Systems and methods for representing and editing multi-dimensional data

Abstract

Systems and methods for representing, editing, and operating on multi-dimensional data efficiently, compactly, and in real-time with an intuitive graphical user interface without requiring extensive user training are provided. The multi-dimensional data consist of data pertaining to the allocation of labor, equipment, and material to project cost centers in business, educational, non-profit, and governmental organizations. The multi-dimensional data are stored in a multi-dimensional database that is accessed by the graphical user interface. The graphical user interface enables users to manipulate a large amount of data in a limited display area.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to real-time data structures for managing multi-dimensional data. More specifically, the present invention provides systems and methods for representing, editing, and operating on multi-dimensional data efficiently without requiring extensive user training. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The advent of the Internet and Information Technology (“IT”) has revolutionized the way business is conducted around the world. Business organizations have adopted these technologies to organize their structure, work flow and business relationships and to make their business processes increasingly more efficient. In particular, these technologies have become instrumental in enabling business organizations to manage the large amount of data transacted by them on a daily basis. [0003] Efforts to optimize a wide variety of business processes have led business organizations to demand an increased granularity and complexity in the data th...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017] In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide systems and methods for representing, editing, and operating on multi-dimensional data efficiently without requiring extensive user training.

[0021] These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing systems and methods for representing, editing, and operating on multi-dimensional data efficiently, compactly, and in real time with an intuitive graphical user interface (“GUI”). The multi-dimensional data is stored in a multi-dimensional database (“MDB”) that is accessed by the GUI. Both the MDB and GUI are platform-independent and may be implemented using different programming languages, operating systems, and hardware. The MDB and GUI may be offered as a service by an ASP or as an off-the-shelf RDBMS.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, multi-dimensional data is represented with a composite tree data structure. The tree root and fundamental data element that is input, managed, and rendered is referred to as an event. An event is used to describe the association of a specific context with a specific date, time, and quantity. The context of an event is described by assigning values into a fixed set of reference variables called dimensions. Context dimensions may consist of an item, class, work, reference, and unit, among others. Frequently used dimension values are organized into workgroups. Different combinations of item, class, work, reference, and unit can be saved and assigned a descriptive workgroup name so that they can be conveniently recalled by an user using a simple GUI navigational control. Additionally, easily recognizable graphical icons are used to represent different items to facilitate user's management of multi-dimensional data.

[0025] Advantageously, the systems and methods of the present invention enable a business organization to represent, edit, and operate on multi-dimensional data efficiently, compactly, and in real-time without requiring extensive user training. In addition, the systems and methods of the present invention also enable a business organization to manipulate multi-dimensional data in a limited display area using an intuitive GUI. Users may manage a large amount of data by interacting with the EVM in the GUI without having to create complex SQL queries commonly used in prior art RDBMSs or without having to become proficient in the often cumbersome and cryptic text-based GUIs of an RDBMS solution provided by an ASP.

Problems solved by technology

Efforts to optimize a wide variety of business processes have led business organizations to demand an increased granularity and complexity in the data that is input into their information systems.

Using RDBMSs for such diverse purposes requires business organizations to invest a considerable amount of resources to train IT staff to manage the databases.

Few of the RDBMSs available today allow an unsophisticated IT staff member to enter, view, and maintain multi-dimensional data efficiently and with a minimum of training.

Additionally, the user interfaces provided with such RDBMSs are predominantly text based, have limited display areas, and require considerable training before an IT staff member can become proficient in their use.

For example, activity-based costing RDBMSs become increasingly inefficient when the raw data contains many variables, or the resources are frequently applied to more than one activity within a recording period.

To conserve display space, variable values are often represented using a shorthand code that is often numeric and non-descriptive, which leads to a cryptic display that is meaningless to IT staff members not familiar with the coding conventions.

And despite this abbreviated representation technique, most solutions still require horizontal scrolling in the user interface to display all of the variables required by the transaction.

Finally, given the repetitiveness of variables between rows, considerable time is spent entering repeated values and determining which variables are unique to a given row.

As a result of these difficulties with existing RDBMSs, several business organizations have elected to utilize expensive and specialized intermediaries to collect and transpose data into their information systems.

In both cases, however, the business organizations are still required to train employees to use the often cryptic and cumbersome user interfaces designed by the ASPs to manage the organizations' data.

The same training and user interface difficulties found in commercially available RDBMSs are encountered with the solutions provided by ASPs.

Furthermore, it may be more expensive for a business organization to outsource its IT database needs to an ASP than to purchase an off-the-shelf RDBMS due to the high consulting fees charged by the ASP to train a business organization's employee to use the ASP system.

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