System and method for aggregating a measure over a non-additive account dimension

• US 7,756,739 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Conlon, Thomas, D'hers, Thierry, Pasumansky, Mosha, Berger, Alexander, Gorbach, Irina
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett; Scott L
• Application Number:
  US10/777,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,343 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/244 Grouping and aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2448 for particular applications; for extensibility, e.g. user defined types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A simple interface may be provided that enables the user to define parameters for aggregation of a semi-additive measure. The interface may enable the user to designate a measure as a semi-additive measure and to pair the measure with an additive aggregation function. The interface may also enable the user to select non-additive dimensions and to pair each non-additive dimension with a corresponding aggregation function. One such aggregation function is a by account aggregation function, which enables each account in an account dimension to be aggregated across a corresponding non-additive dimension according to an associated account type.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to aggregate a semi-additive measure over an additive dimension of a cube and over a non-additive dimension of the cube by:

aggregating the semi-additive measure for a plurality of members of the additive dimension using an additive aggregation function;

providing a first interface comprising a plurality of first user-selectable elements, each first user-selectable element associated with a respective account type that is an income account type, an expense account type, a flow account type, a balance account type, an asset account type, a liability account type, a statistical account type or a missing account type;

receiving a user selection of at least two of the first user-selectable elements;

defining, based on the selected first user-selectable elements, a first account associated with a first data table and comprising a plurality of first members of the non-additive dimension and a second account associated with a second data table and comprising a plurality of second members of the non-additive dimension, the non-additive dimension having a parent member that includes at least one child member selected from the first members and the second members;

providing a second interface comprising a plurality of second user-selectable elements, each second user-selectable element associated with a respective non-additive aggregation function that is different from the additive aggregation function;

for each of the first and second accounts, receiving a user selection of one of the second user-selectable elements;

associating the first account with the non-additive aggregation function that is associated with the second user-selectable element that was selected for the first account;

associating the second account with the non-additive aggregation function that is associated with the second user-selectable element that was selected for the second account;

evaluating the parent member by aggregating the semi-additive measure for the first members according to the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account and by aggregating the semi-additive measure for the second members according to the non-additive aggregation function associated with the second account; and

outputting the evaluated parent member.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a null aggregation function.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is an average of children aggregation function.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a first child aggregation function.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a last child aggregation function.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a first non-empty child aggregation function.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a last non-empty child aggregation function.

8. A method for aggregating a semi-additive measure over an additive dimension of a cube and over a non-additive dimension of the cube comprising:

aggregating by at least one computer processor the semi-additive measure for a plurality of members of the additive dimension using an additive aggregation function;

providing a first interface comprising a plurality of first user-selectable elements, each first user-selectable element associated with a respective account type that is an income account type, an expense account type, a flow account type, a balance account type, an asset account type, a liability account type, a statistical account type or a missing account type;

receiving a user selection of at least two of the first user-selectable elements;

defining, based on the selected first user-selectable elements, a first account associated with a first data table and comprising a plurality of first members of the non-additive dimension and a second account associated with a second data table and comprising a plurality of second members of the non-additive dimension, the non-additive dimension having a parent member that includes at least one child member selected from the first members and the second members;

providing a second interface comprising a plurality of second user-selectable elements, each second user-selectable element associated with a respective non-additive aggregation function that is different from the additive aggregation function;

for each of the first and second accounts, receiving a user selection of one of the second user-selectable elements;

associating the first account with the non-additive aggregation function that is associated with the second user-selectable element that was selected for the first account;

associating the second account with the non-additive aggregation function that is associated with the second user-selectable element that was selected for the second account;

evaluating by the at least one computer processor the parent member by aggregating the semi-additive measure for the first members according to the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account and by aggregating the semi-additive measure for the second members according to the non-additive aggregation function associated with the second account; and

outputting the evaluated parent member.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a null aggregation function.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is an average of children aggregation function.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a first child aggregation function.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a last child aggregation function.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a first non-empty child aggregation function.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a last non-empty child aggregation function.

15. A system for aggregating a semi-additive measure over an additive dimension of a cube and over a non-additive dimension of the cube comprising:

a processor for executing computer-executable instructions;

a memory having stored therein the computer-executable instructions comprising;

aggregating the semi-additive measure for a plurality of members of the additive dimension using an additive aggregation function;

providing a first interface comprising a plurality of first user-selectable elements, each first user-selectable element associated with a respective account type that is an income account type, an expense account type, a flow account type, a balance account type, an asset account type, a liability account type, a statistical account type or a missing account type;

receiving a user selection of at least two of the first user-selectable elements;

defining, based on the selected first user-selectable elements, a first account associated with a first data table and comprising a plurality of first members of the non-additive dimension and a second account associated with a second data table and comprising a plurality of second members of the non-additive dimension, the non-additive dimension having a parent member that includes at least one child member selected from the first members and the second members;

providing a second interface comprising a plurality of second user-selectable elements, each second user-selectable element associated with a respective non-additive aggregation function that is different from the additive aggregation function;

for each of the first and second accounts, receiving a user selection of one of the second user-selectable elements;

associating the first account with the non-additive aggregation function that is associated with the second user-selectable element that was selected for the first account;

associating the second account with the non-additive aggregation function that is associated with the second user-selectable element that was selected for the second account;

evaluating the parent member by aggregating the semi-additive measure for the first members according to the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account and by aggregating the semi-additive measure for the second members according to the non-additive aggregation function associated with the second account; and

outputting the evaluated parent member.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a null aggregation function.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is an average of children aggregation function.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a first child aggregation function.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a last child aggregation function.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a first non-empty child aggregation function.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the non-additive aggregation function associated with the first account is a last non-empty child aggregation function.