Systems, devices, and methods for generation of contextual objects mapped by dimensional data to data measures

• US 8,719,217 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Decisyon, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Decisyon, Inc.
• Inventors: Vivalda, Antonio, Del Franco, Fabrizio, Costantini, Simone, Pratico, Alessandro, Petrucci, Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): OBISESAN, AUGUSTINE KUNLE
• Application Number:
  US14/102,059
• Time in Patent Office: 147 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/608
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion

Abstract

This disclosure in part describes systems, devices, and methods for implementing a unification mechanism that enables the unification of various data sets, which can permit greater collaboration between users of a data management platform. For example, a system can be configured to enable a user to add or associate a contextual object with a data measure. In associating the contextual object with the data measure, the system can store the contextual object with the unique dimension coordinates that are associated with data measure. Other users of the system may, in turn, access the data measure and be shown the contextual object associated with the data measure.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating collaboration between users of a plurality of user terminals around a data measure mapped to a multi-dimensional data model, the computer-implemented method comprising:

electronically processing, by a computer system, a first request from a first user terminal of a plurality of user terminals to associate a discussion object with a data measure mapped to a multi-dimensional data model, the discussion object including a first entry by a first user and enabling users of the plurality of user terminals to communicate based on the data measure, the multi-dimensional data model configured for access by online analytical processing (OLAP) applications;

determining, by the computer system, coordinates of a plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify to the data measure;

storing, by the computer system, in an electronic data storage the discussion object in association with the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure;

receiving, by the computer system, a second request from a second user terminal of the plurality of user terminals, the second request dynamically generated based on a value of the data measure being displayed by the second user terminal to a second user, the second request comprising the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure, the second request configured to identify discussion objects associated with the coordinates;

determining, by the computer system, an existence of discussion objects that are associated with the coordinates received in the second request;

retrieving, by the computer system, the discussion object from the electronic data storage using the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model;

transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal an indication of the discussion object for display by the second user terminal in association with the value of the data measure;

transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal the discussion object in response to a third request for the discussion object from the second user terminal;

updating, by the computer system, the discussion object stored in the electronic data storage with a second entry by the second user based on a fourth request to update the discussion object from the second user terminal;

determining, by the computer system, an existence of task objects that are associated with the coordinates received in the second request;

retrieving, by the computer system, one or more task objects from the electronic data storage using the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model;

transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal an indication of the one or more task objects for display by the second user terminal in association with the value of the data measure, the one or more task objects associated with the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure; and

transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal a task information indication for display by the second user terminal in association with the value of the data measure, the task information indication comprising a name of a task manager assigned to the one or more task objects, the task information indication comprising a target value, the target value being a percentage difference between the value of the data measure and a desired value of the data measure, the task information indication associated with the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure,

wherein the computer system comprises a computer processor and electronic memory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the computer system, to the first user terminal an indication of the updated discussion object for display by the first user terminal in association with the value of the data measure; and

transmitting, by the computer system, to the first user terminal the updated discussion object in response to a fifth request for the updated discussion object from the first user terminal to cause the first user terminal to display the first entry and the second entry on a user interface displayed on a display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first entry comprises text input by the first user and a link to a different object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the first entry includes a link to a different object, transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal a list of objects linked to the first entry to cause the second user terminal to display the list on a user interface displayed on a display, the list including the different object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the link comprises a navigable link that when selected, as a result of an input by the first user, causes the display to display contents of the different object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first entry comprises text input by the first user, a link to a task object, a link to a report, and a link to a user social space.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the value of the data measure is configured to vary over time based on a measured value indicative of performance of a business entity, and further comprising:

transmitting the value of the data measure to the second terminal at a first time; and

transmitting the value of the data measure to the second terminal at a second time after the first time when the value of the data measure has changed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting to the second user terminal the indication comprises transmitting to the second user terminal the indication of the discussion object to cause the second user terminal to display, on a user interface displayed on a display, the indication of the discussion object in juxtaposition with the value of the data measure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting to the second user terminal the indication comprises transmitting to the second user terminal the indication of the discussion object to cause the second user terminal to display, in a report on a user interface displayed on a display, the indication of the discussion object within the same cell of the report as the value of the data measure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said retrieving the discussion object and said transmitting to the second user terminal the indication are performed in response to determining that the second user of the second user terminal is permitted to view the value of the data measure.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving, by the computer system, the data measure from the electronic data storage based on the second request from the second user terminal for a plurality of data measures, the data measure stored in a relational database structure.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing is performed substantially in real-time with said transmitting the indication of the discussion object.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

electronically processing, by the computer system, a sixth request from the second user terminal to associate a different discussion object with the data measure; and

storing, by the computer system, in the electronic data storage the different discussion object in association with the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional data model comprises at least three dimensions.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting the discussion object is based on determining that the second user is permitted to view the discussion object, wherein permission to view the discussion object is based on determining that the second user is permitted to view a source application that generated the data measure.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting to the second user terminal the discussion object further comprises transmitting one or more indications of document contextual objects embedded in the discussion object, the one or more indications configured for display by the second user terminal, the document contextual objects associated with the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed system to process by one or more computer processors computer-program code by performing a method when the computer program is executed on the suitably programmed system, the method for facilitating collaboration between users of a plurality of user terminals around a data measure mapped to a multi-dimensional data model, the method comprising:

electronically processing, by a computer system, a first request from a first user terminal of a plurality of user terminals to associate a contextual object with a data measure mapped to a multi-dimensional data model, the contextual object enabling users of the plurality of user terminals to interact based on the data measure, the multi-dimensional data model configured for access by online analytical processing (OLAP) applications;

determining, by the computer system, coordinates of a plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure;

storing, by the computer system, in an electronic data storage the contextual object in association with the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure;

receiving, by the computer system, a second request from a second user terminal of the plurality of user terminals, the second request dynamically generated based on a value of the data measure being displayed by the second user terminal to a second user, the second request comprising the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure, the second request configured to identify contextual objects associated with the coordinates;

determining, by the computer system, an existence of contextual objects that are associated with the coordinates received in the second request;

retrieving, by the computer system, the contextual object from the electronic data storage using the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model;

transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal an indication of the contextual object for display by the second user terminal in association with the value of the data measure; and

transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal the contextual object in response to a third request for the contextual object from the second user terminal,

wherein said determining the existence of contextual objects comprises determining an existence of task objects that are associated with the coordinates received in the second request, said retrieving the contextual object comprises retrieving one or more task objects from the electronic data storage using the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model, and said transmitting to the second user terminal the contextual object comprises transmitting an indication of the one or more task objects for display by the second user terminal in association with the value of the data measure, the one or more task objects associated with the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure, and

transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal a task information indication for display by the second user terminal in association with the value of the data measure, the task information indication comprising a name of a task manager assigned to the one or more task objects, the task information indication comprising a target value, the target value being a percentage difference between the value of the data measure and a desired value of the data measure, the task information indication associated with the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model that uniquely identify the data measure,

wherein the computer system comprises a computer processor and electronic memory.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the contextual object comprises a task object, the task object assigning a task command of the task object to the second user of the plurality of user terminals, the task command providing task instructions for the second user associated with the value of the data measure.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmitting to the second user terminal the contextual object comprises transmitting to the second user terminal the task object to cause the second user terminal to update a task list for the second user with the task command.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the value of the data measure is configured to vary over time based on a measured value indicative of performance of a business entity, and further comprising:

transmitting the value of the data measure to the second terminal at a first time; and

transmitting the value of the data measure to the second terminal at a second time after the first time when the value of the data measure has changed.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said transmitting to the second user terminal the indication comprises transmitting to the second user terminal the indication of the contextual object to cause the second user terminal to display, on a user interface displayed on a display, the indication of the contextual object at a position within a maximum distance from the value of the data measure.