Surface-Curve Graphical Intersection Tools and Primitives for Data Visualization, Tabular Data, and Advanced Spreadsheets

• US 20130167002A1
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NRI R&D Patent Licensing, LLC (Advanced Touchscreen and Gesture Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lester F. Ludwig
• Inventors: Ludwig, Lester F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

Graphical tools and primitives are provided for interactively intersecting at least one graphical surface and curve in a spreadsheet or visualization to produce intersection data. Applications include simple business analysis as well as advanced engineering and science, and provide numerical solution for simultaneous spatially-manipulated interactive equations. Visualizations of two-dimensional surfaces are rendered from provided data according to position, orientation, and viewpoint, some or all of which can be controlled by a user interface so as to create or control the intersection of surfaces. The provided data can be from an electronic spreadsheet, and the overall visualization can be displayed together with the display an electronic spreadsheet or other tabular data representation. Visually rendered surfaces can comprise symbols, colors, textures, or glyphs representing data, and virtual illumination. Intersection data corresponding to the mathematical intersection of the surfaces is computed and provided to further computation. Intersection computation can comprise interpolation and resampling.

Claims

1. A method for interactive orienting and computing an intersection between at least a curve and a surface representing provided data, the method comprising:

obtaining at least a first plurality of data values and a second plurality of data values;

rendering a first visualization of a two-dimensional surface, the first visualization computed from the first plurality of data values and further computed from first position data, first orientation data, and first viewpoint data;

rendering a second visualization of a one-dimensional curve, the second visualization computed from the second plurality of data values and further computed from second position data, second orientation data, and second viewpoint data; and

computing intersection data corresponding to the mathematical intersection of the two-dimensional surface and the one-dimensional curve, the computation responsive to the first position data, first orientation data, second position data, and second orientation data,

wherein the first visualization and second visualization are rendered to form a common visualization in a common visual display area, and

wherein the computed intersection data is provided to an external computation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first position data is received from a user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first orientation data is received from a user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first viewpoint data is received from a user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of data comprises tabular data associated with an electronic spreadsheet.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying the common visualization concurrently to displaying the tabular data of the electronic spreadsheet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the display of tabular data of the electronic spreadsheet is rendered within the common visualization.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the common visualization is a 3-dimensional visualization.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendered first visualization of the two-dimensional surface and the second visualization of the one-dimensional curve further comprises a color, the color representing values of at least one additional dimension of data at least one of the first plurality of data values and second plurality of data values.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein rendered surface of at least one of the first visualization of the two-dimensional surface and the second visualization of the one-dimensional curve further comprises a parameterized locally varying texture, the texture representing values of at least one additional dimension of data at least one of the first plurality of data values and second plurality of data values.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein rendered surface of at least one of the first visualization of the two-dimensional surface and the second visualization of the one-dimensional curve is further supplemented with at least one symbol rendered on the surface, the symbol representing values of at least one additional dimension of data at least one of the first plurality of data values and second plurality of data values.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein rendered surface of at least one of the first visualization of the two-dimensional surface and the second visualization of the one-dimensional curve is further supplemented with at least one parameterized glyph rendered on the surface, the parameterized glyph representing values of at least one additional dimension of data at least one of the first plurality of data values and second plurality of data values.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein rendered surface of at least one of the first visualization of the two-dimensional surface and the second visualization of the one-dimensional curve is further virtually illuminated by at least one virtual light source.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering a visualization of at least another two-dimensional surface, the visualization computed from data values and further computed from at least one of associated position data, associated orientation data, and associated viewpoint data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one-dimensional curve and at least two two-dimensional surfaces are intersected simultaneously, and wherein group intersection data is displayed.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one-dimensional curve and at least two two-dimensional surfaces are intersected simultaneously, and wherein group intersection data is caputured.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering a visualization of at least another one-dimensional curve, the visualization computed from data values and further computed from at least one of associated position data, associated orientation data, and associated viewpoint data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional surface and the at least two one-dimensional curves are intersected simultaneously, and wherein group intersection data is displayed.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional surface and the at least two one-dimensional curves are intersected simultaneously, and wherein group intersection data is captured.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering a visual height measuring tool in the common visualization.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating numerical values of selected points on a curve formed by the intersecting surfaces.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein numerical values of selected points on a curve formed by the intersecting surfaces are visually displayed.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing of the intersection data comprises interpolation.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing of the intersection data comprises resampling.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a numerical solution for simultaneous interactive numerical equations.