Computer systems and methods for the query and visualization multidimensional databases

• US 9,633,091 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Inventors: Stolte, Chris, Tang, Diane L., Hanrahan, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US14/937,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/212 with details for data modelling support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 Column-oriented storage; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2282 Tablespace storage structures; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/03 Data mining
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method of generating a data visualization is performed at a computer having a display, one or more processors, and memory. The memory stores one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The process receives user specification of a plurality of characteristics of a data visualization. The data visualization is based on data from a multidimensional database. The characteristics specify at least x-position and y-position of data marks corresponding to tuples of data retrieved from the database. The process generates a data visualization according to the specified plurality of characteristics. The data visualization has an x-axis defined based on data for one or more first fields from the database that specify x-position of the data marks and the data visualization has a y-axis defined based on data for one or more second fields from the database that specify y-position of the data marks.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a computer having a display, one or more processors, and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

displaying a graphical user interface on the display, wherein the graphical user interface includes;

a schema information region with a plurality of fields from a multidimensional database that includes at least one data hierarchy; and

a data visualization region with a columns shelf, a rows shelf, and a color encoding shelf;

receiving user actions to;

(1) associate a first field with the columns shelf;

(2) associate a second field with the rows shelf; and

(3) associate a third field with the color encoding shelf; and

generating a data visualization in the data visualization region in accordance with the received user actions, wherein;

the data visualization includes a plurality of data marks, each data mark corresponding to a respective retrieved tuple of data from the multidimensional database, each retrieved tuple including the first, second, and third fields;

each of the data marks has an x-position defined according to data for the first field in the respective tuple;

each of the data marks has a y-position defined according to data for the second field in the respective tuple; and

each of the data marks has a color assigned according to data for the third field in the respective tuple.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data for the third field in the respective tuple includes a plurality of discrete ordinal values; and

the color assigned to each of the data marks is assigned according to a respective ordinal value from the plurality of discrete ordinal values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data for the third field in the respective tuple includes a continuous range of quantitative values; and

the color assigned to each of the data marks is assigned according to a respective quantitative value from the continuous range of quantitative values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one data hierarchy is associated with time and comprises a set of fields corresponding to different time dimensions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data visualization is a geographic visualization; and

the data defining each of the data marks in the geographic visualization includes geographic data from one of the first, second, and third fields in the respective tuple.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an additional user action to associate a fourth field with a data shelf, wherein generating the data visualization comprises generating a plurality of data visualizations in the data visualization region in accordance with the received user actions, including the additional user action.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

each retrieved tuple includes the first, second, third, and fourth fields;

the data visualization is one of the plurality of data visualizations; and

each of the plurality of data visualizations is separately defined according to data for the fourth field in the respective tuple.

8. A computer system for generating data visualizations, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

displaying a graphical user interface on the display, wherein the graphical user interface includes;

a schema information region with a plurality of fields from a multidimensional database that includes at least one data hierarchy; and

a data visualization region with a columns shelf, a rows shelf, and a color encoding shelf;

receiving user actions to;

(1) associate a first field with the columns shelf;

(2) associate a second field with the rows shelf; and

(3) associate a third field with the color encoding shelf; and

generating a data visualization in the data visualization region in accordance with the received user actions, wherein;

the data visualization includes a plurality of data marks, each data mark corresponding to a respective retrieved tuple of data from the multidimensional database, each retrieved tuple including the first, second, and third fields;

each of the data marks has an x-position defined according to data for the first field in the respective tuple;

each of the data marks has a y-position defined according to data for the second field in the respective tuple; and

each of the data marks has a color assigned according to data for the third field in the respective tuple.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein:

the data for the third field in the respective tuple includes a plurality of discrete ordinal values; and

the color assigned to each of the data marks is assigned according to a respective ordinal value from the plurality of discrete ordinal values.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein:

the data for the third field in the respective tuple includes a continuous range of quantitative values; and

the color assigned to each of the data marks is assigned according to a respective quantitative value from the continuous range of quantitative values.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the at least one data hierarchy is associated with time and comprises a set of fields corresponding to different time dimensions.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein:

the data visualization is a geographic visualization; and

the data defining each of the data marks in the geographic visualization includes geographic data from one of the first, second, and third fields in the respective tuple.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein:

the one or more programs further comprise instructions for receiving an additional user action to associate a fourth field with a data shelf; and

generating the data visualization comprises generating a plurality of data visualizations in the data visualization region in accordance with the received user actions, including the additional user action.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein:

each retrieved tuple includes the first, second, third, and fourth fields;

the data visualization is one of the plurality of data visualizations; and

each of the plurality of data visualizations is separately defined according to data for the fourth field in the respective tuple.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer system having a display, one or more processors, and memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

displaying a graphical user interface on the display, wherein the graphical user interface includes;

a schema information region with a plurality of fields from a multidimensional database that includes at least one data hierarchy; and

a data visualization region with a columns shelf, a rows shelf, and a color encoding shelf;

receiving user actions to;

(1) associate a first field with the columns shelf;

(2) associate a second field with the rows shelf; and

(3) associate a third field with the color encoding shelf; and

generating a data visualization in the data visualization region in accordance with the received user actions, wherein;

the data visualization includes a plurality of data marks, each data mark corresponding to a respective retrieved tuple of data from the multidimensional database, each retrieved tuple including the first, second, and third fields;

each of the data marks has an x-position defined according to data for the first field in the respective tuple;

each of the data marks has a y-position defined according to data for the second field in the respective tuple; and

each of the data marks has a color assigned according to data for the third field in the respective tuple.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the data for the third field in the respective tuple includes a plurality of discrete ordinal values; and

the color assigned to each of the data marks is assigned according to a respective ordinal value from the plurality of discrete ordinal values.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the data for the third field in the respective tuple includes a continuous range of quantitative values; and

the color assigned to each of the data marks is assigned according to a respective quantitative value from the continuous range of quantitative values.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the data visualization is a geographic visualization; and

the data defining each of the data marks in the geographic visualization includes geographic data from one of the first, second, and third fields in the respective tuple.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the one or more programs further comprising instructions for receiving an additional user action to associate a fourth field with a data shelf; and

generating the data visualization comprises generating a plurality of data visualizations in the data visualization region in accordance with the received user actions, including the additional user action.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein:

each retrieved tuple includes the first, second, third, and fourth fields;

the data visualization is one of the plurality of data visualizations; and

each of the plurality of data visualizations is separately defined according to data for the fourth field in the respective tuple.