Methods for integrating semantic search, query, and analysis across heterogeneous data types and devices thereof

• US 9,576,046 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Inventors: Bullotta, Rick, Schaefer, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Application Number:
  US13/679,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 707/722
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations

Abstract

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and data management computing apparatus comprising searching across a plurality of different heterogeneous data indexes based on portions of one or more search keywords in response to a received request. A result set for each of the plurality of different heterogeneous data indexes is obtained based on the searching. Further, one or more facets to each of the obtained results sets are added. Furthermore, a plurality of visualization techniques are automatically identified for each of the obtained results sets based on the facets in each of the obtained result sets and a model entity type associated with each of the plurality of different heterogeneous data indexes. Finally, each of the obtained results sets with the added facets and the identified one of the plurality of visualization techniques is provided.

Claims

1. A method for integrating semantic search, query, and analysis across heterogeneous data sets, the method comprising:

presenting, via a graphical user interface, an input field for a search engine that accesses, in a single search, a plurality of indexes generated from heterogeneous data sets associated with a plurality of data servers, wherein the heterogeneous data sets comprise i) time series data originating from a plurality of monitored physical assets and ii) unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, the unstructured data having no predefined organization, and wherein the search engine accesses, in the same single search, from a portion of the plurality of data servers, a model maintained at the portion of the plurality of data servers, the model comprising i) one or more properties that describe a given monitored physical asset and ii) one or more model entity types that define a hierarchical relationship among the plurality of monitored physical assets;

in response to receiving, in the input field of the graphical user interface, one or more search keywords;

searching, by a computing device, across the plurality of indexes of the unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, to determine one or more result sets for each of the plurality of indexes of the unstructured data having matched portions of the one or more search keywords;

searching, by the computing device, across the plurality of indexes of the time series data associated with the monitored physical assets, to determine one or more model entity types or properties associated with the each of the time series data having matched portions of the one or more search keywords; and

searching, by the computing device, one or more added facets added to each of the obtained results sets based on the matched one or more model entity types or the matched one or more properties; and

presenting, via the graphical user interface, i) a first graphical object associated with each matched monitored physical asset of the plurality of monitored physical assets, ii) a second graphical object associated with each matched unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, wherein the second graphical object is selectable to present the matched unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, and iii) a third graphical object associated with each matched facets, wherein the third graphical object is selectable to present a graphical presentation of the matched facets according to an automatically identified visualization technique.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

presenting, via the graphical user interface, one or more graphical objects associated with filters for the graphical presentation of the matched facets, wherein the filters include a search facet in a Mashup; and

in response to a selection of the one or more graphical objects associated with the filters, cause the matched facets to be searched and presented according to the specified search facet.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

analyzing, by the computing device, each of the obtained results sets and the corresponding facets;

providing, via the graphical user interface, one or more filters to refine each of the obtained results sets using the facets;

applying, by the computing device, the provided one or more filters to each of the obtained results sets to provide a corresponding refined results set;

adding, by the computing device, one or more additional facets to each of the refined results sets;

automatically re-identifying, by the computing device an applicable visualization techniques for each of the refined results sets and corresponding additional facets based on a given model entity type to which each of the refined results sets is associated; and

providing for graphical display each of the refined results sets and corresponding additional facets, wherein the corresponding additional facets are presented by the re-identified visualization techniques.

4. The method of claim 2,

wherein the search facet in a Mashup includes a category of analytic trends in results generated from the selection of the one or more graphical objects.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the obtained results sets and the corresponding matched facets, and the identified visualization technique, are graphically presented, via a single application, on a computing device associated with a user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

prompting for a selection of one of the results sets or one of the corresponding matched facets, wherein the selection initiates a second search entry of the plurality of indexes of the heterogeneous data sets based on the selected results set or corresponding matched facet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the facets is selected from the group consisting of a time series chart, a full analytical trend chart, a Mashup, a heat map, and a physical location map.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified visualization technique are selected from the group consisting of a web page view, a graph, a chart, and a printable view.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the search engine accesses, in the same single search, transactional structured data or indexes generated thereof, the method comprising, in response to receiving the one or more search keywords, searching, by the computing device, the transactional structured data, or indexes thereof, to determine one or more result sets for each of the transactional structured data having matched portions of the one or more search keywords.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the plurality of data servers is selected from the group consisting of enterprise resource planning systems, portals, business intelligence systems, and manufacturing intelligence systems.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the visualization technique is automatically identified based on a table stored in a memory of the computing device, the table defining one or more facets associated with a given visualization technique.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, cause the processor to:

present, via a graphical user interface, an input field for a search engine that accesses, in a single search, a plurality of indexes generated from heterogeneous data sets associated with a plurality of data servers, wherein the heterogeneous data sets comprise time series data originating from a plurality of monitored physical assets and unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, the unstructured data having no predefined organization, wherein the search engine accesses, in the same single search, from a portion of the plurality of data servers, a model maintained at the portion of the plurality of data servers, the model comprising one or more properties that describe a given monitored physical asset and one or more model entity types that define a hierarchical relationship among the plurality of monitored physical assets; and

in response to receiving, in the input field of the graphical user interface, one or more search keywords;

cause a first search across the plurality of indexes of the unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, to determine one or more result sets for each of the plurality of indexes of the unstructured data having matched portions of the one or more search keywords;

cause a second search across the plurality of indexes of the time series data associated with the monitored physical assets, to determine one or more model entity types or properties associated with the each of the time series data having matched portions of the one or more search keywords; and

cause a third search of one or more added facets added to each of the obtained results sets based on the matched one or more model entity types or the matched one or more properties; and

present, via the graphical user interface, i) a first graphical object associated with each matched monitored physical asset of the plurality of monitored physical assets, ii) a second graphical object associated with each matched unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, wherein the second graphical object is selectable to present the matched unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, and iii) a third graphical object associated with each matched facets, wherein the third graphical object is selectable to present a graphical presentation of the matched facets according to an automatically identified visualization technique.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

present, via the graphical user interface, one or more graphical objects associated with filters for the graphical presentation of the matched facets, wherein the filters include a search facet in a Mashup; and

in response to a selection of the one or more graphical objects associated with the filters, cause the matched facets to be searched and presented according to the specified search facet.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

cause analysis of each of the obtained results sets and the corresponding facets;

provide one or more filters to refine each of the obtained results sets using the facets;

cause application of the provided one or more filters to each of the obtained results sets to provide a corresponding refined results set;

cause addition of one or more additional facets to each of the refined results sets;

cause automatic re-identification of a plurality of visualization techniques for each of the refined results sets and the one or more additional facets in each of the refined result sets based on the model entity type to which each of the refined results sets is associated; and

provide for graphical display each of the refined results sets and-corresponding additional facets using the at least one of a plurality of the re-identified visualization techniques.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12:

wherein the search facet in a Mashup includes a category of analytic trends in results generated from the selection of the one or more graphical objects.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12:

wherein the obtained results sets and the corresponding matched facets, and the identified visualization technique, are graphically presented, via a single application, on a computing device associated with a user from which the one or more keywords are received.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the facets are selected from the group consisting of a time series chart, a full analytical trend chart, a Mashup, a heat map, and physical location map.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the identified visualization technique is selected from the group consisting of a web page view, a graph, a chart, and a printable view.

19. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

present, via a graphical user interface, an input field for a search engine that accesses, in a single search, a plurality of indexes generated from heterogeneous data sets associated with a plurality of data servers, wherein the heterogeneous data sets comprise time series data originating from a plurality of monitored physical assets and unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, the unstructured data having no predefined organization, wherein the search engine accesses, in the same single search, from a portion of the plurality of data servers, a model maintained at the portion of the plurality of data servers, the model comprising one or more properties that describe a given monitored physical asset and one or more model entity types that define a hierarchical relationship among the plurality of monitored physical assets;

in response to receiving, in the input field of the graphical user interface, one or more search keywords;

cause a first search across a plurality of indexes of the unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, to determine one or more result sets for each of the plurality of indexes of the unstructured data having matched portions of the one or more search keywords;

cause a second search across the plurality of indexes of the time series data associated with the monitored physical assets, to determine one or more model entity types or properties associated with the each of the time series data having matched portions of the one or more search keywords; and

cause a third search of one or more added facets added to each of the obtained results sets based on the matched one or more model entity types or the matched one or more properties; and

present, via the graphical user interface, i) a first graphical object associated with each matched monitored physical asset of the plurality of monitored physical assets, ii) a second graphical object associated with each matched unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, wherein the second graphical object is selectable to present the matched unstructured data associated with the monitored physical assets, and iii) a third graphical object associated with each matched facets, wherein the third graphical object is selectable to present a graphical presentation of the matched facets according to an automatically identified visualization technique.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

present, via the graphical user interface, one or more graphical objects associated with filters for the graphical presentation of the matched facets, wherein the

filters include a search facet in a Mashup; and

in response to a selection of the one or more graphical objects associated with the filters, cause the matched facets to be searched and presented according to the specified search facet.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

cause analysis of each of the obtained results sets and the corresponding facets;

provide one or more filters to refine each of the obtained results sets using the facets;

cause application of the provided one or more filters to each of the obtained results sets to provide a corresponding refined results set;

cause addition of one or more additional facets to each of the refined results sets;

cause automatic re-identification of a plurality of visualization techniques for each of the refined results sets and the corresponding additional facets-based on-the model entity type to which each of the refined results sets is associated; and

provide for graphical display each of the refined results sets and corresponding additional facets using at least one of a plurality of the re-identified visualization techniques.

22. The apparatus of claim 19,

wherein the obtained results sets and corresponding matched facets, and the identified visualization technique, are graphically presented, via a single application, on a computing device associated with a user from which the one or more keywords are received.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least one of the facets is selected from the group consisting of a time series chart or a trend chart, a Mashup, a heat map, and a physical location map.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the identified visualization technique is selected from the group consisting a web page view, a graph, a chart, and a printable view.