Intelligent configuration of data visualizations

• US 9,542,766 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Baumgartner, Patrick J, Faghihi Rezaei, Pedram, Longley, Matthew J., Patney, Sachin
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Anh
• Application Number:
  US14/752,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 382/181, 382/165, 382/115, 382/118, 382/128, 382/162, 345/589, 348/222.1, 358/448, 600/300, 600/301, 703/11, 707/705, 707/758
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics

Abstract

The techniques described herein determine configurations for data visualizations based on characteristics interpreted from input data. Input data including a plurality of images may be obtained. For instance, the input data may include one or more files containing images associated with an entity. The techniques disclosed herein may determine a characteristic, such as a primary color, based on the input data. The techniques disclosed herein may determine an individual entity or subject to be associated with the characteristic. Techniques disclosed herein also involve the generation of output data defining a visualization based on the characteristic. A rendering of the output data provides an indication of the individual entity or subject. In some configurations, a rendering of the output data provides a graphical association between data in a dataset and the individual entity or subject.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed using one or more processors, the method comprising:

obtaining input data associated with one or more subjects;

determining an image characteristic based, at least in part, on the input data;

determining an individual subject of the one or more subjects to be associated with the image characteristic; and

generating output data defining a visualization based, at least in part, on the image characteristic, wherein the visualization is configured to provide an indication of the individual subject when presented on a display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the characteristic comprises:

determining if a first characteristic of the input data is associated with at least one other subject of the one or more subjects; and

determining that the characteristic is the first characteristic, if the first characteristic is not associated with the at least one other subject.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining input data comprises:

obtaining a first set of input data containing text related to one or more subjects;

generating contextual data based on the first set of input data;

obtaining a second set of input data based on the contextual data, wherein the second set of input data includes images, and wherein determining the characteristic based, at least in part, on the image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the characteristic comprises:

determining if a first characteristic of the input data is associated with at least one other subject of the one or more subjects; and

selecting an alternate characteristic as the characteristic, if the first characteristic is associated with the at least one other subject.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the alternate characteristic is based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics defined in the image data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the alternate characteristic comprises:

determining if the alternate characteristic is similar to an individual characteristic of the image data; and

determining that the alternate characteristic is the characteristic if the alternate characteristic is not similar to the individual characteristic of the image data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input data includes image data, and wherein determining the characteristic comprises:

associating at least a portion of the image data with the individual subject;

determining a ratio of colors used in the at least a portion of the image data; and

determining the characteristic based, at least in part, on the ratio.

8. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor, the computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to

obtain input data including text data,

generate contextual data by an analysis of the input data,

obtain image data based on the contextual data,

determine a characteristic based, at least in part, on one or more image properties of the image data, and

generate output data defining a visualization based, at least in part, on the one or more image properties, wherein the output data is configured to provide an association between the visualization and a subject.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein determining the primary color comprises:

determining if a first characteristic is associated with at least one other subject other than the subject; and

determining that the characteristic is the first characteristic, if the first characteristic is not associated with the at least one other subject.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein determining the primary color comprises:

determining a value associated with at least one property of the image data;

determining a first characteristic based on the value;

determining if the first characteristic is associated with at least one other subject; and

determining that the characteristic is the first characteristic, if the first characteristic is not associated with the at least one other subject.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein determining the characteristic comprises:

determining if a first characteristic is associated with at least one other subject of the one or more entities; and

selecting an alternate characteristic as the characteristic, if the first characteristic is associated with the at least one other subject.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein selecting the alternate characteristic is based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics defined in the image data.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein selecting the alternate color comprises:

determining if the alternate characteristic is similar to an individual characteristic of one or more colors defined in the image data; and

determining that the alternative color is the characteristic if the alternative characteristic is not similar to an individual characteristic of the image data.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein determining the primary color comprises:

associating at least a portion of the image data with the subject;

determining a ratio of characteristics used in the at least the portion of the image data; and

determining the characteristic based, at least in part, on the ratio.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

obtain image data associated with one or more entities;

determine a primary color based, at least in part, on one or more colors defined in the image data;

determine an individual entity of the one or more entities to be associated with the primary color; and

generate output data defining a visualization based, at least in part, on the primary color, wherein the visualization is configured to provide an indication of the individual entity.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the primary color comprises:

determining if a first color is associated with at least one other entity of the one or more entities; and

determining that the primary color is the first color, if the first color is not associated with the at least one other entity.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the primary color comprises:

determining a value associated with at least one property of the image data;

determining a first color based on the value;

determining if the first color is associated with at least one other entity; and

determining that the primary color is the first color, if the first color is not associated with the at least one other entity.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the primary color comprises:

determining if a first color is associated with at least one other entity of the one or more entities; and

selecting an alternate color as the primary color, if the first color is associated with the at least one other entity.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein selecting the alternate color is based, at least in part, on the one or more colors defined in the image data.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein selecting the alternate color comprises:

determining if the alternate color is similar to an individual color of the one or more colors defined in the image data; and

determining that the alternative color is the primary color if the alternative color is not similar to the individual color of the one or more colors defined in the image data.