Decision aiding user interfaces

• US 9,009,617 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Latzina, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Leggett, Andrea
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Hua
• Application Number:
  US12/845,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20120030598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 715/212, 715/221, 715/227, 707/736
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results

Abstract

Various embodiments include at least one of a system, method, and software providing at least one user interface allowing a user to rapidly choose an optimal item, as represented by multi-attribute data objects, among a set of comparable items. One example method embodiment includes receiving a dataset having a plurality of data objects with a plurality of data object attributes. The method further includes generating a view of the data objects within a user interface on a display device. Such a view may include a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of data objects along a first axis with data objects positioned in proximity to a first pole of the first axis relative to importance of the data objects according to data object attribute criterion. The view may also include a representation of data object attributes including at least two designated as data object attribute criterion.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a dataset including a plurality of data objects having a plurality of data object attributes;

selecting a stored data object attribute criterion based on a type of the data objects of the received dataset, the stored data object attribute criterion including;

data identifying a subset of the plurality of data object attributes to be presented on a second axis;

data defining an order of precedence for the subset of the plurality of data object attributes when presented on the second axis;

at least one data object ranking rule that ranks data objects for a ranked presentation on a first axis, the ranking performed according to values of at least one of the identified data object attributes included in the at least one data object ranking rule;

generating a view of the plurality of data objects within a user interface on a display device, the view including;

a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of data objects along a first axis with data objects positioned in proximity to a first pole of the first axis based on a ranking of the data objects performed according to the at least one data object ranking rule of the data object attribute criterion;

a representation of the subset of the plurality of data object attributes presented in an order along the second axis in proximity to a first pole of the second axis according to the data identifying the subset of and the data identifying the order of precedence for the data object attributes of the data object attribute criterion; and

wherein;

the first pole of the first axis and the first pole of the second axis are identified in a precedence configuration setting consumed by the user interface; and

the selected data object attribute criterion and the precedence configuration setting are stored in at least one data structure independent of data of the plurality of data objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, within the user interface, input modifying a location of a data object attribute on the second axis to a first location in proximity to the first pole on the second axis; and

reordering locations of the plurality of data objects along the first axis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object attribute configuration settings of the data object attribute criterion include:

a filtering rule associated with at least one of the subset of data object attributes, with application of the filtering rule removing data objects from view within the user interface based on a value of the at least one of the subset of data object attributes is excluded by the filtering rule.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, within the user interface, input modifying a location of one data object attribute of the subset of data object attributes on the second axis to a first location in proximity to the first pole on the second axis; and

reordering locations of the plurality of data objects along the first axis as a function of at least one of a ranking rule and filtering rule associated with the one data object attribute.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, with instructions stored thereon executable by at least one computer processor to cause a computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving a dataset including a plurality of data objects having a plurality of data object attributes;

select a stored data object attribute criterion based on a type of the data objects of the received dataset, the stored data object attribute criterion including;

data identifying a subset of the plurality of data object attributes to be presented on a second axis;

data defining an order of precedence for the subset of the plurality of data object attributes when presented on the second axis;

at least one data object ranking rule that ranks data objects for a ranked presentation on a first axis, the ranking performed according to values of at least one of the identified data object attributes included in the at least one data object ranking rule;

generating a view of the plurality of data objects within a user interface on a display device, the view including;

a representation of at least a subset of the plurality of data objects along a first axis with data objects positioned in proximity to a first pole of the first axis based on a ranking of the data objects performed according to the at least one data object ranking rule of the data object attribute criterion;

a representation of the subset of the plurality of data object attributes presented in an order along the second axis in proximity to a first pole of the second axis according to the data identifying the subset of and the data identifying the order of precedence for the data object attributes of the data object attribute criterion; and

wherein;

the first pole of the first axis and the first pole of the second axis are identified in a precedence configuration setting consumed by the user interface; and

the selected data object attribute criterion and the precedence configuration setting are stored in at least one data structure independent of data of the plurality of data objects.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, within the user interface, input modifying a location of a data object attribute on the second axis to a first location in proximity to the first pole on the second axis; and

reordering locations of the plurality of data objects along the first axis.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, the data object attribute configuration settings of the data object attribute criterion including:

a filtering rule associated with at least one of the at least two data object attributes, with application of the filtering rule removing data objects from view within the user interface based on a value of the at least one of the at least two data object attributes is excluded by the filtering rule.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, within the user interface, input modifying a location of one data object attribute on the second axis to a first location in proximity to the first pole on the second axis; and

reordering locations of the plurality of data objects along the first axis as a function of at least one of a ranking rule and filtering rule associated with the one data object attribute.

9. A system comprising:

a processor, a memory device, a display device, one or more input devices, and a network interface device coupled to a bus;

an instruction set stored in the memory device and executable by the processor to;

receive, via the one or more input devices, selection input for selection of data objects from a remote location;

form and submit a data query over a network via the network interface device for data objects based on the selection input;

receive via the network interface device from the remote location, a dataset including a plurality of data objects each having a plurality of data object attributes;

select a stored data object attribute criterion based on a type of the data objects of the received dataset, the stored data object attribute criterion including;

data identifying a subset of the plurality of data object attributes to be presented on a second axis;

data defining an order of precedence for the subset of the plurality of data object attributes when presented on the second axis;

at least one data object ranking rule that ranks data objects for a ranked presentation on a first axis, the ranking performed according to values of at least one of the identified data object attributes included in the at least one data object ranking rule;

generate a view, on the display device, of the plurality of data objects within a user interface, the view including;

a subset of the plurality of data objects along a first axis with data objects positioned in proximity to a first pole of the first axis based on a ranking of the data objects performed according to the at least one data object ranking rule of the data object attribute criterion;

a representation of the subset of the plurality of data object attributes presented in an order along the second axis in proximity to a first pole of the second axis according to the data identifying the subset of and the data identifying the order of precedence for the data object attributes of the data object attribute criterion; and

wherein;

the first pole of the first axis and the first pole of the second axis are identified in a precedence configuration setting consumed by the user interface; and

the selected data object attribute criterion and the precedence configuration setting are stored in at least one data structure independent of data of the plurality of data objects.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the remote location is a database.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the database is a database of products available for purchase.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the data object attribute configuration settings further include a:

a filtering rule associated with at least one of the at least two data object attributes, with application of the filtering rule removing data objects from view within the user interface based on a value of the at least one of the at least two data object attributes is excluded by the filtering rule.