Creating charts and visualizations by demonstration

Claim 2

A visualization method for producing a display chart using a programmable data processing system, comprising a data input device, a display device, and a data storage device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) using the data input device to provide the programmable data processing system with a drawn example graphical element and a plurality of data values; (b) storing the drawn example graphical element and the plurality of data values in the data storage device; and (c) using the programmable data processing system to automatically perform the steps of: (1) associating one of the plurality of data values to the drawn example graphical element, the associated data value being contained within a specified range of values; (2) applying one of a plurality of heuristics to the drawn example graphical element and the associated data value to determine a visualization characteristic of the graphical element, wherein the plurality of heuristics comprises a heuristic selected from the group consisting of determining the type of chart based on the type of drawn example graphical element and the proximity of the drawn example graphical element to other drawn example graphical elements and to an axis, determining the values of visualization characteristics by copying the characteristics of the drawn example graphical element, and determining the number and placement of chart elements based on the plurality of data values; and (3) displaying, on the display device, the display chart from the drawn example graphical element embodying the visualization characteristic, such that the display chart visualizes the specified range of values of the associated data value.

Claim 3

The visualization method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of graphical primitives includes rectangle, mark, line, pie piece, text, axis, and arbitrary picture.

Claim 4

The visualization method of claim 1 wherein the visualization characteristic includes scaling the display graphic along an x-axis, scaling the display graphic along a y-axis, repeating the display graphic, and changing the display graphic color, line style, texture, and shape.

Claim 5

The visualization method of claim 1 wherein the programmable data processing system further performs the step of determining one of a plurality of data types from one of the plurality of data values.

Claim 6

The visualization method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of data types include nominal, ordinal, time, date, money, general number, or text.

Claim 7

The visualization method of claim 1 wherein the programmable data processing system further performs the step of updating the display chart when any of the plurality of data values changes.

Claim 8

A visualization method for producing a display chart using a programmable data processing system, comprising a data input device, a display device, and a data storage device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) using the data input device to provide the programmable data processing system with an example movable special marker and a plurality of data values; (b) storing the example movable special marker and the plurality of data values in the data storage device; and (c) using the programmable data processing system to automatically perform the steps of: (1) associating one of the plurality of data values to the example movable special marker, the associated data value being contained within a specified range of values; and (2) applying one of a plurality of heuristics to the example movable special marker and the associated data value to determine a visualization characteristic of a graphical element of the display chart, such that the graphical element associated with the associated data value is highlighted using the example movable special marker, wherein the plurality of heuristics comprises a heuristic selected from the group consisting of determining which data value is being highlighted by determining which chart element the example movable special marker is near, determining whether a data value is a largest or smallest data value, and determining whether the example movable special marker contains a representation of a data value.

Claim 9

A visualization method for producing a display chart using a programmable data processing system, comprising a data input device, a display device, and a data storage device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) using the data input device to provide the programmable data processing system with an example movable special marker and a plurality of data values; (b) storing the example movable special marker and the plurality of data values in the data storage device; and (c) using the programmable data processing system to automatically perform the steps of: (1) associating one of the plurality of data values to the example movable special marker, the associated data value being contained within a specified range of values; and (2) applying one of a plurality of heuristics to the example movable special marker and the associated data value to determine a visualization characteristic of a graphical element of the display chart, such that the graphical element associated with the associated data value is highlighted using the example movable special marker, wherein the plurality of heuristics comprises a heuristic selected from the group consisting of determining which data value is being highlighted by determining which chart element the example movable special marker is near, determining whether a data value is a largest or smallest data value, and determining whether the example movable special marker contains a representation of a data value.

Claim 10

The visualization method of claim 7 wherein the step of drawing a movable special marker comprises editing a visualization characteristic of a graphic element as the movable special marker within the display chart, such that the data value associated with the graphic element is highlighted.

Claim 11

The visualization method of claim 8 wherein the movable special marker displays the data value associated with a highlighted graphic element.

Claim 12

The visualization method of claim 7 wherein the programmable data processing system further performs the step of updating the special marker when any of the plurality of data values changes.

Claim 13

A visualization method for producing a display chart using a programmable data processing system, comprising a data input device, a display device, and a data storage device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) using the data input device to provide the programmable data processing system with first and second drawn example graphical elements and a plurality of data values; (b) storing the first and second drawn example graphical elements and the plurality of data values in the data storage device; and (c) using the programmable data processing system to automatically perform the steps of: (1) associating one of the plurality of data values to the first drawn example graphical element and one of the plurality of data values to the second drawn example graphical element; (2) comparing the first drawn graphical element to the second drawn graphical element; (3) determining a graphical difference between the first and second drawn example graphical elements; (4) associating one of the plurality of data values to the graphical difference, the associated data value being contained within a specified range; (5) applying one of a plurality of heuristics to the graphical difference and the associated data value to determine a visualization characteristic of a graphical element of the display chart, wherein the plurality of heuristics comprises a heuristic selected from the group consisting of determining which visualization characteristic differs between the first drawn example graphical element and the second drawn example graphical element, determining the type of chart based on a differing visualization characteristic, the types of the first and second drawn example graphical elements, the proximity of the first and second drawn example graphical elements to other drawn example graphical elements and to an axis, determining the values of visualization characteristics by copying the characteristics from a drawn example graphical element, and determining the number, placement and values for a differing visualization characteristic of the display chart elements based on the plurality of data values; and (6) displaying, on the display device, the display chart from the graphical difference embodying the visualization characteristic, such that the display chart visualizes the specified range of values of the associated data value.

Claim 14

A visualization method for producing a display chart using a programmable data processing system, comprising a data input device, a display device, and a data storage device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) using the data input device to provide the programmable data processing system with first and second drawn example graphical elements and a plurality of data values; (b) storing the first and second drawn example graphical elements and the plurality of data values in the data storage device; and (c) using the programmable data processing system to automatically perform the steps of: (1) associating one of the plurality of data values to the first drawn example graphical element and one of the plurality of data values to the second drawn example graphical element; (2) comparing the first drawn graphical element to the second drawn graphical element; (3) determining a graphical difference between the first and second drawn example graphical elements; (4) associating one of the plurality of data values to the graphical difference, the associated data value being contained within a specified range; (5) applying one of a plurality of heuristics to the graphical difference and the associated data value to determine a visualization characteristic of a graphical element of the display chart, wherein the plurality of heuristics comprises a heuristic selected from the group consisting of determining which visualization characteristic differs between the first drawn example graphical element and the second drawn example graphical element, determining the type of chart based on a differing visualization characteristic, the types of the first and second drawn example graphical elements, the proximity of the first and second drawn example graphical elements to other drawn example graphical elements and to an axis, determining the values of visualization characteristics by copying the characteristics from a drawn example graphical element, and determining the number, placement and values for a differing visualization characteristic of the display chart elements based on the plurality of data values; and (6) displaying, on the display device, the display chart from the graphical difference embodying the visualization characteristic, such that the display chart visualizes the specified range of values of the associated data value.

Claim 15

The visualization method of claim 11 further comprising the step of associating one of the plurality of data values to each drawn graphical element within the example graphic.

Claim 16

The visualization method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of graphical primitives includes rectangle, mark, line, pie piece, text, axis, and arbitrary picture.

Claim 17

The visualization method of claim 11 wherein the visualization characteristic includes scaling the display graphic along an x-axis, scaling the display graphic along a y-axis, repeating the display graphic, and changing the display graphic color, line style, texture, and shape.

Claim 18

The visualization method of claim 11 wherein the programmable data processing system further performs the step of determining one of a plurality of data types from one of the plurality of data values.

Claim 19

The visualization method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of data types includes nominal, ordinal, time, date, money, general number, or text.

Claim 20

The visualization method of claim 11 wherein the programmable data processing system further performs the step of updating the display chart when any of the plurality of data values changes.

Claim 23

The system of claim 18 further comprising visualization means for scaling the display graphic along an x-axis, scaling the display graphic along a y-axis, repeating the display graphic, and changing the display graphic color, line style, texture, and shape.

Claim 24

The system of claim 18 further comprising update means for updating the display chart when any of the plurality of data values changes.

Claim 27

The system of claim 21 further comprising editing means for editing a visualization characteristic of the example graphic element as the movable special marker such that the graphical element is highlighted.

Claim 28

The system of claim 22 wherein the movable special marker displays the data value associated with a highlighted graphic element.

Claim 29

The system of claim 21 further comprising update means for updating the movable special marker when any of the plurality of data values changes.

Claim 32

The system of claim 25 further comprising visualization means for scaling the display graphic along an x-axis, scaling the display graphic along a y-axis, and repeating the display graphic, and changing the display graphic color, line style, texture, and shape.

Claim 33

The system of claim 25 further comprising update means for updating the display chart when any of the plurality of data values changes.