Methods and Systems for Dynamic Graph Generating

• US 20160350950A1
• Filed: 05/25/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cameron Ritchie, Colin Frederick Ritchie
• Original Assignee: Cameron Ritchie, Colin Frederick Ritchie
• Inventors: Ritchie, Colin Frederick, Ritchie, Cameron
• Granted Patent: US 10,354,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A computer system and method for interrogating and analyzing data. The system may recognize the software application containing data and will search for visible and hidden data including Headers and Labels; and may further interrogate and analyze visible data. The system will preferably create graphical representations based on the analyzed data instantaneously. The graphical representation is configured to be generated dynamically as the selection of data changes; hence it will eliminate the need of selecting data and changing graph types while moving from one data set to other data sets. The data set may be a single point data, a block of data, a highlighted area, a screen grab, tabular, graphical, or textual formatted data. The system and method may analyze the data from various formats and applications such as spreadsheet, PDF file, remote data sources and web based databases etc.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating graphics on a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying, using a processor, an electronic data source comprising a plurality of data points, the plurality of data points stored in a memory associated with the processor;

selecting, using the processor, one or more data points from the plurality of data points, the one or more data points being the data against which a graphic is needed;

identifying, using the processor, one or more of;

one or more meta-data associated with the selected one or more data points;

one or more numerical elements associated with the selected one or more data points; and

one or more rules associated with the selected one or more data points;

analyzing, using the processor, the identified one or more meta-data, the identified one or more numerical elements, and the identified one or more rules, in combination or individually;

instantaneously generating in real-time, using the processor, one or more graphical object, such that visual properties of the graphical objects represent the corresponding numerical value of the numerical elements according to a scale; and

positioning, using the processor, the one or more graphical objects with respect to an reference surface on an interface screen shown on a display associated with the processor to generate the graphics, wherein the processor is configured to generate the graphics dynamically as the selection of one or more data points changes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of data points are visibly distinguishable on the interface screen.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of data points are hidden from the interface screen.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of data points are one or more of a single data point, a block of data points, a highlighted area in an electronic document, a screen grab, data in tabular form, graphical data, and textual formatted data.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

allowing users to drill-down into a formula associated with a data point; and

providing details corresponding to each component in the formula according to contextual relationships with surrounding data points and other components of the formula.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

associating at least one Label of the data points to predefined Keywords based on a Style of user and identifying the Group of the at least one Label the meta-data is associated with;

and working through the Keywords firstly at whole word matches, then at part word matches, then at wildcard match to identify the one or more Info-graphic representations;

extracting one or more Info-graphics associated with the meta-data; and

when the associated Info-graphical representation requires multi-series of metadata, extracting additional meta-data based on the extracted Info-graphic'"'"'s requirements from a source-document.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the electronic document has embedded Document Charts that override use of the Keywords mechanism;

extracting the one or more Info-graphics associated with the embedded Document Charts; and

when the associated Info-graphical representation requires multi-series of metadata, extracting additional meta-data based on the extracted Info-graphic'"'"'s requirements from a source-document.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether a meta-data row or column has an associated Tagging Label;

for the meta-data associated with Tagging;

looking at a Tagging mapping tree for Info-graphics associated with this Tag and acquiring a list of needed Tags for the Info-graphic;

looking for other parts of a source document for other needed Tags; and

acquiring additional meta-data to support the Info-graphics associated with the needed Tags;

determining that Tag requirements are met; and

inserting the Tagging Info-graphic(s) at a front of an Info-graphic list.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a visual data source comprising a graphical format of data points in numerical, text, or graphical output as highlighted by the user;

extracting a highlighted area into an image format;

using Optical Recognition (OpR) to extract at least one of text from the image, numbers from highlighted paragraph(s) of text, or data points and labels from a chart including Info-graphics;

for images determined to have one or more of paragraph(s) containing text or a chart;

presenting extracted tabular data points and label in a Data Grid Viewer, and

merging grid cells by the user as needed in the Data Grid viewer; and

for other images;

overlaying a grid around each tabular data point and label and maintaining a memory reference of the extract text via OpR that matches each grid reference; and

merging the grid cells by the user as needed.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the meta-data row or column has associated Second Order Info-graphical representation(s) or if a predefined Pivot Row exists giving rise to a Second Order chart;

looking at mathematical rules associated with this Second Order Info-graphical representation that restructures the meta-data into Second Order meta-data and when a predefined Pivot Row exists using at least one of the mathematical rules of dividing the meta-data by the Pivot Row meta-data;

calculating the Second Order data set; and

creating a second order Info-graphical representation comprising the calculated Second Order data set.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying patterns in the Info-graphical representations of the meta-data and creating textual descriptions of what the Info-graphic and meta-data depicts;

applying a set of rules from the known Tagging, column Headers and row Labels, Second Order meta-data, shape of the chart, and any other relationship that may be extracted from the systems environment;

creating a real-time description using the rules;

presenting the description with the Info-graphical representation or publishing the Info-graphical representation and description in another document.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying data errors or anomalies in the meta-data underlying the Info-graphical representations;

analyzing the identified meta-data, numerical elements, and rules, in combination or individually associated with a Label;

retrieving a rule based algorithm associated with the Label;

applying the rule based algorithm or if none found using a Style of User based rule;

processing the rule on the meta-data, numerical elements, in combination or individually associated with the Label or Style of User; and

highlighting in real-time the possible data points identified as possible errors or anomalies on the Info-graphical representation and presenting a description created as claimed in claim 11.

24. The system according to claim 13, the system further operable to:

identify data errors or anomalies in the meta-data underlying the Info-graphical representations;

analyze the identified meta-data, numerical elements, and rules, in combination or individually associated with a Label;

retrieve a rule based algorithm associated with the Label;

apply the rule based algorithm or if none found using a Style of User based rule;

process the rule on the meta-data, numerical elements, in combination or individually associated with the Label or Style of User; and

highlight in real-time the possible data points identified as possible errors or anomalies on the Info-graphical representation and presenting a description created as claimed in claim 11.

13. A computer system for generating graphics on a computing device, the computer system comprising at least one processor associated with at least one memory storing executable instructions thereon that causes the system at least to:

identify an electronic data source comprising a plurality of data points, the plurality of data points stored in the memory associated with the processor;

select one or more data points from the plurality of data points, the one or more data points being the data against which a graphic is needed;

identify one or more of;

one or more meta-data associated with the selected one or more data points;

one or more numerical elements associated with the selected one or more data points; and

one or more rules associated with the selected one or more data points;

analyze the identified one or more meta-data, the identified one or more numerical elements, and the identified one or more rules, in combination or individually;

instantaneously generate in real-time one or more graphical object, such that visual properties of the graphical objects represent the corresponding numerical value of the numerical elements according to a scale; and

position the one or more graphical objects with respect to a reference surface on an interface screen shown on a display associated with the processor to generate the graphics, wherein the processor is configured to generate the graphics dynamically as the selection of one or more data points changes.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of data points are visibly distinguishable on the interface screen.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of data points are hidden from the interface screen.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of data points are one or more of a single data point, a block of data points, a highlighted area in an electronic document, a screen grab, data in tabular form, graphical data, and textual formatted data.

17. The system according to claim 13, the system further operable to:

allow users to drill-down into a formula associated with a data point; and

provide details corresponding to each component in the formula according to contextual relationships with surrounding data points and other components of the formula.

18. The system according to claim 13, the system further operable to:

associate at least one Label of the data points to predefined Keywords based on a Style of user and identify the Group of the at least one Label the meta-data is associated with;

and work through the Keywords firstly at whole word matches, then at part word matches, then at wildcard match to identify the one or more Info-graphic representations;

extract one or more Info-graphics associated with the meta-data; and

when the associated Info-graphical representation requires multi-series of metadata, extract additional meta-data based on the extracted Info-graphic'"'"'s requirements from a source-document.

19. The system according to claim 18, the system further operable to:

determine that the electronic document has embedded Document Charts that override use of the Keywords mechanism;

extract the one or more Info-graphics associated with the embedded Document Charts; and

when the associated Info-graphical representation requires multi-series of metadata, extract additional meta-data based on the extracted Info-graphic'"'"'s requirements from a source-document.

20. The system according to claim 18, the system further operable to:

determine whether a meta-data row or column has an associated Tagging Label;

for the meta-data associated with Tagging;

look at a Tagging mapping tree for Info-graphics associated with this Tag and acquiring a list of needed Tags for the Info-graphic;

look for other parts of a source document for other needed Tags; and

acquire additional meta-data to support the Info-graphics associated with the needed Tags;

determine that Tag requirements are met; and

insert the Tagging Info-graphic(s) at a front of an Info-graphic list.

21. The system according to claim 13, the system further operable to:

identify a visual data source comprising a graphical format of data points in numerical, text, or graphical output as highlighted by the user;

extract a highlighted area into an image format;

use Optical Recognition (OpR) to extract at least one of text from the image, numbers from highlighted paragraph(s) of text, or data points and labels from a chart including Info-graphics;

for images determined to have one or more of paragraph(s) containing text or a chart;

present extracted tabular data points and label in a Data Grid Viewer, and

merge grid cells by the user as needed in the Data Grid viewer; and

for other images;

overlay a grid around each tabular data point and label and maintain a memory reference of the extract text via OpR that matches each grid reference; and

merge the grid cells by the user as needed.

22. The system according to claim 18, the system further operable to:

determine that the meta-data row or column has associated Second Order Info-graphical representation(s) or if a predefined Pivot Row exists giving rise to a Second Order chart;

look at mathematical rules associated with this Second Order Info-graphical representation that restructures the meta-data into Second Order meta-data and when a predefined Pivot Row exists using at least one of the mathematical rules of dividing the meta-data by the Pivot Row meta-data;

calculate a Second Order data set; and

create a second order Info-graphical representation comprising the calculated Second Order data set.

23. The system according to claim 13, the system further operable to:

identify patterns in the Info-graphical representations of the meta-data and creating textual descriptions of what the Info-graphic and meta-data depicts;

apply a set of rules from the known Tagging, column Headers and row Labels, Second Order meta-data, shape of the chart, and any other relationship that may be extracted from the systems environment;

create a real-time description using the rules;

present the description with the Info-graphical representation or publishing the Info-graphical representation and description in another document.