Rapid representational thumbnail images for business intelligence dashboards

• US 8,957,908 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Campbell, Kyle M., Nonez, Robert Y., Saha, Biraj, Zhong, Xiaowei S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarka, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHIVANG I
• Application Number:
  US13/549,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20140015846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 345/589
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/373 for modifying the size of the graphic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats

Abstract

In one example, a method includes identifying a plurality of data representation features comprised in each of one or more dashboards. The method further includes identifying formatting data for a format of the data representation features in each of the one or more dashboards. The method further includes generating one or more thumbnail images corresponding to each of the one or more dashboards, wherein each of the one or more thumbnail images comprises a plurality of stock images representative of a corresponding one of the data representation features in the corresponding dashboard, in a format that represents the format of the corresponding dashboard.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a plurality of data representation features comprised in each of one or more business intelligence dashboards;

identifying formatting data for a format of the data representation features in each of the one or more business intelligence dashboards; and

generating, by one or more processors of a computing device, one or more thumbnail images corresponding to each of the one or more corresponding business intelligence dashboards, wherein each of the one or more thumbnail images is generated to comprise a set of template images arranged in a format representative of the format of the data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard, wherein each of the template images in the set is selected from a plurality of stock template images and represents a corresponding data representation feature in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard, and wherein the plurality of stock template images includes one or more of;

a template image representing a stock business intelligence report,

a template image representing a stock spreadsheet,

a template image representing a stock selection panel,

a template image representing a stock chart,

a template image representing a stock graph, and

a template image representing a stock web application widget.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboards are configured to access and represent data from a respective data source, and wherein the template images are independent of the respective data sources.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the one or more thumbnail images is performed without querying the respective data sources that the data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboards are configured to access.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to generate a portal to the one or more business intelligence dashboards from a client device, and generating the one or more thumbnail images in response to receiving the request from the client device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising outputting the one or more thumbnail images to the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a link from each of the one or more thumbnail images to the corresponding business intelligence dashboards.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving an input indicating a selected thumbnail image, and generating the business intelligence dashboard corresponding to the selected thumbnail image.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering each of the template images with an aspect ratio that matches an aspect ratio of the corresponding data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering each of the template images with a color scheme that matches a color scheme of the corresponding data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the data representation features comprises a chart, and the corresponding thumbnail image comprises the template image of the stock chart in a position corresponding to a position of the chart in the corresponding dashboard.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the data representation features comprises a graph, and the corresponding thumbnail image comprises the template image of the stock graph in a position corresponding to a position of the graph in the dashboard.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the data representation features comprises a business intelligence report, and the corresponding thumbnail image comprises the template image representing the stock business intelligence report in a position corresponding to a position of the business intelligence report in the dashboard.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the data representation features comprises a web application widget, and the corresponding thumbnail image comprises the template image representing the stock web application widget in a position corresponding to a position of the web application widget in the dashboard.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a re-sized cached image of a previous client-side rendering of a business intelligence dashboard as the corresponding thumbnail image for one or more of the business intelligence dashboards.

21. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of stock template images are standardized or stylized template images representative of a plurality of data representation features.

15. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable data storage devices; and

a software application, stored on the one or more computer-readable data storage devices for execution by the one or more processors, and configured for generating one or more business intelligence thumbnail images for a business intelligence portal, wherein the software application comprises;

program instructions for identifying a plurality of data representation features comprised in each of one or more business intelligence dashboards;

program instructions for identifying formatting data for a format of the data representation features in each of the one or more business intelligence dashboards; and

program instructions for generating one or more thumbnail images corresponding to each of the one or more business intelligence dashboards, wherein each of the one or more thumbnail images is generated to comprise a set of template images arranged in a format representative of the format of the data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard, wherein each of the template images in the set is selected from a plurality of stock template images and represents a corresponding one of the data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard, and wherein the plurality of stock template images includes one or more of;

a template image representing a stock business intelligence report,

a template image representing a stock spreadsheet,

a template image representing a stock selection panel,

a template image representing a stock chart,

a template image representing a stock graph, and

a template image representing a stock web application widget.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the software application further comprises:

program instructions for receiving a request to generate a portal to the one or more dashboards from a client device;

program instructions for generating the one or more thumbnail images in response to receiving the request from the client device; and

program instructions for outputting the one or more thumbnail images to the client device.

17. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the software application further comprises:

program instructions for rendering each of the template images with an aspect ratio that matches an aspect ratio of the corresponding data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard; and

program instructions for rendering each of the template images with a color scheme that matches a color scheme of the corresponding data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard.

18. A computer program product comprising executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, configured for causing one or more programmable processors to:

identify a plurality of data representation features comprised in each of one or more business intelligence dashboards;

identify formatting data for a format of the data representation features in each of the one or more business intelligence dashboards; and

generate one or more thumbnail images corresponding to each of the one or more business intelligence dashboards, wherein each of the one or more thumbnail images is generated to comprise a set of template images arranged in a format representative of the format of the data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard, wherein each of the template images in the set is selected from a plurality of stock template images and represents a corresponding one of the data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard, and wherein the plurality of stock template images includes one or more of;

a template image representing a stock business intelligence report,

a template image representing a stock spreadsheet,

a template image representing a stock selection panel,

a template image representing a stock chart,

a template image representing a stock graph, and

a template image representing a stock web application widget.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

program instructions for receiving a request to generate a portal to the one or more dashboards from a client device;

program instructions for generating the one or more thumbnail images in response to receiving the request from the client device; and

program instructions for outputting the one or more thumbnail images to the client device.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

program instructions for rendering each of the template images with an aspect ratio that matches an aspect ratio of the corresponding data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard; and

program instructions for rendering each of the template images with a color scheme that matches a color scheme of the corresponding data representation features in the corresponding business intelligence dashboard.