program instructions stored therein which are operable to cause at least one computing device to;

for each of a plurality of disambiguation time chambers, each disambiguation time chamber corresponding to a different non-overlapping time period of the time reporting range,

for a temporal dimension having temporal characteristics of grain relationships including a subset of the plurality of dimension coordinates in which there is a time changing hierarchical relationship of the grains over a time period of interest leading to a potential ambiguity as to what coarser grain value to associate with a finer grain value in attributing facts at the finer grain value to the coarser grain value,

wherein

each dimension coordinate of the subset is associated with the time period to which that disambiguation time chamber corresponds;

each of the dimension coordinates of the subset is such that there is at least one other dimension coordinate of the subset having a value at the finer grain value that is the same as the finer grain value of that dimension coordinate; and

the at least one other dimension coordinate also has a value at the coarser grain value that is different from the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate,

for every unique finer grain value of the dimension coordinates of the subset, determine the coarser grain value to associate with all dimension coordinates of the subset having that finer grain value, wherein the determined coarser grain value is the coarser grain value of one of the dimension coordinates, of the subset, having that finer grain value so that the relationship is disambiguated by applying a disambiguation criterion to determine the association between coarser grain values when the finer grain value is associated with at least two different coarser grain values during the time period of interest;

wherein, for each of the dimension coordinates of the plurality of dimension coordinates is associated with the time period to which that disambiguation time chamber corresponds but is not in the subset, the coarser grain value associated with that dimension coordinate is the coarser grain value of that dimension coordinate;

the computer program instructions further operable to cause the at least one computing device to generate a report in view of the plurality of dimension coordinates and their associated coarser grain values.