Particle based visualizations of abstract information

• US 9,589,378 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Drucker, Steven M., Fernandez, Roland, Fisher, Danyel
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Phi
• Application Number:
  US14/746,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20160042540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites

Abstract

Multivariate data that includes data records may be obtained, each of the data records represented as data values of data attribute variables. A cardinality of the data records is substantially large. A display layout template representing a collectivized visualization of dataset points is obtained, the collectivized visualization logically associated with a set of the data attribute variables, from a perspective of a user viewer. An individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records is determined, based on a portion of the data values associated with each respective data record. The individualized particulate display representation includes a discrete, individually selectable particulate shape and a display location relative to geometric bounds logically associated with the template. Display of the individualized particulate display representations is initiated in accordance with the template.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a device that includes at least one processor, the device including a particle based visualization engine comprising instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium for execution by the at least one processor, the particle based visualization engine including;

a dataset acquisition component that when executed causes the at least one processor to obtain a set of multivariate data that includes a first plurality of data records, each of the data records represented as a plurality of data values of data attribute variables;

a template acquisition component that when executed causes the at least one processor to obtain a first display layout template representing a first collectivized visualization of pluralities of dataset points, the first collectivized visualization logically associated with a first set of the data attribute variables;

a display representation determination component that when executed causes the at least one processor to determine a first individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records in the first plurality of data records, based on at least a portion of the data values associated with each respective one of the data records in the first plurality of data records;

a display interface component that when executed causes the at least one processor to initiate a first display of the first individualized particulate display representations in accordance with the first display layout template; and

an animated transition display interface component that when executed causes the at least one processor to initiate a transition of the first individualized particulate display representations in the first display, to a second display of second individualized particulate display representations, based on substantially preserving relative pairwise visual geometric positioning arrangements of pairs of the first individualized particulate display representations in the first display, in transitions to the corresponding second individualized particulate display representations in the second display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first individualized particulate display representation includes a discrete, individually selectable first particulate shape and a first display location relative to geometric bounds logically associated with the first display layout template.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a particulate display representation arrangement component that when executed causes the at least one processor to determine an ordered display arrangement of respective particulate shapes associated with the respective ones of the data records, based on an arrangement function of one or more of the data attribute variables.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the arrangement function of the one or more of the data attribute variables includes one or more of;

input logic obtained from a device user, or

an arrangement function that is based on a mapping of at least a portion of the data attribute variables represented as points in k-dimensional space, to locations in a display space associated with a display device that is associated with the first display.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the relative pairwise visual geometric positioning arrangements include one or more of;

a relative arrangement of the pairs in a vertical direction in the first display,

a relative arrangement of the pairs in a horizontal direction in the first display,

a relative arrangement of the pairs in a separation distance aspect in the first display, or

a relative arrangement of the pairs in a closeness aspect in the first display.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a selection acquisition component that when executed causes the at least one processor to obtain one or more selection indicators from a device user, the one or more selection indicators including one or more of;

a selection of a geometric area that is included in the first display,

a selection of one or more selectable options, in response to a display of one or more selectable options for selection by the device user,

a selection of a hover display of one of the data records, based on a selection of a hover display of a corresponding one of the first individualized particulate display representations that is displayed in the first display, or

a selection of one of the data records, based on a selection of a corresponding one of the first individualized particulate display representations that is displayed in the first display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the template acquisition component obtains a second display layout template representing a second collectivized visualization of pluralities of dataset points, the second collectivized visualization logically associated with a second set of the data attribute variables;

the display representation determination component determines respective second individualized particulate display representations for each of the data records in a second plurality of data records that are included in the set of multivariate data, based on at least a portion of the data values associated with each respective one of the data records in the second plurality of data records, each of the second individualized particulate display representations including a discrete, individually selectable second particulate shape and a second display location relative to geometric bounds logically associated with the second display layout template; and

the display interface component initiates the second display of the second individualized particulate display representations in accordance with the second display layout template.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein visualized crossings of individualized particulate display representations are avoided during the transition.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining a set of multivariate data that includes a first plurality of data records, each of the data records represented as a plurality of data values of data attribute variables;

obtaining, via a device processor, a first display layout template representing a first collectivized visualization of pluralities of dataset points, the first collectivized visualization logically associated with a first set of the data attribute variables;

determining a first individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records in the first plurality of data records, based on at least a portion of the data values associated with each respective one of the data records in the first plurality of data records; and

initiating a first display of the first individualized particulate display representations in accordance with the first display layout template, wherein the first display layout template is a geographical map template and the first individualized particulate display representations are arranged in accordance with scatter plot arrangements within a geographic map shape associated with the geographic map template, providing a visual effect of the associated geographic map shape.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining a list of data filters associated with the set of multivariate data; and

obtaining a selection of one or more of the data filters, wherein;

initiating the first display includes initiating the first display of the first individualized particulate display representations in accordance with the first display layout template, based on the selection of the one or more data filters.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

initiating a display of the list of data filters associated with the set of multivariate data, wherein;

obtaining the selection of one or more of the data filters includes obtaining a selection of one or more of the data filters.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining a list of template indicators associated with a set of display layout templates; and

obtaining a selection of one or more of the template indicators, wherein;

initiating the first display includes initiating the first display of the first individualized particulate display representations in accordance with the first display layout template, based on the selection of the one or more one or more of the template indicators.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining a second display layout template representing a second collectivized visualization of pluralities of dataset points, the second collectivized visualization associated with a second set of the data attribute variables;

determining a second individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records in a second plurality of data records that are included in the set of multivariate data, based on at least a portion of the data values associated with each respective one of the data records in the second plurality of data records;

initiating a second display of the second individualized particulate display representations in accordance with the second display layout template; and

transitioning the first individualized particulate display representations in the first display to the second individualized particulate display representations in the second display.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein:

initiating the first display of the first individualized particulate display representations in accordance with the first display layout template includes initiating the first display via graphical processing that is obtained based on a browser interfacing with one or more graphical processing units (GPUs) that are co-located on a user device.

15. A computer program product comprising a hardware computer-readable storage medium that stores executable code that causes at least one data processing apparatus to:

obtain a set of multivariate data that includes a first plurality of data records, each of the data records represented as a plurality of data values of data attribute variables, a cardinality of the first plurality of data records being substantially large;

obtain a first display layout template representing a first collectivized visualization of pluralities of dataset points, the first collectivized visualization logically associated with a first set of the data attribute variables;

determine a first individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records in the first plurality of data records, based on at least a portion of the data values associated with each respective one of the data records in the first plurality of data records;

obtain a list of data filters associated with the set of multivariate data;

obtain a selection of one or more of the data filters; and

initiate a first display of the first individualized particulate display representations in accordance with the first display layout template, based on the selection of the one or more data filters, wherein the first display layout template is a geographical map template and the first individualized particulate display representations are arranged within bounds of the geographic map template based on filtering the data records.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

the cardinality of the plurality of data records is larger than a predetermined threshold value.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the executable code is configured to cause the at least one data processing apparatus to:

determine one or more display attributes associated with the first individualized particulate display representation.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the executable code is configured to cause the at least one data processing apparatus to:

obtain a second display layout template representing a second collectivized visualization of pluralities of dataset points, the second collectivized visualization logically associated with a second set of the data attribute variables, from the perspective of the user viewer;

determine a second individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records in a second plurality of data records that are included in the set of multivariate data, based on at least a portion of the data values associated with each respective one of the data records in the second plurality of data records, the second individualized particulate display representation including a discrete, individually selectable second particulate shape and a second display location relative to geometric bounds logically associated with the second display layout template;

initiate a second display of the second individualized particulate display representations in accordance with the second display layout template; and

present the first individualized particulate display representations in the first display as the second individualized particulate display representations in the second display.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

determining the second individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records in the second plurality of data records includes one or more of;

determining the second individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records in the second plurality of data records, wherein the second plurality of data records includes the first plurality of data records,

determining the second individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records in the second plurality of data records, wherein the first plurality of data records includes the second plurality of data records, or

determining the second individualized particulate display representation for each of the data records in the second plurality of data records, wherein the second plurality of data records is different from the first plurality of data records.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the executable code is configured to cause the at least one data processing apparatus to:

initiate an animated first transition display representing an animated transitional view based on initiating the animated first transition display based on a substantially in-place transition in which the first individualized particulate display representations remain in substantially same display location, with other display effects changing.