Systems and Methods of Arranging Displayed Elements in Data Visualizations that use Relationships

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018067998-A1
Application number	US-201715724212-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 15, 2014
Publication date	Mar 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method sorts data in data visualizations. The method is performed at a computing device having one or more processors and memory. The method retrieves a set of tuples from a database according to user selection. Each tuple includes a same set of fields. The method identifies a relation between tuples. The relation is a non-empty set of ordered pairs of tuples from the set of tuples. The method receives user selection of the relation to specify a dimensional position of visual marks corresponding to the tuples. The dimensional position is either the x-position of the y-position. The method generates and displays a data visualization with each tuple represented by a visible mark. The dimensional position of each displayed visual mark is based on a network traversal of the tuples using the relation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of sorting data in data visualizations, comprising:
at a computing device having one or more processors and memory:
retrieving a set of tuples from a database according to user selection, wherein each tuple comprises a same set of fields;
identifying a relation between tuples, wherein the relation comprises a non-empty set of ordered pairs of tuples from the set of tuples;
receiving user selection of the relation to specify a dimensional position of visual marks corresponding to the tuples, wherein the dimensional position is selected from the group consisting of x-position and y-position; and
generating and displaying a data visualization with each tuple represented by a visible mark, wherein the dimensional position of each displayed visual mark is based on a network traversal of the tuples using the relation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network traversal uses a depth first search of the tuples using the relation.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network traversal uses a breadth first search of the tuples using the relation.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the relation corresponds to a field f in the set of fields, and wherein the relation consists of ordered pairs of distinct tuples (t 1 , t 2 ) for which t 1 and t 2 have a same field value for the field f.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the relation corresponds to a field f in the set of fields and a positive number δ, and wherein the relation consists of ordered pairs of distinct tuples (t 1 , t 2 ) for which f field values f 1 and f 2 corresponding to tuples t 1 and t 2 satisfy |f 1 −f 2 |<δ.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the relation corresponds to a first field f and a second field g, both in the set of fields, and wherein the relation consists of ordered pairs of distinct tuples (t 1 , t 2 ) for which the f field value for t 1 equals the g field value for t 2 .

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein all of the tuples have the same structure, including number of fields, order of fields, field data types, and field names.

8 . A computer, comprising:
one or more processors; memory; and one or more programs stored in the memory configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
retrieving a set of tuples from a database according to user selection, wherein each tuple comprises a same set of fields;
identifying a relation between tuples, wherein the relation comprises a non-empty set of ordered pairs of tuples from the set of tuples;
receiving user selection of the relation to specify a dimensional position of visual marks corresponding to the tuples, wherein the dimensional position is selected from the group consisting of x-position and y-position; and
generating and displaying a data visualization with each tuple represented by a visible mark, wherein the dimensional position of each displayed visual mark is based on a network traversal of the tuples using the relation.

9 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein the network traversal uses a depth first search of the tuples using the relation.

10 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein the network traversal uses a breadth first search of the tuples using the relation.

11 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein the relation corresponds to a field f in the set of fields, and wherein the relation consists of ordered pairs of distinct tuples (t 1 , t 2 ) for which t 1 and t 2 have a same field value for the field f.

12 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein the relation corresponds to a field f in the set of fields and a positive number δ, and wherein the relation consists of ordered pairs of distinct tuples (t 1 , t 2 ) for which f field values f 1 and f 2 corresponding to tuples t 1 and t 2 satisfy |f 1 −f 2 |<δ.

13 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein the relation corresponds to a first field f and a second field g, both in the set of fields, and wherein the relation consists of ordered pairs of distinct tuples (t 1 , t 2 ) for which the f field value for t 1 equals the g field value for t 2 .

14 . The computer of claim 8 , wherein all of the tuples have the same structure, including number of fields, order of fields, field data types, and field names.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer having one or more processors and memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
retrieving a set of tuples from a database according to user selection, wherein each tuple comprises a same set of fields; identifying a relation between tuples, wherein the relation comprises a non-empty set of ordered pairs of tuples from the set of tuples; receiving user selection of the relation to specify a dimensional position of visual marks corresponding to the tuples, wherein the dimensional position is selected from the group consisting of x-position and y-position; and generating and displaying a data visualization with each tuple represented by a visible mark, wherein the dimensional position of each displayed visual mark is based on a network traversal of the tuples using the relation.

16 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the network traversal uses a depth first search of the tuples using the relation.

17 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the network traversal uses a breadth first search of the tuples using the relation.

18 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the relation corresponds to a field f in the set of fields, and wherein the relation consists of ordered pairs of distinct tuples (t 1 , t 2 ) for which t 1 and t 2 have a same field value for the field f.

19 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the relation corresponds to a field f in the set of fields and a positive number δ, and wherein the relation consists of ordered pairs of distinct tuples (t 1 , t 2 ) for which f field values f 1 and f 2 corresponding to tuples t 1 and t 2 satisfy |f 1 −f 2 <δ.

20 . The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the relation corresponds to a first field f and a second field g, both in the set of fields, and wherein the relation consists of ordered pairs of distinct tuples (t 1 , t 2 ) for which the f field value for t 1 equals the g field value for t 2 .

Assignees

• Tableau Software Inc

Inventors

• Sherman Scott
• Stolte Christopher Richard

Classifications

• G06F17/30554 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F16/2423

  Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema · CPC title

• G06F16/248 Primary

  Presentation of query results · CPC title