Multi-dimensional visualization of temporal information

• US 9,881,257 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2011
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tickr, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tickr, Inc.
• Inventors: Peppel, Tyler
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuyetlien T
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUCKWORTH, JIANMEI F
• Application Number:
  US13/338,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• Field of Search: 715730
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

Various kinds of business and other information are tracked in real time. A coherent information visualization, for example as a time line, automatically, simultaneously presents relevant information to a user across multiple dimensions. Tools are provided that allow the user to establish and manipulate multi-dimensional linkages to develop insights into information gathered from multiple domains.

Claims

1. A method for multi-dimensional visualization of temporal information, the method comprising:

providing a processor configured for tracking at least two independent sources of time-varying information across a plurality of dimensions in real time,

wherein the at least two independent sources includes a public data source and a private data source accessed via a third-party plug-in;

said processor configured for automatically combining said information into a strip that represents a coherent visualization of said information along a time line;

said processor configured for harmonizing said information from said at least two independent sources by subjecting said information to a variety of normalizing operations that cause said information to be in a common format,

wherein the harmonized information is used for visual and programmatic comparison of data from different data sources at a single moment in time;

said processor configured for placing data from all of said at least two independent sources into the common format along a common scale;

said processor configured for simultaneously presenting a plurality of strips to a user to effect a multi-dimensional visualization of said harmonized information,

wherein the plurality of strips are arranged along a common timeline,

wherein each strip relates to a common topic, and

wherein each strip is individually manipulable to provide insights into the information gathered from the at least two independent sources;

said processor configured to integrate a video clip within a first strip of said plurality of strips in a time-synchronous manner,

wherein the video clip is retrieved from a particular source of the at least two independent sources and related to the information corresponding to the first strip;

said processor configured for using strips to identify causation between events,

wherein a user can see how an event shown in one strip affects/causes another event in a different strip;

said processor configured for providing a target data threshold which, when reached or exceeded, causes an alert message to be generated;

said processor configured for providing a summary data panel that shows current values compared with a selected moment from the past; and

said processor configured for sharing strips and/or strip dynamic screens across a network.

2. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to provide a strip page comprising a unique URL containing one or more strips.

3. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to provide one or more strip tabs, each comprising a subset of a strip page that contains one or more strips.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the common topic comprises a subject of interest to a user.

5. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to provide one or more data source filters.

6. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to provide one or more strip templates, each template comprising a strip in which no sources, topics, or filters are defined.

7. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to provide one or more strip APIs for creating custom strip configurations.

8. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to provide one or more widget windows comprising an alternate, non-timeline, metaphor for displaying said information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each strip provides information of a different type and/or from a different source, but related to the information in each of the other strips.

10. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for platform-independent display of said plurality of strips.

11. The method of claim 1, responsive to user interaction, said processor configured to drill down in an information source which is an information basis for a strip and/or to establish a direct link to a referring data source.

12. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to provide

a visualization of said information at a selected moment in time across multiple dimensions, and

a view of said information over an extended period of time.

13. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to embed said visualization into other data sources.

14. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to provide archival tools for saving a display for later search and analysis, wherein said archiving allows a user to travel back in time in strip timelines and perform visual or programmatic analysis of past events;

and wherein said archiving allows a user to travel forward in time to view scheduled future events for visual or programmatic analysis.

15. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to integrate social media content within a second strip of said plurality of strips in a time-synchronous manner, wherein the social media content is related to the information corresponding to the second strip.

16. The method of claim 15, said at least two independent sources comprising any of social media, news, Web traffic, internal systems status, and financial market information.

17. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for strip creation and configuration via any of a simple UI and a programmatic approach (API).

18. The method of claim 17, said simple UI comprising a library of pre-created links to data sources and a library of pre-created strip templates, said processor configured to match a template to a data source link.

19. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for organizing said strips to compare synchronous events from separate data sources visually or programmatically.

20. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for adjusting a timescale of single/multiple strips in real time to support analysis/comparison of events from multiple sources.

21. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for scrolling of strips independently to compare events from different time periods visually.

22. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for nesting multiple strips inside of a summary strip that shows an aggregated view of several strip data sources.

23. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for applying a function to data within various strips to produce a resulting derived strip that can be displayed along with the plurality of strips.

24. An apparatus for multi-dimensional visualization of temporal information, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a display; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of;

tracking at least two independent sources of time-varying information across a plurality of dimensions in real time,

wherein the at least two independent sources includes a public data source and a private data source accessed via a third-party plug-in;

automatically combining said information into a strip that represents a coherent visualization of said information along a time line;

harmonizing said information from said at least two independent sources by subjecting said information to a variety of normalizing operations that cause said information to be in a common format,

wherein the harmonized information is used for visual and programmatic comparison of data at a single moment in time;

integrating a video clip within said strip in a time-synchronous manner,

wherein said video clip is retrieved from the public data source or the private data source;

placing data from all of said at least two independent sources into the common format along a common scale;

simultaneously presenting a plurality of strips to a user to effect a multi-dimensional visualization of said harmonized information,

wherein each strip is individually manipulable to provides insights into the information gathered from the at least two independent sources; and

arranging the plurality of strips along a common timeline,

wherein each strip provides information of a different type and from a different source, but is related to each of the other strips as a common topic;

using strips to identify causation between events,

wherein a user can see how an event shown in a first strip affects/causes another event in a second strip;

providing a target data threshold that, when reached or exceeded, causes an alert message to be generated;

providing a summary data panel that shows current values compared with a selected moment from the past; and

sharing strips and/or strip dynamic screens across a network.