Data Binding Graph for Interactive Chart Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing user interfaces for computers, particularly those involving multiple chart views with rich brushing and linking, are error-prone and complex due to the imperative plumbing required to maintain consistency across views.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a directed acyclic graph to visualize data by binding visualization nodes to data source and derived data nodes, allowing user interactions to propagate through the graph for consistent and efficient updating of multiple chart views.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If imperative plumbing is used to maintain consistency across multiple chart views, then data consistency can be maintained, but the system becomes error-prone and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a graph data structure as an intermediary layer between data sources and visualizations. This graph mediates data flow and transformations, automatically maintaining consistency across multiple chart views without requiring complex imperative plumbing code. The graph nodes represent data sources and transformations, while edges represent data dependencies, providing a declarative model that eliminates manual consistency management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of imperative data binding and manual consistency management with a declarative graph-based system. Instead of programmatically managing data flow and transformations through complex code, the system uses a declarative graph model where data relationships are defined once and automatically propagated, substituting manual mechanical operations with automated graph-based data flow management.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple chart views with rich brushing and linking are implemented, then user interaction capability is enhanced, but the imperative plumbing required to maintain consistency becomes error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The graph structure serves as an intermediary that automatically manages data consistency across multiple chart views with brushing and linking capabilities. When data changes in one view, the graph automatically propagates updates to all dependent views, eliminating errors associated with manual consistency management while preserving rich user interaction capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements automatic feedback mechanisms through the graph data structure. When data is modified in any chart view, the graph automatically detects changes and propagates updates to all connected views, ensuring consistency without requiring manual intervention. This feedback loop eliminates errors in maintaining consistency across multiple interactive views.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual data binding is used across multiple views, then flexibility is achieved, but the process becomes significantly complex and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical data binding operations with an automated graph-based system. Instead of manually writing and maintaining data binding code across multiple views, developers define the graph structure once, and the system automatically handles data flow and updates, dramatically simplifying implementation while maintaining flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The graph data structure provides a universal model that handles multiple data binding scenarios through a single unified approach. The same graph mechanism manages simple and complex data relationships, transformations, and propagations across all chart views, eliminating the need for separate manual binding logic for each case and reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include accessing a graph including a source node that defines source data, and downstream derived node(s) that receive upstream data and perform a modification operation on the data. A first visualization node, bound to the source node, displays a first visualization of the source data as defined by the source node, including binding a first visualization user interface (UI) element to the source data. A second visualization node, bound to a derived node, displays a second visualization of the source data as modified by the derived node, including binding a second visualization UI element to the data as modified by the derived node. The second visualization is modified based on input at the first visualization, by propagating the input from the source node through the graph to the derived node, and modifying the second visualization UI element at the second visualization to reflect the input.