Tracking differential changes in conformal data input sets

• US 9,355,383 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Williamson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Saeed, Usmaan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/951,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,017 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for tracking differential changes in conformal data input sets. A database can store sets of operational data, such as financial, medical, climate or other information. For given data, a portion of the input data can be known or predetermined, while for a second portion can be unknown and subject to interpolation. The interpolation engine can generate a conformal interpolation function and interpolated input sets that map to a set of target output data. The operator can access a view of known (or interpolated) input data to view one or more series of interpolated input data, and analyze the differential between those interpolated values. The operator can for instance apply a constraint or filter to view only those interpolated series whose maximum marginal difference for any variable is less that a given threshold, such as ten percent, and graphically navigate between different series.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a selection of a first series of interpolated input data and a second series of interpolated input data, wherein the first series of interpolated input data comprises a first set of variables contributing to a first output, and the second series of interpolated input data comprises a second set of variables contributing to a second output;

determining a differential change between each of the first set of variables of the first series of interpolated input data with a corresponding variable of the second set of variables of the second series of interpolated input data to produce a set of differential changes;

presenting a visual representation of the set of differential changes in a graphical user interface;

receiving user input of one or more criteria specifying a threshold to analyze the set of differential changes;

receiving user input, via the graphical user interface, manipulating one or more values of at least one of the first set of variables or the second set of variables, wherein the manipulating produces adjustments to one or more differential changes in the set of differential changes;

creating, by the processing device, an updated visual representation in the graphical user interface to present an alternate data set for at least one of the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data in view of the adjustments to the one or more differential changes; and

receiving, by the processing device, a user selection, via the graphical user interface, of the adjustments to the one or more differential changes as finalized adjustments, and a user selection of at least one of the first series of interpolated input data or the second series of interpolated input data presented in the updated visual representation as a finalized series of interpolated input data, wherein the finalized adjustments and the finalized series satisfy the one or more criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria comprises a maximum percentage deviation between a value of one of the interpolated values for the first series of interpolated input data with a value of one of the interpolated values for the second series of interpolated input data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria comprises a minimum percentage deviation between a value of one of the interpolated values for the first of series of interpolated input data with a value of one of the interpolated values for the second series of interpolated input data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying a percentage; and

presenting in the updated visual representation the one or more interpolated inputs in the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data that have a corresponding differential change that is within the percentage without presenting other interpolated inputs of the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data that have a corresponding differential change that is not within the percentage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of variables of the first series of interpolated input data and the second set of variables of the second series of interpolated input data are combined to generate a single set of target output data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the finalized adjustments and the finalized series in a data store.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data comprise at least one of a set of financial data, a set of medical data, a set of demographic data, a set of engineering data, a set of network operations data, or a set of geographic data.

8. A system comprising:

a memory to store a first series of interpolated input data and a second series of interpolated input data, wherein the first series of interpolated input data comprises a first set of variables contributing to a first output, and the second series of interpolated input data comprises a second set of variables contributing to a second output; and

a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory, to;

receive a selection of the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data;

determine a differential change between each of the first set of variables of the first series of interpolated input data with a corresponding variable of the second set of variables of the second series of interpolated input data to produce a set of differential changes;

present a visual representation of the set of differential changes in a graphical user interface;

receive user input of one or more criteria specifying a threshold to analyze the set of differential changes,

receiving user input, via the graphical user interface, manipulating one or more values of at least one of the first set of variables or the second set of variables, wherein the manipulating produces adjustments to one or more differential changes in the set of differential changes;

create an updated visual representation in the graphical user interface to present an alternate data set for at least one of the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data in view of the adjustments to the one or more differential changes; and

receive a user selection, via the graphical user interface, of the adjustments to the one or more differential changes as finalized adjustments, and a user selection of at least one of the first series of interpolated input data or the second series of interpolated input data presented in the updated visual representation as a finalized series of interpolated input data, wherein the finalized adjustments and the finalized series satisfy the one or more criteria.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the criteria comprises a maximum percentage deviation between a value of one of the interpolated values for the first series of interpolated input data with a value of one of the interpolated values for the second series of interpolated input data.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the criteria comprises a minimum percentage deviation between a value of one of the interpolated values for the first series of interpolated input data with a value of one of the interpolated values for the second series of interpolated input data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing device is further to:

receive user input specifying a percentage; and

present in the updated visual representation the one or more interpolated inputs in the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data that have a corresponding differential change that is within the percentage without presenting other interpolated inputs of the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data that have a corresponding differential change that is not within the percentage.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the first set of variables of the first series of interpolated input data and the second set of variables of the series of interpolated input data are combined to generate a single set of target output data.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing device is further to store the finalized adjustments and the finalized series in a data store.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the first series input data and the second series of interpolated input data comprise at least one of a set of financial data, a set of medical data, a set of demographic data, a set of engineering data, a set of network operations data, or a set of geographic data.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive, by the processing device, a selection of a first series of interpolated input data and a second series of interpolated input data, wherein the first series of interpolated input data comprises a first set of variables contributing to a first output, and the second series of interpolated input data comprises a second set of variables contributing to a second output;

determine a differential change between each of the first set of variables of the first series of interpolated input data with a corresponding variable of the second set of variables of the second series of interpolated input data to produce a set of differential changes;

present a visual representation of the set of differential changes in a graphical user interface;

receive user input of one or more criteria specifying a threshold to analyze the set of differential changes;

receiving user input, via the graphical user interface, manipulating one or more values of at least one of the first set of variables or the second set of variables, wherein the manipulating produces adjustments to one or more differential changes in the set of differential changes;

create, by the processing device, an updated visual representation in the graphical user interface to present an alternate data set for at least one of the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data in view of the adjustments to the one or more differential changes; and

receive, by the processing device, a user selection, via the graphical user interface, of the adjustments to the one or more differential changes as finalized adjustments, and a user selection of at least one of the first series of interpolated input data or the second series of interpolated input data presented in the updated visual representation as a finalized series of interpolated input data, wherein the finalized adjustments and the finalized series satisfy the one or more criteria.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the criteria comprises a maximum percentage deviation or a minimum percentage deviation between a value of one of the interpolated values for the first series of interpolated input data with a value of one of the interpolated values for the second series of interpolated input data.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first set of variables of the first series of interpolated input data and the second set of variables of the second series of interpolated input data are combined to generate a single set of target output data.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the processing device is further to store the finalized adjustments and the finalized series in a data store.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data comprise at least one of a set of financial data, a set of medical data, a set of demographic data, a set of engineering data, a set of network operations data, or a set of geographic data.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the processing device is further to:

receive user input specifying a percentage; and

present in the updated visual representation the one or more interpolated inputs in the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data that have a corresponding differential change that is within the percentage without presenting other interpolated inputs of the first series of interpolated input data and the second series of interpolated input data that have a corresponding differential change that is not within the percentage.