ABSTRACT RELATIONAL MODEL FOR TRANSFORMING DATA INTO CONSUMABLE CONTENT

• US 20140025650A1
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, David Benjamin, Michelstein, Jennifer, Morris, Katrika, Hollasch, Steven Richard, Faulkner, Sarah, Freier, Nathaniel George, Liu, Hai, Waldman, Chad Garrett, Fisher, Darren James
• Application Number:
  US13/551,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025650A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for an abstract relational model for transforming data into consumable content. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a computing device can execute a transformation engine for transforming data into the consumable content. The computing device can be configured to generate an abstract relational model from data to analyze the data and to identify relationships within data elements or other portions of the data. The computing device also can determine a visualization model to apply to the data and to choose a world based upon the determined visualization model. The computing device can obtain rules associated with the selected or chosen world, and can apply the rules to the data to generate the output. In some embodiments, the computing device can be configured to obtain and apply feedback to the output.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for transforming data, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

obtaining, at a computing device, data comprising a plurality of data elements;

analyzing the data to identify relationships between the plurality of data elements;

generating, based at least partially upon the relationships, an abstract relational model corresponding to the data; and

outputting the abstract relational model.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a world defining a visualization model to apply to the plurality of data elements based, at least partially, upon the relationships;

obtaining rules for applying the world to the data; and

applying the rules to the data to generate output comprising the at least one of the plurality of data elements arranged according to the world.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting the output at a display device associated with the computing device; and

obtaining feedback from a user of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, if the abstract relational model is to be modified based, at least partially, upon the feedback; and

in response to determining that the abstract relational model is to be modified, modifying the abstract relational model in accordance with the feedback.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the abstract relational model is generated based, at least partially, upon a data type associated with the data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the abstract relational model comprises a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes having at least one element, and a connector between at least two of the plurality of nodes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the connector defines a relationship between at least two of the plurality of nodes.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the connector defines a relationship between elements associated with the at least two of the plurality of nodes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the abstract relational model comprises:

analyzing metadata associated with the data;

analyzing a position of at least one of the plurality of data elements;

analyzing a format of at least one of the plurality of data element; and

determining at least one of the relationships based, at least partially, upon the metadata, the position, or the format.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the abstract relational model further comprises:

identifying a summary of the data; and

determining, based at least partially upon the summary, the at least one of the relationships.

11. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

obtain data comprising a plurality of data elements;

analyze the data to identify relationships between the plurality of data elements;

generate, based upon the relationships, an abstract relational model corresponding to the data;

output the abstract relational model;

determine a world defining a visualization model to apply to the plurality of data elements based, at least partially, upon the relationships;

obtain a rule for applying the data to the world; and

apply the rule to the data to generate output comprising the plurality of data elements arranged according to the world.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

present the output at a display device associated with the computer;

obtain feedback from a user of the computer; and

determine, based upon the feedback, if the abstract relational model is to be modified.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 12, wherein the computer executes a transformation engine comprising

a decomposition and understanding module configured to generate the abstract relational model,

a variation module for determining variations to the data elements,

a world chooser module for determining the world, and

an authoring module for obtaining the feedback and determining if at least one of the output or the abstract relational model is to be modified.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the relationships comprise a hierarchy between the plurality of data elements.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

receive a new abstract relational model associated with a data type; and

store the new abstract relational model.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the abstract relational model is generated based, at least partially, upon a data type associated with the data.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the abstract relational model comprises a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes having at least one element, and a connector between at least two of the plurality of nodes, the connector defining a relationship between at least two of the plurality of nodes.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions for generating the abstract relational model further comprise computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

analyze metadata associated with at least one of the plurality of data elements;

analyze a position of at least one of the plurality of data elements;

analyze a format of at least one of the plurality of data element; and

determine at least one of the relationships based upon the metadata, the position, and the format.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the computer readable instructions for generating the abstract relational model further comprise computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

identify a summary of the data; and

determine, based at least partially upon the summary, the at least one of the relationships.

20. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

obtain data comprising a plurality of data elements;

analyze the data to identify relationships between the plurality of data elements;

generate, at least partially based upon the relationships, an abstract relational model corresponding to the data;

output the abstract relational model;

determine a world defining a visualization model to apply to the plurality of data elements based, at least partially, upon the relationships;

obtain rules for applying the data to the world;

apply the rules to the data to generate output comprising the plurality of data elements arranged according to the rules;

present the output at a display device;

obtain feedback comprising at least one of

an indication that an aspect of the output is liked, or

an indication that the aspect of the output is disliked;

determine that the abstract relational model is to be modified based, at least partially, upon the feedback; and

in response to determining that the abstract relational model is to be modified, modify the abstract relational model in accordance with the feedback.