Visual boundaries for aggregate information in pixel-oriented graphs

• US 20050088441A1
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wright, Peter, Dayal, Umeshwar, Machiraju, Vijay, Hao, Ming C., Casati, Fabio, Shan, Ming-Chien, Wurster, Klaus, Garg, Pankaj K., Kalil, Stephany, Cant, Betty
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method for generating a pixel-oriented graph provides visual boundaries for representing aggregate information. The present method for generating a pixel-oriented graph includes determining a visual boundary for representing an aggregate of a set of information depicted in the pixel-oriented graph and constructing a set of pixel blocks that represent the information such that the pixel blocks are visually distinguished by the visual boundary. A method according to the present techniques employs a visual weight to classify labels and high weight information is shown and other information is made invisible and hidden in the property of a graph.

Claims

1. A method for generating a pixel-oriented graph, comprising the steps of:

determining a visual boundary for representing an aggregate of a set of information depicted in the pixel-oriented graph;

constructing a set of pixel blocks that represent the information such that the pixel blocks are visually distinguished by the visual boundary.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a visual boundary includes the step of obtaining a selection of the aggregate from a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a visual boundary comprises the step of determining a location for a line in the pixel-oriented graph in response to the aggregate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a visual boundary comprises the step of determining a location for an area in the pixel-oriented graph in response to the aggregate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining a location for an area comprises the step of determining a location for a rectangle.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining a location for an area comprises the step of determining a location for a circle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a visual boundary comprises the step of determining a location for a curve in the pixel-oriented graph in response to the aggregate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of constructing a set of pixel blocks comprises the step of determining a set of pixel blocks to be positioned above the visual boundary and a set of pixel blocks to be positioned below the visual boundary.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of filling in one or more gaps in the pixel blocks by replicating one or more pixels in the pixel blocks.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a visual boundary comprises the step of obtaining a user selection of the visual boundary.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of coloring the visual boundary.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a weight to the visual boundary that indicates a relative importance of the aggregate.

13. A data analysis system, comprising:

data store for holding a set of information;

display for providing a pixel-oriented graph that represents the information;

graph generator that obtains the information from the data store and that determines a visual boundary for representing an aggregate of the information and that constructs a set of pixel blocks that represent the information such that the pixel blocks are visually distinguished by the visual boundary.

14. The data analysis system of claim 13, wherein the graph generator obtains a selection of the aggregate from a user.

15. The data analysis system of claim 13, wherein the graph generator constructs the pixel blocks by determining a set of pixel blocks to be positioned above the visual boundary and a set of pixel blocks to be positioned below the visual boundary.

16. The data analysis system of claim 13, wherein the graph generator fills in one or more gaps in the pixel blocks by replicating one or more pixels in the pixel blocks.

17. The data analysis system of claim 13, wherein the graph generator obtains a selection of the visual boundary from a user.

18. The data analysis system of claim 13, wherein the graph generator colors the visual boundary.

19. The data analysis system of claim 13, wherein the graph generator applies a weight to the visual boundary that indicates a relative importance of the aggregate.

20. A computer-readable storage medium that contains a computer program that when executed generates a pixel-oriented graph by determining a visual boundary for representing an aggregate of a set of information depicted in the pixel-oriented graph and constructing a set of pixel blocks that represent the information such that the pixel blocks are visually distinguished by the visual boundary.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein determining a visual boundary includes obtaining a selection of the aggregate from a user.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein constructing a set of pixel blocks comprises determining a set of pixel blocks to be positioned above the visual boundary and a set of pixel blocks to be positioned below the visual boundary.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising filling in one or more gaps in the pixel blocks by replicating one or more pixels in the pixel blocks.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising coloring the visual boundary.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising applying a weight to the visual boundary that indicates a relative importance of the aggregate.