Recursive cell-based hierarchy for data visualizations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10115213-B2
Application number	US-201514854998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 15, 2015
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for a recursive cell-based hierarchy for data visualization. The technology disclosed relates to a platform for ultra-fast, ad-hoc data exploration and faceted navigation on integrated, heterogeneous data sets. The disclosed apparatus and methods for secure isolation of scripting from graphics make it possible to securely share live data as rendered on a live dashboard, for both desktop and mobile application environments, without saving a new state on a server when time data and dashboard elements are updated. The disclosed recursive cell-based hierarchy for data visualization makes it possible to target multiple platforms—generating data visualization representations that can be displayed when rendered natively on both desktop and mobile devices, and when rendered in a browser window.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method including:
representing a chart in a scene data object that divides a scene into cell quadrants, the scene data object including at least four non-overlapping cells: a plot cell, a pair of axis cells adjoining the plot cell and a fourth cell adjoining the axis cells and diagonally opposed from the plot cell;
wherein data in the scene data object is represented in key-value pairs;
wherein the scene data object represents the chart by a nested object hierarchy that includes at least one scene, multiple cells per scene, one or more layers per cell and shapes in the cells, wherein the cells subdivide the scene into areas holding different components of a data visualization to be animated cell-wise and the shapes that represent data regions in the plot cell and other chart components;
transforming selected data into a data visualization by running a script against the selected data, wherein the script implements a chart type, identifies the chart type for animation purposes, and translates the selected data into shapes in the plot cell and lines, text and other annotations in the four cells of the scene data object and translates a position of the plot cell from a first quadrant to a second quadrant among the cell quadrants and accommodates the pair of axis cells and the fourth cell to the position of the plot cell in the second quadrant;
processing data in first and second scene data objects and automatically selecting a transition path and tweening parameters based on the first and second chart types of the first and second scene data objects; and
further processing the first and second scene data objects and the tweening parameters to cause display of a first data visualization and an animated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fourth cell is a header cell that holds header data.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the header cell recursively holds, cells within the header cell.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including recursively representing, in the scene data object, cells within cells.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including accepting user input that edits a standard script to produce a custom script and using the custom script against the selected data to produce the data visualization, wherein the custom script retains the chart type for animation purposes.

6. The method of claim 1 , further including accepting user input that wraps a standard script in a data pre-processing script to produce a custom script and using the custom script against the selected data to produce the data visualization, wherein the custom script retains the chart type for animation purposes.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including transforming the first and second scene data objects and tweening parameters into data representation that excludes script instructions and passing the data representations to a native rendering tool.

8. A device including:
at least one processer and memory coupled to the processor, the memory holding program instructions that, when executed, carry out actions of:
representing a chart in a scene data object that divides a scene into cell quadrants, the scene data object including at least four non-overlapping cells: a plot cell, a pair of axis cells adjoining the plot cell and a fourth cell adjoining the axis cells and diagonally opposed from the plot cell;
wherein data in the scene data object is represented in key-value pairs;
wherein the scene data object represents the chart by a nested object hierarchy that includes at least one scene, multiple cells per scene, one or more layers per cell and shapes in the cells, wherein the cells subdivide the scene into areas holding different components of a data visualization to be animated cell-wise and the shapes that represent data regions in the plot cell and other chart components;
transforming selected data into a data visualization by running a script against the selected data, wherein the script implements a chart type, identifies the chart type for animation purposes, and translates the selected data into shapes in the plot cell and lines, text and other annotations in the four cells of the scene data object and translates a position of the plot cell from a first quadrant to a second quadrant among the cell quadrants and accommodates the pair of axis cells and the fourth cell to the position of the plot cell in the second quadrant;
processing data in first and second scene data objects and automatically selecting a transition path and tweening parameters based on the first and second chart types of the first and second scene data objects; and
further processing the first and second scene data objects and the tweening parameters to cause display of a first data visualization and an animated transition from the first data visualization to a second data visualization.

9. The device of claim 8 , further including recursively representing, in the scene data object, cells within cells.

10. The device of claim 8 , further including accepting user input that edits a standard script to produce a custom script and using the custom script against the selected data to produce the data visualization, wherein the custom script retains the chart type for animation purposes.

11. The device of claim 8 , further including accepting user input that wraps a standard script in a data pre-processing script to produce a custom script and using the custom script against the selected data to produce the data visualization, wherein the custom script retains the chart type for animation purposes.

12. The device of claim 8 , further including transforming the first and second scene data objects and tweening parameters into data representation that excludes script instructions and passing the data representations to a native rendering tool.

13. A tangible computer readable storage medium, including:
memory holding program instructions that, when executed, carry out actions of:
representing a chart in a scene data object that divides a scene into cell quadrants, the scene data object including at least four non-overlapping cells: a plot cell, a pair of axis cells adjoining the plot cell and a fourth cell adjoining the axis cells and diagonally opposed from the plot cell;
wherein the scene data object represents the chart by an object hierarchy that includes at least one scene, multiple cells per scene, one or more layers per cell and shapes in the cells, wherein the cells subdivide the scene into areas holding different components of a data visualization to be animated cell-wise and the shapes that represent data regions in the plot cell and other chart components;
transforming selected data into a data visualization by running a script against the selected data, wherein the script implements a chart type, identifies the chart type for animation purposes, and translates the selected data into shapes in the plot cell and lines, text and other annotations in the four cells of the scene data object and translates a position of the plot cell from a first quadrant to a second quadrant among the cell quadrants and accommodates the pair of axis cells and the fourth cell to the position of the plot cell in the second quadrant;
processing data in first and second scene data objects and automatically selecting a transition path and tweening parameters based on the first and second chart types of the first and second scene data objects; and
further processing the first and second scene data objects and the tweening parameters to cause display of a first data visualization and an animated transition from the first data visualization to a second data visualization.

Assignees

• Salesforce Com Inc
• Salesforce Inc

Inventors

• Prophete Didier
• Chen Yenan

Classifications

• G06T11/26 Primary

  Drawing of charts or graphs · CPC title

• G06T13/80

  Two-dimensional [2D] animation, e.g. using sprites · CPC title

• G06F21/53

  by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine · CPC title

• G06F40/137

  Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines · CPC title

• G06F17/2241

  Physics · mapped topic