Methods and systems for performing analytical procedures by interactions with visual representations of datasets

• US 8,996,978 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Richstein, Hans-Juergen, Farrenkopf, Eckhard
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIAU, SHEN C
• Application Number:
  US12/780,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20110283231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 715/212, 715/215
• US Class Current: 715/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

This disclosure provides examples of computerized methods and software for performing analytical procedures by interacting with visual representations of datasets. In one aspect, a visualization of a first dataset is displayed in a first portion of a GUI, where that visualization is associated with a set of criteria applied to the first dataset. A visualization of a second dataset is displayed in a second portion of the GUI. A selection of at least a portion of the data from the visualization of the first dataset is received, the selection associated with at least one set of set of criteria from the first dataset. A request to apply the selection to the second dataset is received, and, based thereon, the set of criteria from the first dataset is applied to the second dataset to generate a third dataset. A visual representation of the third dataset is then displayed in the GUI.

Claims

1. A method for performing analytical procedures by interactions with visual representations of datasets, comprising:

displaying a visualization of a first filtered dataset in a first portion of a graphical user interface (GUI), the visualization of the first filtered dataset associated with at least a first set of filters applied to an underlying dataset;

displaying a visualization of a second filtered dataset in a second portion of the GUI, the second filtered dataset associated with at least a second set of filters applied to the underlying dataset, the second set of filters being different from the first set of filters;

receiving a selection of at least a portion of the data from the visualization of the first filtered dataset, the selection associated with a set of criteria representing a subset of the first set of filters;

receiving a request to apply the selection associated with the set of criteria to the second filtered dataset;

based on the received request, determining whether at least a portion of the set of criteria is compatible with the second filtered dataset, wherein at least a portion of the set of criteria is compatible with the second filtered dataset when at least a portion of the set of criteria can be applied to the second filtered dataset;

in response to determining that the at least a portion of the set of criteria is compatible with the second filtered dataset, applying the compatible portion of the set of criteria to the second filtered dataset to generate a third filtered dataset, the third filtered dataset representing the second filtered dataset associated with a combination of the second set of filters and the compatible portion of the set of criteria ; and

displaying a visual representation of the third filtered dataset in the GUI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representation of the third filtered dataset is displayed in a third portion of the GUI.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representation of the third filtered dataset is displayed in the second portion of the GUI.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representations of the first, second, and third filtered datasets comprise graphical objects.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the graphical objects include at least one of the following:

a bar chart, a line graph, a pie chart, and a table.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUI is presented on a touch screen input/output display, and further wherein receiving the selection of at least a portion of the data from the visualization of the first filtered dataset further comprises receiving a touch gesture via the touch screen identifying at least a portion of the visualization of the first filtered dataset.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving a request to apply the selection associated with the set of criteria to the second filtered dataset comprises receiving a touch gesture dragging the selection associated with the set of criteria from the first filtered dataset over the visualization of the second filtered dataset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the at least a portion of the data from the visualization of the first filtered dataset comprises the entire visualization of the first filtered dataset.

9. A method for performing analytical procedures by interactions with visual representations of datasets, comprising:

displaying a visualization of a first dataset in a first portion of a graphical user interface (GUI), the visualization of the first dataset associated with at least a first set of filters applied to a dataset;

displaying a visualization of a second dataset in a second portion of the GUI, the visualization of the second dataset associated with at least a second set of filters applied to the dataset, the second set of filters being different from the first set of filters;

receiving, via a multi-touch gesture, a request to combine the first and second datasets, the request associated with a third portion of the GUI;

determining, after receiving the request to combine the first and second datasets, whether the first set of filters and the second set of filters are compatible for merging;

after determining the first and second datasets are compatible for merging, generating a third dataset representing a merging operation of the first and second sets of filters, wherein the third dataset comprises a subset of the dataset filtered by a combination of at least the first and second sets of filters; and

displaying a visualization of the third dataset in a third portion of the GUI.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a simultaneous touch dragging of the visualization of the first dataset and the visualization of the second dataset to a location within the third portion of the GUI.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first dataset and the second dataset are derived from a common dataset.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the visual representations of the first, second, and third datasets comprise graphical objects.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the graphical objects include at least one of the following:

a bar chart, a line graph, a pie chart, and a table.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the visual representations of the first and second datasets comprise a first type of graphical object, and wherein the visual representation of the third dataset comprises a third type of graphical object.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the third dataset representing a merging operation of the first and second sets of filters further comprises:

identifying at least one filter from the first set of filters and at least one filter from the second set of filters as possible leading filters for the visualization of the third dataset;

presenting, via the GUI, the at least one filter from the first set of filters and the at least one filter from the second set of filters for selection; and

in response to receiving, via the GUI, a selection of a particular filter from the at least one filter from the first set of filters and the at least one filter from the second set of filters, applying the selected filter as the leading filter for the visualization of the third dataset.

16. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions executable by a computer and configured to:

display a visualization of a first filtered dataset in a first portion of a graphical user interface (GUI), the visualization of the first filtered dataset associated with at least a first set of filters applied to an underlying dataset;

display a visualization of a second filtered dataset in a second portion of the GUI, the second filtered dataset associated with at least a second set of filters applied to the underlying dataset, the second set of filters being different from the first set of filters;

receive a selection of at least a portion of the data from the visualization of the first filtered dataset, the selection associated with a set of criteria representing a subset of the first set of filters;

receive a request to apply the selection associated with the set of criteria to the second filtered dataset;

based on the received request, determine whether at least a portion of the set of criteria is compatible with the second filtered dataset, wherein at least a portion of the set of criteria is compatible with the second filtered dataset when at least a portion of the set of criteria can be applied to the second filtered dataset;

upon determining that the at least a portion of the set of criteria is compatible with the second filtered dataset, applying the compatible portion of the set of criteria to the second filtered dataset to generate a third filtered dataset, the third filtered dataset representing the second filtered dataset associated with a combination of the second set of filters and the compatible portion of the selected set of criteria ; and

display a visual representation of the third filtered dataset in the GUI.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the visual representation of the third filtered dataset is displayed in a third portion of the GUI.