Displaying temporal information in a spreadsheet application

• US 9,881,396 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ruble, B. Scott, Wong, Curtis G., Peev, Igor Borisov, Fan, Kevin, Srinivasan, Jai, Sobhy, Ehab, Fay, Jonathan Edgar
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/856,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 715201, 715212, 715215
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 : Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 : Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 : 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 : Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 : Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for displaying temporal information in a spreadsheet application. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, spreadsheet data can be obtained at a computer system. The spreadsheet data can include data values, temporal information, and geographic information. The computer system can generate a visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values, the temporal information, and the geographic location information. The computer system also can output the visualization.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying temporal information in a spreadsheet application, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

obtaining, at a computer system executing a visualization component, spreadsheet data including data values, the temporal information, and geographic location information;

generating, by the computer system, a visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values, the geographic location information, and the temporal information by

determining if the visualization is to include a time decay in which a data point of the spreadsheet data is persisted beyond a time associated with the data point, and

in response to a determination that the visualization is to include the time decay, determining a duration of the time decay and generating animation frames of the visualization with the time decay;

determining, by the computer system, a time range for the visualization, the time range comprising a duration of time between a start time and an end time;

determining, based upon the time range, an animation speed for the visualization; and

outputting, by the computer system, the visualization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the animation speed is bound to the time range, and wherein generating the visualization based upon the temporal information comprises generating animation frames of the visualization based, at least partially, upon the time range and the animation speed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the visualization based upon the temporal information comprises:

determining if the visualization is to include time accumulation whereby a plurality of data values are visually accumulated; and

in response to a determination that the visualization is to include time accumulation, generating animation frames of the visualization using time accumulation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the animation frames comprises:

rendering a visualization of data points associated with a location in each of the animation frames;

determining a cumulative value associated with the data points at each of the animation frames; and

rendering a visualization of the cumulative value in each of the animation frames.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining geographic mapping data from a geocoding service, the geographic mapping data comprising data mapping the geographic location information to geocoded information; and

obtaining, from a map server, map data corresponding to the geocoded information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the visualization comprises generating the visualization based, at least partially, upon the geographic mapping data and the map data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if time accumulation is to be shown in the visualization, whereby a plurality of data values are visually accumulated, and wherein generating the visualization comprises generating the visualization based, at least partially, upon the time range, the animation speed, and a determination regarding the time accumulation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the time range, the animation speed, and the determination comprises obtaining data from a user computing device, the data comprising input obtained via at least one user interface presented at the user computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises

a time control window,

a link to a layer properties window, and

a further link to a time properties window.

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

obtain spreadsheet data including data values, temporal information, and geographic location information;

determining, by the computer system, a time range for the visualization, the time range comprising a duration of time between a start time and an end time associated with the temporal information included in the spreadsheet data;

determining, based upon the time range, an animation speed for the visualization, wherein the animation speed is determined, at least partially, based upon the time range;

generate a visualization of the spreadsheet data based, at least partially, upon the data values, the time range, the animation speed, the geographic location information and the temporal information by

determining if the visualization is to include a time decay in which a data point of the spreadsheet data is persisted beyond a time associated with the data point, and

in response to a determination that the visualization is to include the time decay, determining a duration of the time decay and generating animation frames of the visualization with the time decay; and

output the visualization, the visualization comprising the animation frames.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 10, wherein generating the visualization based upon the temporal information comprises:

determining if the visualization is to include time accumulation whereby a plurality of data values are visually accumulated; and

in response to a determination that the visualization is to include time accumulation, generating the animation frames using time accumulation.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein generating the animation frames using time accumulation comprises:

rendering a visualization of the data values at the data points in each of the animation frames;

determining a cumulative value associated with the data values of the data points at each of the animation frames; and

rendering a visualization of the cumulative value in each of the animation frames.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 10, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to generate a user interface comprising a temporal tower visualization of the data in a stacked relationship that represents multiple types of data included in the spreadsheet data.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 10, further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

determine if time accumulation is to be shown in the visualization, whereby a plurality of data values are visually accumulated, and wherein generating the visualization comprises generating the visualization based, at least partially, upon the time range, the animation speed, and a determination regarding the time accumulation.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein determining the time range, the animation speed, and the determination comprises obtaining data from a user computing device, the data comprising input obtained via at least one user interface presented at the user computing device.

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

obtain spreadsheet data including data values, temporal information, and geographic location information;

determine a time range for a visualization of the spreadsheet data based upon the spreadsheet data, the time range being defined as a duration of time between a start time and end time associated with the spreadsheet data, the visualization comprising animation frames;

determine, based upon the time range, an animation speed for the visualization, the animation speed being at least partially bound to the time range, wherein changing the time range results in a change to the animation speed;

generate the visualization based, at least partially, upon the data values, the time range, the animation speed, the geographic location information, and the temporal information by

determining if the visualization is to include a time decay in which a data point of the spreadsheet data is persisted beyond a time associated with the data point, and

in response to a determination that the visualization is to include the time decay, determining a duration of the time decay and generating animation frames of the visualization with the time decay; and

output the visualization to a user computing device in communication with the computer.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein generating the visualization based upon the temporal information comprises:

determining if the visualization is to include time accumulation whereby a plurality of data values are visually accumulated; and

in response to a determination that the visualization is to include time accumulation, generating the animation frames using time accumulation, wherein generating the animation frames using time accumulation comprises

rendering a visualization of the data values at the data points in each of the animation frames,

determining a cumulative value associated with the data values of the data points at each of the animation frames, and

rendering a visualization of the cumulative value in each of the animation frames.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein determining the time range, the animation speed, and the determination comprises obtaining data from the user computing device, the data comprising input obtained via at least one user interface presented at the user computing device.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein determining the time range, the animation speed, and the determination comprises obtaining data from the user computing device, the data comprising input obtained via at least one user interface presented at the user computing device, the user interface comprising:

a time control window having a time scrubber for displaying the animation frames;

a link to a layer properties window comprising an option to enable time accumulation whereby a plurality of data values are visually accumulated; and

a further link to a time properties window comprising a control for specifying the animation speed and a further control for specifying the time range.