Multi-source data visualization system

• US 8,190,619 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud Software Group
• Original Assignee: Spotfire AB (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Lehtipalo, Tobias, Thoresson, Johan, Fortes, Tommy, Vulcan, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Leslie
• Application Number:
  US11/824,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 707/754, 707/759, 707/999.006, 707/999.107
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

In one general aspect, the application discloses a data visualization method in which at least two retrieved data tables are associated based on a selection of at least one common field. A visualization is displayed for data from a first of the tables and input for query devices is received to filter data for a second of the tables. The displayed visualization for the first table can then be updated in response to the received query device input for the second table based on the created association.

Claims

1. A data visualization system, comprising:

multi-source record access logic operative to;

access records belonging to a first data source including a first set of data fields, and

access records belonging to a second data source including a second set of data fields,

query device presentation logic operative to present a plurality of query devices that are responsive to user interaction with a pointing device and that correspond to fields from the first set and fields from the second set, wherein at least one of the query devices is a common query device that is operative to filter data from both the first data source and the second data source,

combined visualization logic operative to display one or more visualizations corresponding to records accessed in the first data source and in the second data source, wherein the one or more visualizations are responsive to filtering functions defined by the at least one common query device to update the visualizations, and wherein different movements of the pointing device result in different changes to a corresponding filtering function,

wherein the query device presentation logic and the combined visualization logic are operative to display visualizations from the first and second data sources when they are each located in different places while allowing the first data source and the second data source to remain at the different places,

wherein the query device presentation logic and the combined visualization logic are operative to display visualizations from the first and second data sources when they are each formatted with different formats without requiring the user to reformat either the first data source or the second data source, and

common record association logic operative to associate one or more fields in the first data source with one or more fields in the second data source.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the combined visualization logic is responsive to a mode selection to select different methods of filtering data for common fields associated by the common record association logic.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the different methods of filtering include exclude filtered out rows, include filtered rows only, and ignore filtering.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the record association logic is operative to present an association control to the user in response to a user request to open more than one data source for a single visualization.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-source record access logic, query device presentation logic, and combined visualization logic are operative to present a plurality of different grouped visualizations that each operate on different sets of two or more different data sources.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the combined visualization logic is operative to display the tables and visualizations in a single unified presentation area.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the combined visualization logic is operative to present a data source selection control associated with the visualizations.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the combined visualization logic is operative to display one or more interactive elements in one visualization that are responsive to user interaction to affect the display of one or more visual elements in another visualization.

9. The system of claim 1 further including save logic operative to save the visualizations.

10. The system of claim 1 further including record consolidation logic operative to consolidate records from the first data source with records from the second data source.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the multi-source record access logic is operative to present a source addition control to the user.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the visualizations for associated tables are controlled by a same set of grouped query devices.

13. The system of claim 1 further including network browsing logic responsive to user input to select at least one remote network file address on a computer network and wherein the multi-source record access logic is operative to access at least one of the first and second data sources at the user-selected remote network file address through the computer network.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the combined visualization logic is operative to display a common visualization for data from the first and second tables and to update the common visualization to reflect updated filtering for both the first and second tables.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the query device presentation logic is operative to present query devices that include sliders responsive to a pointing device.

16. A data visualization method, comprising:

retrieving data from a plurality of different data tables,

providing to a user a data table association control,

associating in response to input from the user through the data table association control at least a first and a second of the data tables based on a selection of at least one common field between the first and second tables,

displaying to the user one or more visualizations for data from both the first and second tables,

providing to the user at least one common query device that is responsive to user input from a pointing device to filter data from both the first and second tables,

sensing adjustment by the user of the at least one common query device using a pointing device,

updating the filtering of data from both the first and second tables in response to the adjustment of the at least one common query device by the user using a pointing device, wherein different movements of the pointing device result in different changes to a corresponding filtering of data, and

updating the one or more displayed visualizations in response to the step of filtering to display one or more updated visualizations reflecting the updated filtering for both the first and second tables, wherein step of updating the one or more displayed visualizations updates the displayed visualizations for the first and second data tables when they are each located in different places while allowing the first data source and the second data source to remain at the different places, and wherein step of updating the one or more displayed visualizations updates the displayed visualizations for the first and second data tables when they are each formatted with different formats without requiring the user to reformat either the first data source or the second data source.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of displaying displays a common visualization for data from the first and second tables and wherein the step of updating updates the common visualization to reflect updated filtering for both the first and second tables.

18. The method of claim 16 further including the step of responding to a user selection of a network location to retrieve data from at least one of the tables.

19. The method of claim 16 further including the step of consolidating data from the first and second data tables after the step of updating.

20. The method of claim 16 further including the step of receiving a formatting operation selection from the user for one of the first and second tables and formatting data retrieved from that table based on the received selection.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the step of sensing adjustments senses adjustments to a slider by a pointing device.