Data analysis using gestures

• US 9,134,901 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cragun, Brian John
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, RAYEEZ R
• Application Number:
  US13/429,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20130254696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

In a method for data analysis using gestures, using a first gesture on a graphical representation of a data set, a first dimension is defined. Using the first dimension, a shape is defined on the graphical representation of the data set. A grid segments the graphical representation of the data set into several subsets represented as a several grid blocks. A subset corresponds to a grid block. The shape is a visual shape of the grid block, and the shape serves to define the bounds of the corresponding subset. A second gesture is made relative to a first target grid block in the several grid blocks. In response to the second gesture, a first data analysis computation is performed on a first target subset corresponding to the first target grid block. A result of the first data analysis computation is presented using a hardware device.

Claims

1. A method for data analysis using gestures, the method comprising:

determining, using a first gesture on a graphical representation of a data set rendered by an application executing on a data processing system, a first dimension;

defining, using the first dimension, a shape on the graphical representation of the data set;

segmenting, using a grid, the graphical representation of the data set into a plurality of subsets;

representing each subset in the plurality of subsets as a grid block in a plurality of grid blocks, wherein a particular subset in the plurality of subsets corresponds to a particular grid block in the plurality of grid blocks;

representing a visual shape of each grid block in the plurality of grid blocks in the form of said shape, said shape defining bounds of the corresponding subset of the data set, wherein said shape is configured to receive a gesture input and perform an analytical operation on data within the bounds of the subset;

making a second gesture relative to a first target grid block in the plurality of grid blocks;

performing, responsive to the second gesture, a first data analysis computation on a first target subset corresponding to the first target grid block;

presenting a result of the first data analysis computation using a hardware device;

defining a first region and a second region on the graphical representation of the data set, wherein the grid is restricted to the first region;

defining, using a third gesture on the graphical representation of the data set, a second dimension;

defining, using the second dimension, a second shape on the graphical representation of the data set,

wherein a second grid segments the second region of the graphical representation of the data set into a second plurality of subsets represented as a second plurality of grid blocks,

wherein a subset in the second plurality of subsets corresponds to a grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks,

wherein a second shape serves to define the bounds of the subset corresponding to a grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks, and

wherein the shape and the second shape are distinct from one another;

making a fourth gesture relative to a first target grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks;

performing, responsive to the fourth gesture, a second data analysis computation on a second target subset corresponding to the first target grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks; and

presenting a result of the second data analysis computation using the hardware device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture and the second gesture are parts of a common touch based gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making a third gesture relative to a second target grid block in the plurality of grid blocks, wherein the third gesture includes transitioning from the first target grid block to the second target grid block;

performing, responsive to the third gesture, a second data analysis computation on a second target subset corresponding to the second target grid block; and

presenting a result of the second data analysis computation using the hardware device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first target grid block and the second target grid block are adjacent to one another.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first target grid block and the second target grid block overlap at least partially.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture is a touch based gesture, made when a user touches the graphical rendering of the data set on a display device associated with the data processing system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

defining using a third gesture a second dimension, wherein the shape further uses the second dimension.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first gesture and the third gesture are parts of a common touch based gesture.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first gesture is a width of a finger used to make the first gesture, and wherein the third gesture is a pressure of the finger on the display device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first gesture comprises using plurality of fingers to make the touch based gesture, and the first dimension is a distance between touch points of two of the plurality of the fingers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture is a pointer based gesture, made when a user manipulates a pointing device to select a plurality of points on the graphical rendering of the data set.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first dimension is a distance between at least two of the plurality of the plurality of the points.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises outputting the result in audio form.

16. The computer usable program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

17. The computer usable program product of claim 12, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium associated with the remote data processing system.

14. A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable storage device including computer usable code for data analysis using gestures, the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for determining, using a first gesture on a graphical representation of a data set rendered by an application executing on a data processing system, a first dimension;

computer usable code for defining, using the first dimension, a shape on the graphical representation of the data set;

computer usable code for segmenting, using a grid, the graphical representation of the data set into a plurality of subsets;

computer usable code for representing each subset in the plurality of subsets as a grid block in a plurality of grid blocks, wherein a particular subset in the plurality of subsets corresponds to a particular grid block in the plurality of grid blocks;

computer usable code for representing a visual shape of each grid block in the plurality of grid blocks in the form of said shape, said shape defining bounds of the corresponding subset of the data set, wherein said shape is configured to receive a gesture input and perform an analytical operation on data within the bounds of the subset;

computer usable code for making a second gesture relative to a first target grid block in the plurality of grid blocks;

computer usable code for performing, responsive to the second gesture, a first data analysis computation on a first target subset corresponding to the first target grid block;

computer usable code for presenting a result of the first data analysis computation using a hardware device;

computer usable code for defining a first region and a second region on the graphical representation of the data set, wherein the grid is restricted to the first region;

computer usable code for defining, using a third gesture on the graphical representation of the data set, a second dimension;

computer usable code for defining, using the second dimension, a second shape on the graphical representation of the data set,

wherein a second grid segments the second region of the graphical representation of the data set into a second plurality of subsets represented as a second plurality of grid blocks,

wherein a subset in the second plurality of subsets corresponds to a grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks,

wherein a second shape serves to define the bounds of the subset corresponding to a grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks, and

wherein the shape and the second shape are distinct from one another;

computer usable code for making a fourth gesture relative to a first target grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks;

computer usable code for performing, responsive to the fourth gesture, a second data analysis computation on a second target subset corresponding to the first target grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks; and

computer usable code for presenting a result of the second data analysis computation using the hardware device.

15. The computer usable program product of claim 14, wherein the first gesture and the second gesture are parts of a common touch based gesture.

18. A data processing system for data analysis using gestures, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises;

computer usable code for determining, using a first gesture on a graphical representation of a data set rendered by an application executing on a data processing system, a first dimension;

computer usable code for defining, using the first dimension, a shape on the graphical representation of the data set;

computer usable code for segmenting, using a grid, the graphical representation of the data set into a plurality of subsets;

computer usable code for representing each subset in the plurality of subsets as a grid block in a plurality of grid blocks, wherein a particular subset in the plurality of subsets corresponds to a particular grid block in the plurality of grid blocks;

computer usable code for representing a visual shape of each grid block in the plurality of grid blocks in the form of said shape, said shape defining bounds of the corresponding subset of the data set, wherein said shape is configured to receive a gesture input and perform an analytical operation on data within the bounds of the subset;

computer usable code for making a second gesture relative to a first target grid block in the plurality of grid blocks;

computer usable code for performing, responsive to the second gesture, a first data analysis computation on a first target subset corresponding to the first target grid block;

computer usable code for presenting a result of the first data analysis computation using a hardware device;

computer usable code for defining a first region and a second region on the graphical representation of the data set, wherein the grid is restricted to the first region;

computer usable code for defining, using a third gesture on the graphical representation of the data set, a second dimension;

computer usable code for defining, using the second dimension, a second shape on the graphical representation of the data set,

wherein a second grid segments the second region of the graphical representation of the data set into a second plurality of subsets represented as a second plurality of grid blocks,

wherein a subset in the second plurality of subsets corresponds to a grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks,

wherein a second shape serves to define the bounds of the subset corresponding to a grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks, and

wherein the shape and the second shape are distinct from one another;

computer usable code for making a fourth gesture relative to a first target grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks;

computer usable code for performing, responsive to the fourth gesture, a second data analysis computation on a second target subset corresponding to the first target grid block in the second plurality of grid blocks; and

computer usable code for presenting a result of the second data analysis computation using the hardware device.