MULTI-DIMENSIONAL VISUALIZATION OF TEMPORAL INFORMATION

• US 20120173985A1
• Filed: 12/27/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tickr, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tickr, Inc.
• Inventors: PEPPEL, Tyler
• Granted Patent: US 9,881,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/730
• 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, comprising:

providing a processor configured for tracking one or more sources of time varying information across a plurality of dimensions in real time;

said processor configured for automatically combining said source information from one or more dimensions into a strip, said strip comprising a coherent visualization of said information as a time line; and

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

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 each of said strips relates to a common topic comprising 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, said processor configured to provide a plurality of strips arranged along a common timeline, each strip providing 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, said processor configured to integrate and simultaneously present substantially all types of media within one or more strips.

12. 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.

13. The method of claim 1, said processor configured to provide a visualization of said source information at a selected moment in time across multiple dimensions, and to provide a view of said source information over an extended period of time.

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

15. 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.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said data sources comprise any of public and proprietary data sources.

17. The method of claim 16, said data sources comprising any of social media, news, Web traffic, internal systems status, and financial market information.

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

19. The method of claim 18, 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.

20. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for harmonizing said data sources to allow visual and programmatic comparison of data from different data sources at a single moment in time.

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

22. 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 data sources.

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

24. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for sharing strips and/or strip dynamic screens across networks.

25. 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.

26. 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 data source strips.

27. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for 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 at least a second strip.

28. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for providing a target data threshold which, when the target is reached or exceeded, generates an alert message.

29. The method of claim 1, said processor configured for providing a summary data panel that shows current values compared with a selected moment from the past.

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

an application processor configured for tracking one or more public and/or private sources of time varying information across a plurality of dimensions in real time;

a data analysis and management processor configured for;

automatically combining said source information from one or more dimensions into a strip, said strip comprising a coherent visualization of said information as a time line;

simultaneously presenting a plurality of strips to a user to effect a multi-dimensional visualization of said information to said user; and

providing a plurality of strips arranged along a common timeline, each strip providing information of a different type and/or from a different source, but related to the information in each of the other strips.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:

a data integration processor for placing data from all of said sources into a common format along a common scale.