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

• US 9,081,845 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• 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:
  US14/202,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20140279832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

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 comprising at least one of a discussion entry or a link, the at least one discussion entry or the link added to the discussion object by a first user to enable users of the plurality of user terminals to view the at least one of the discussion entry or the link, 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 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 indicating 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 and task objects associated with the coordinates;

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

retrieving, by the computer system, the discussion object and a task object from the electronic data storage using the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model, the task object comprising a task command assigned to a user, the task command comprising task instructions for the user and the task instructions associated with the value of the data measure;

transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal a first indication of the discussion object and a second indication of the task object for display by the second user terminal in juxtaposition 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;

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

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

2. The computer-implemented 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.

3. The computer-implemented 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 of document contextual objects 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.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the computer system, to the first user terminal an indication of an 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 a first entry and a second entry on a user interface displayed on a display.

5. The computer-implemented 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.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the discussion object comprises text input by the first user and a link to a different object.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the discussion object comprises a link to a different object, transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal a list of objects linked to the discussion object to cause the second user terminal to display the list on a user interface displayed on a display, the list including the different object.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, 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.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the discussion object 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.

10. The computer-implemented 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.

11. The computer-implemented 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.

12. The computer-implemented 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.

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

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

15. 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:

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 comprising at least one of a discussion entry or a link to enable the users of the plurality of user terminals to access the at least one of the discussion entry or the link, 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 indicating 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 and task objects associated with the coordinates;

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

retrieving, by the computer system, the contextual object and a task object from the electronic data storage using the coordinates of the plurality of data dimensions of the multi-dimensional data model, the task object comprises a task command assigned to a user, the task command comprising task instructions for the user and the task instructions associated with the value of the data measure;

transmitting, by the computer system, to the second user terminal a first indication of the contextual object and a second indication of the task 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,

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

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

16. The method of claim 15, 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.

17. The method of claim 15, 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.