Creating new charts and data visualizations

• US 8,493,406 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rubin, Darryl E., Mital, Vijay, Green, David G., Wolf, Jason A., Payne, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US12/488,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345/629, 345/646
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

The rendering on a user interface of a potentially complex computerized scene generation system. The user interface includes visual item(s) that have associated data. In addition, another set of visual items may be driven by data provided to input parameters, and may represent elements in the scene. Through user gestures, a user may correlate data items in the data source visual items with the element visual items to thereby automatically populate the element visual items with data, affecting the rendering of the data-driven element visual items. The element visual items might be linked, once again, perhaps through user gestures, to a parent visual item. In so doing, properties of the parent visual item might change and/or input parameters of the element visual items might change. Accordingly, complex visual scenes may be created through potentially quite simple user gestures.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a display device; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by the one or more processors, the computing system is caused to render at least the following on a user interface at the display device;

a first set of one or more data visual items, each having associated data;

a second set of a plurality of element visual items, each being configured to be rendered using corresponding data that is applied to a corresponding set of one or more input parameters provided to corresponding construction logic, and by executing the corresponding construction logic;

a first user interaction mechanism that enables a user to use a first set of one or more gestures to apply the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items, wherein use of the first user interaction mechanism alters a visual appearance of the second set of element visual items according to the associated data;

a third visual item having associated one or more properties; and

a second user interaction mechanism that enables the user to use a second set of one or more gestures to merge the altered second set of element visual items into the third visual item subsequent to having used the first user interaction mechanism to apply the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items, wherein merging the second set of element visual items into the third visual item causes the one or more properties of the third visual item to alter at least one of the one or more input parameters and to further alter the visual appearance of the second set of element visual items.

2. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more gestures does not involve the user typing in any of the associated data.

3. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the associated data is divided into a plurality of data groups, wherein the rendered user interaction mechanism applies the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items on a per data group basis such that one data group of each of the plurality of data groups is applied to the set of one or more input parameters for a distinct visual item of the second set of element visual items.

4. The computing system in accordance with claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of data groups are structured in parallel and subdivided into a plurality of fields, wherein the rendered first user interaction mechanism applies the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of data visual items on a per data group basis such that a single field of the same type from each data group of the plurality of data groups is applied to an input parameter of the set of one or more input parameters for a distinct visual item of the second set of element visual items.

5. The computing system in accordance with claim 3,

wherein each of the plurality of data groups are structured in parallel and subdivided into a plurality of fields including a least a first and second data field;

wherein the set of one or more input parameters for each of the second set of element visual items includes at least a first and second input parameter;

wherein the rendered first user interaction mechanism applies the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items on a per data group basis such that;

the first field for each data group of the plurality of data groups is applied to the first input parameter of a distinct visual item of the second plurality set of element visual items; and

the second field for each data group of the plurality of data groups is applied to the second input parameter of a distinct visual item of the second set of element visual items.

6. The computing system in accordance with claim 3,

wherein each of the plurality of data groups are structured in parallel and subdivided into a plurality of fields including a least a first, second, and third data field;

wherein the set of one or more input parameters for each of the second plurality set of element visual items includes at least a first, second and third input parameter;

wherein the rendered first user interaction mechanism applies the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items on a per data group basis such that;

the first field for each data group of the plurality of data groups is applied to the first input parameter of a distinct visual item of the second plurality set of element visual items;

the second field for each data group of the plurality of data groups is applied to the second input parameter of a distinct visual item of the second set of element visual items; and

the third field for each data group of the plurality of data groups is applied to the third input parameter of a distinct visual item of the second set of element visual items.

7. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the merging of the second set of element visual items into the third visual item causes an analytical model to resolve to thereby further repopulate the input parameters of the second set of element visual items.

8. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the merging of the second set of element visual items into the third visual item causes an analytical model to resolve to thereby change at least one property of the second set of element visual items.

9. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more gestures at least partially overlaps with the first set of one or more gestures such that at least one gesture advances both 1) the applying of the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of data visual items, and 2) the merging of the second set of element visual items into the third visual item.

10. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more gestures are distinct from the first set of one or more gestures such are no gestures in either the first or second set of gestures that advance both 1) the applying of the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items, and 2) the merging of the second set of element visual items into the third visual item.

11. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the application of the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items causes an analytical model to resolve to thereby further repopulate the input parameters of the second set of element visual items.

12. The computing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the application of the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items involves binding the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items.

13. A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a display device; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by the one or more processors, the computing system is caused to render at least the following on a user interface at the display device;

a first set of a plurality of element visual items, each being configured to be rendered using corresponding data that is applied to a corresponding set of one or more input parameters provided to corresponding construction logic, and by executing the corresponding construction logic;

a second data visual item having associated properties;

a first user interaction mechanism that enables a user to use a first set of one or more gestures to merge the first set of element visual items into the second data visual item, such that one or more input parameters of each the first set of element visual items are set using the associated properties of the second visual item, wherein use of the first user interaction mechanism alters a visual appearance of the first set of element visual items according to the associated properties;

a third visual item having associated properties; and

a second user interaction mechanism that enables the user to use a second set of one or more gestures to merge the altered first set of element visual items into the third visual item subsequent to having used the first user interaction mechanism to apply the associated properties of the second data visual item to the input parameters of the first set of element visual items, wherein merging the first set of element visual items into the third visual item causes the associated properties of the third visual item to alter at least one of the one or more input parameters and to further alter the visual appearance of the first set of element visual items.

14. The computing system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the first set of one or more gestures does not involve the user typing in any associated properties.

15. The computing system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the merging of the first set of element visual items into the second data visual item also causes one or more properties of the second data visual item to change.

16. The computing system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the merging of the first set of element visual items into the second data visual item causes an analytical model to resolve to thereby further change the properties of the second data visual item.

17. The computing system in accordance with claim 16, wherein the analytical model solves multi-directionally.

18. A method for constructing a user interface on a display of a computer system, the method comprising:

an act of rendering a first set of one or more data visual items on the display, the first set of one or more visual items having associated data;

an act of rendering a second set of a plurality of element visual items on the display, each rendered using corresponding data that is applied to a corresponding set of one or more input parameters provided to corresponding construction logic, and by executing the corresponding construction logic;

an act of rendering a third visual item having associated properties on the display;

an act of detecting one or more first user gestures that cause a user interaction mechanism to apply the associated data of the first set data visual items to the input parameters of the second plurality set of element visual items, wherein use of the first user interaction mechanism alters a visual appearance of the second set of element visual items according to the associated data; and

an act of detecting one or more second user gestures that cause the user interaction mechanism to merge the altered second set of element visual items into the third visual item subsequent to applying the associated data of the first set of data visual items to the input parameters of the second set of element visual items, wherein merging the second set of element visual items into the third visual item causes the one or more properties of the third visual item to alter at least one of the one or more input parameters and to further alter the visual appearance of the second set of element visual items.