Rendering data visualization with minimal round-off error

• US 8,139,063 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Helfman, Jonathan, Goldberg, Joseph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sonners, Scott E
• Application Number:
  US11/745,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 345/669
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/49947 Rounding
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Systems and methods in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention provide for the rendering of data visualizations with minimal round-off errors. The data visualization method represents a dataset as graphical elements within a graphical layout area by performing layout of a data value within the dataset on the graphical layout area. The data value is positioned on the graphical layout area by determining a floating point position of the data value. A round-off error is calculated by casting the floating point position to an integer position on the graphical layout area. The round-off error is distributed to one or more subsequent data values that are yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area.

Claims

1. A data visualization method for representing a dataset as graphical elements within a graphical layout area, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer systems, information specifying layout of a multi-dimensional graphical element representing a data value of the dataset on the graphical layout area;

determining, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a floating point position of each of a plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value on the graphical layout area;

determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value based on casting the floating point position of each of the plurality of dimensions to an integer position on the graphical layout area; and

generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, information distributing the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value among a plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing a subsequent set of data values of the dataset yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information specifying layout of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value further comprises:

determining a proportion ratio of the data value representing magnitude of the data value relative to a total magnitude of all data values in the dataset; and

determining each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value based on the proportion ratio.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the floating point position of each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value further comprises determining each floating point position based on the proportion ratio.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the dataset from a data store; and

generating an ordering for the data set based on sorting each data value in the dataset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the information distributing the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value among the plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing the subsequent set of data values of the dataset yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area comprises:

converting the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions from a first value of a first coordinate space of the graphical layout into a relative second value of a second coordinate space of the data value, the first coordinate space being different from the second coordinate space.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

modifying the subsequent set of data values to include the converted round-off error of the data value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the information distributing the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value among the plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing the subsequent set of data values of the dataset yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area further includes:

modifying a plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing the subsequent set of data values to each include a portion of the round-off error of each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the graphical elements are in contiguous proximity to another one of the graphical elements.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the graphical elements are rectilinear in shape.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical layout area is within an HTML browser.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for representing a dataset as graphical elements within a graphical layout area, the computer-readable medium comprising:

code for receiving information specifying layout of a multi-dimensional graphical element representing a data value of the dataset on the graphical layout area;

code for determining a floating point position of each of a plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value on the graphical layout area;

code for determining a round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value based on casting the floating point position of each of the plurality of dimensions to an integer position on the graphical layout area; and

code for generating information distributing the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value among a plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing a subsequent set of data values of the dataset yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the code for generating the information distributing the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value among the plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing the subsequent set of data values of the dataset yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area further includes:

code for converting the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions from a first value of a first coordinate space of the graphical layout into a relative second value of a second coordinate space of the data value, the first coordinate space being different from the second coordinate space; and

code for modifying the subsequent set of data values to include the converted round-off error of the data value.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the code for generating the information distributing the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value to another multi-dimensional graphical element representing a subsequent data value among the plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing the subsequent set of data values of the dataset yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area further includes:

code for modifying a plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing the subsequent set of data values to each include a portion of the round-off error of each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein one or more of the graphical elements are in contiguous proximity to another one of the graphical elements.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the graphical elements are rectilinear in shape.

16. A system for representing a dataset as graphical elements within a graphical layout area, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store a plurality of code modules which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive information specifying layout of a multi-dimensional graphical element representing a data value of the dataset on the graphical layout area;

determine a floating point position of each of a plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value on the graphical layout area;

determine a round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value based on casting the floating point position of each of the plurality of dimensions to an integer position on the graphical layout area; and

generate information distributing the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value among a plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing a subsequent set of data values of the dataset yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein in generating the information distributing the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value among the plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing the subsequent set of data values of the dataset yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area the processor is further caused to:

convert the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions from a first value of a first coordinate space of the graphical layout into a relative second value of a second coordinate space of the data value, the first coordinate space being different from the second coordinate space; and

modify the subsequent set of data values to include the converted round-off error of the data value.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein in generating the information distributing the round-off error for each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value among the plurality of multi-dimensional graphical element elements representing the subsequent set of data value values of the dataset yet to be positioned on the graphical layout area the processor is further caused to:

modifying a plurality of multi-dimensional graphical elements representing the subsequent set of data values to each include a portion of the round-off error of each of the plurality of dimensions of the multi-dimensional graphical element representing the data value.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein one or more of the graphical elements are in contiguous proximity to another one of the graphical elements.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the graphical elements are rectilinear in shape.