Visualizing the flow of resources in an allocation model

• US 9,350,561 B1
• Filed: 05/27/2015
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Apptio (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Halls, Matthew Russell, Schafer, Zane Texiera
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US14/722,663
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17 using an input/output type connection, e.g. channel, I/O port
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards visualizing the flow of resources in an allocation model. A visualization model may be selected based on an underlying allocation model. The visualization model may include visualization model items. Allocation model items in the allocation model may be mapped to the visualization model items included in the visualization model. If a visualization model item is selected, the source visualization model items that provide resources to the selected visualization model item may be determined. And, the target visualization model items that receive resources from the selected visualization model item may be determined. Input flow lines that start from the source visualization model items and end at the selected visualization model item may be generated and displayed. And, output flow lines that start from the selected visualization model item and end at the target visualization model items may be generated and displayed.

Claims

1. A method for generating a computer visualization of data using a computer that includes one or more hardware processors, where each step of the method is performed by the one or more hardware processors, comprising:

selecting, by the one or more hardware processors, a visualization model based on at least an allocation model, wherein the visualization model includes one or more visualization model items;

mapping, by the one or more hardware processors, one or more allocation model items included in the allocation model to the one or more visualization model items;

providing, by the one or more hardware processors, a resource value for each of the one or more visualization model items by at least aggregating an amount of resources corresponding to each of their one or more mapped allocation model items;

storing, by the one or more hardware processors, the visualization model in a non-transitory memory of the computer, wherein the visualization model includes one or more resource values for the one or more visualization model items;

displaying, by the one or more hardware processors, one or more portions of the visualization model that overlays the allocation model in a user interface of the computer, wherein the allocation model underlies the visualization model; and

when a visualization model item is selected using the user interface of the computer, the one or more hardware processors perform further actions, including;

traversing, by the one or more hardware processors, the underlying allocation model to identify one or more source allocation model items and one or more target allocation model items that are associated with the selected visualization model item;

providing, by the one or more hardware processors, one or more source visualization model items that provide resources to the selected visualization model item based on the one or more identified source allocation model items;

providing, by the one or more hardware processors, one or more target visualization model items that receive resources from the selected visualization model item based on the one or more identified target allocation model items;

displaying on the user interface, by the one or more hardware processors, one or more input flow lines that start from the one or more source visualization model items and end at the selected visualization model item; and

displaying on the user interface, by the one or more hardware processors, one or more output flow lines that start from the selected visualization model item and end at the one or more target visualization model items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the one or more source visualization model items further comprises, providing the one or more source visualization model items based on the one or more source allocation model items that provide resources to the one or more target allocation model items that correspond to the selected visualization model item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the one or more target visualization model items further comprises, providing the one or more target visualization model items based on the one or more target allocation model items that receive resources from the one or more source allocation model items that correspond to the selected visualization model item.

4. The Method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the one or more hardware processors, a remainder of visualization model items that are separate from the one or more source visualization model items, the one or more target visualization model items, and the selected visualization model item; and

dimming on the user interface, by the hardware processors, one or more user-interface controls that correspond to the remainder of visualization model items.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, displaying on the user interface, by the one or more hardware processors, each resource value for the one or more visualization model items.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the one or more hardware processors, a displayed a flow line thickness at a beginning of a flow line originating from a source visualization model item based on a proportion of the source visualization model item'"'"'s total resources and the amount of its resources that are provided to a target visualization model item; and

providing, by the one or more hardware processors, another displayed flow line thickness at an end of the flow line that terminates at the target visualization model item based on a proportion of the target visualization model item'"'"'s total resources and the amount of resources provided by the source visualization model item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more visualization model items are arranged into one or more tiers of the visualization model that are displayed on the user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when a drill down action is performed on the user interface for the selected visualization model item, perform further actions, including:

providing, by the one or more hardware processors, one or more allocation details associated with the selected visualization model item; and

generating, by the one or more hardware processors, an interactive report that includes at least the one or more allocation details, wherein the interactive report is executed on the user interface.

9. A system for generating a computer visualization of data, comprising:

a network computer, comprising;

a transceiver that communicates over the network;

a non-transitory memory that stores at least instructions; and

one or more processor devices that execute instructions that perform actions, including;

selecting a visualization model based on at least an allocation model, wherein the visualization model includes one or more visualization model items;

mapping one or more allocation model items included in the allocation model to the one or more visualization model items;

providing a resource value for each of the one or more visualization model items by at least aggregating an amount of resources corresponding to each of their one or more mapped allocation model items;

storing the visualization model in the memory, wherein the visualization model includes one or more resource values for the one or more visualization model items;

displaying one or more portions of the visualization model that overlays the allocation model in a user interface of the computer, wherein the allocation model underlies the visualization model; and

when a visualization model item is selected using the user interface of the network computer, the one or more processors execute instructions that perform further actions, including;

traversing the underlying allocation model to identify one or more source allocation model items and one or more target allocation model items that are associated with the selected visualization model item;

providing one or more source visualization model items that provide resources to the selected visualization model item based on the one or more identified source allocation model items;

providing one or more target visualization model items that receive resources from the selected visualization model item based on the one or more identified target allocation model items;

displaying on the user interface one or more input flow lines that start from the one or more source visualization model items and end at the selected visualization model item; and

displaying on the user interface one or more output flow lines that start from the selected visualization model item and end at the one or more target visualization model items; and

a client computer, comprising;

a transceiver that communicates over the network;

a memory that stores at least instructions; and

a processor device that executes instructions that perform actions, including;

 

displaying the visualization model on a client user interface; and

 

displaying the user-interface for interacting with the visualization model.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein providing the one or more source visualization model items further comprises, providing the one or more source visualization model items based on the one or more source allocation model items that provide resources to the one or more target allocation model items that correspond to the selected visualization model item.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein providing the one or more target visualization model items further comprises, providing the one or more target visualization model items based on the one or more target allocation model items that receive resources from the one or more source allocation model items that correspond to the selected visualization model item.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more network computer processor devices execute instructions that perform actions, further comprising:

providing a remainder of visualization model items that are separate from the one or more source visualization model items, the one or more target visualization model items, and the selected visualization model item; and

dimming on the user interface one or more user-interface controls that correspond to the remainder of visualization model items.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more network computer processor devices execute instructions that perform actions, further comprising, displaying on the user interface each resource value for the one or more visualization model items.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more network computer processor devices execute instructions that perform actions, further comprising:

providing a displayed a flow line thickness at a beginning of a flow line originating from a source visualization model item based on a proportion of the source visualization model item'"'"'s total resources and the amount of its resources that are provided to a target visualization model item; and

providing another displayed flow line thickness at an end of the flow line that terminates at the target visualization model item based on a proportion of the target visualization model item'"'"'s total resources and the amount of resources provided by the source visualization model item.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more visualization model items are arranged into one or more tiers of the visualization model that are displayed on the user interface.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more network computer processor devices execute instructions that perform actions further comprising, when a drill down action is performed on the user interface for the selected visualization model item, perform further actions, including:

providing one or more allocation details associated with the selected visualization model item; and

generating an interactive report that includes at least the one or more allocation detail, wherein the interactive report is executed on the user interface.

17. A processor readable non-transitory storage media that includes instructions for generating a computer visualization of data, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more hardware processors performs actions, comprising:

selecting a visualization model based on at least an allocation model, wherein the visualization model includes one or more visualization model items;

mapping one or more allocation model items included in the allocation model to the one or more visualization model items;

providing a resource value for each of the one or more visualization model items by at least aggregating an amount of resources corresponding to each of their one or more mapped allocation model items;

storing the visualization model in a non-transitory memory of a computer, wherein the visualization model includes one or more resource values for the one or more visualization model items;

displaying one or more portions of the visualization model that overlays the allocation model in a user interface of the computer, wherein the allocation model underlies the visualization model; and

when a visualization model item is selected using the user interface of the computer, performing further actions, including;

traversing the underlying allocation model to identify one or more source allocation model items and one or more target allocation model items that are associated with the selected visualization model item;

providing one or more source visualization model items that provide resources to the selected visualization model item based on the one or more identified source allocation model items;

providing one or more target visualization model items that receive resources from the selected visualization model item based on the one or more identified target allocation model items;

displaying one or more input flow lines that start from the one or more source visualization model items and end at the selected visualization model item; and

displaying one or more output flow lines that start from the selected visualization model item and end at the one or more target visualization model items.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein providing the one or more source visualization model items further comprises, providing the one or more source visualization model items based on the one or more source allocation model items that provide resources to the one or more target allocation model items that correspond to the selected visualization model item.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein providing the one or more target visualization model items further comprises, determining the one or more target visualization model items based on the one or more target allocation model items that receive resources from the one or more source allocation model items that correspond to the selected visualization model item.

20. The media of claim 17, further comprising:

providing a remainder of visualization model items that are separate from the one or more source visualization model items, the one or more target visualization model items, and the selected visualization model item; and

dimming on the user interface one or more user-interface controls that correspond to the remainder of visualization model items.

21. The media of claim 17, further comprising, displaying on the user interface each resource value for the one or more visualization model items.

22. The media of claim 17, further comprising:

providing a displayed flow line thickness at a beginning of a flow line originating from a source visualization model item based on a proportion of the source visualization model item'"'"'s total resources and the amount of its resources that are provided to a target visualization model item; and

providing another displayed flow line thickness at an end of the flow line that terminates at the target visualization model item based on a proportion of the target visualization model item'"'"'s total resources and the amount of resources provided by the source visualization model item.

23. The media of claim 17, further comprising, when a drill down action is performed on the user interface for the selected visualization model item, perform further actions, including:

providing one or more allocation details associated with the selected visualization model item; and

generating an interactive report that includes at least the one or more allocation details, wherein the interactive report is executed on the user interface.

24. A network computer for generating a computer visualization of data, comprising:

a transceiver that communicates over the network;

a non-transitory memory that stores at least instructions; and

one or more processor devices that execute instructions that perform actions, including;

selecting a visualization model based on at least an allocation model, wherein the visualization model includes one or more visualization model items;

mapping one or more allocation model items included in the allocation model to the one or more visualization model items;

providing a resource value for each of the one or more visualization model items by at least aggregating an amount of resources corresponding to each of their one or more mapped allocation model items;

storing the visualization model in the non-transitory memory of the computer, wherein the visualization model includes one or more resource values for the one or more visualization model items;

displaying one or more portions of the visualization model that overlays the allocation model in a user interface of the network computer, wherein the allocation model underlies the visualization model; and

when a visualization model item is selected using the user interface of the network computer perform further actions, including;

traversing the underlying allocation model to identify one or more source allocation model items and one or more target allocation model items that are associated with the selected visualization model item;

providing one or more source visualization model items that provide resources to the selected visualization model item based on the one or more identified source allocation model items;

providing one or more target visualization model items that receive resources from the selected visualization model item based on the one or more identified target allocation model items;

displaying on the user interface one or more input flow lines that start from the one or more source visualization model items and end at the selected visualization model item; and

displaying on the user interface one or more output flow lines that start from the selected visualization model item and end at the one or more target visualization model items.

25. The network computer claim 24, wherein providing the one or more source visualization model items further comprises, providing the one or more source visualization model items based on the one or more source allocation model items that provide resources to the one or more target allocation model items that correspond to the selected visualization model item.

26. The network computer claim 24, wherein providing the one or more target visualization model items further comprises, providing the one or more target visualization model items based on the one or more target allocation model items that receive resources from the one or more source allocation model items that correspond to the selected visualization model item.

27. The network computer claim 24, wherein the one or more processor device execute instructions that performs actions further comprising:

providing a remainder of visualization model items that are separate from the one or more source visualization model items, the one or more target visualization model items, and the selected visualization model item; and

dimming on the user interface one or more user-interface controls that correspond to the remainder of visualization model items.

28. The network computer claim 24, wherein the one or more processor devices execute instructions that perform actions, further comprising, displaying on the user interface each resource value for the one or more visualization model items.

29. The network computer claim 24, wherein the one or more processor devices execute instructions that perform actions further comprising:

providing a displayed flow line thickness at a beginning of a flow line originating from a source visualization model item based on a proportion of the source visualization model item'"'"'s total resources and the amount of its resources that are provided to a target visualization model item; and

providing a displayed another flow line thickness at an end of the flow line that terminates at the target visualization model item based on a proportion of the target visualization model item'"'"'s total resources and the amount of resources provided by the source visualization model item.

30. The network computer claim 24, wherein the one or more visualization model items are arranged into one or more tiers of the visualization model that are displayed on the user interface.