Dynamic Data Visualization Grouping for Large Sets

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current data display systems face challenges in handling large data sets, often becoming unresponsive or sacrificing visual richness and flexibility, as they assume uniformity in data items and performance across various data sources, leading to unsatisfactory user experiences.

Innovation Solution

The system dynamically renders visual representations of data sets by grouping items with common characteristics, retrieving a minimum necessary portion of data to display a visual identifier for each group, allowing a larger portion of the data set to be represented in a single view without losing visual richness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a fixed number of results are displayed on a single page, then the display system maintains simple structure and fast response, but the user must scroll or page through hundreds of result pages to get a feel for the scope and breadth of results

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experienceVSAvoidtime to browse results
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the data set into meaningful groups based on shared characteristics (e.g., file type, source, date). Each group is represented by a visual identifier that aggregates multiple items, allowing users to perceive the scope of results at a glance without scrolling through individual items. This segmentation transforms a flat list into a hierarchical structure that reveals data breadth efficiently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces visual grouping as an additional dimension for organizing data beyond simple sequential listing. By adding the dimension of categorical grouping with visual identifiers, the system enables users to comprehend the scope and diversity of results spatially rather than requiring linear traversal through hundreds of pages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the system retrieves and displays all data items to ensure comprehensive results, then complete data coverage is achieved, but the system becomes unresponsive when handling large data sets

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of resultsVSAvoidsystem responsiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and displays only the essential identifying characteristics of data groups rather than retrieving complete data for all items. By taking out just the key visual identifiers needed to represent each group (such as file type icons, source badges, or date ranges), the system maintains result comprehensiveness while dramatically reducing data retrieval and rendering time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by retrieving and displaying a representative subset of data characteristics rather than complete data for all items. The visual identifiers provide sufficient information for users to assess result scope and make decisions, eliminating the need to process and display every single data item while maintaining system responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Device complexity

If the system assumes all data items will be displayed sequentially and are exactly the same size, then the display structure becomes simple and uniform, but visual richness and display flexibility are lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay structureVSAvoidvisual richness
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by allowing different visual identifiers and grouping strategies for different types of data items based on their specific characteristics. Rather than enforcing uniform display across all items, the system adapts the visual representation to the local properties of each data group (e.g., different icons for different file types, varied grouping criteria), thereby achieving both structural organization and visual richness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic adaptability where the display structure automatically adjusts based on the characteristics of the data being displayed. The system can dynamically change grouping criteria, visual identifier styles, and layout configurations to suit different data types and user needs, transforming a static uniform display into a flexible, context-aware visualization system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS7996786B2Dynamically rendering visualizations of data sets
Publication Date: 2011.08.09 ZHIGU HLDG
  • US7996786B2 patent drawing
  • US7996786B2 patent drawing
  • US7996786B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Computerized methods and systems for dynamically rendering visual representations of data sets are provided. Upon receiving a request for a particular data set (for instance, in response to receiving a search request), a data set is identified and a minimum portion thereof is retrieved that is necessary to render a visual representation of the data set. In this regard, items sharing a common characteristic may be grouped with one another so that only a single visual identifier of a group of data items may be displayed. In this way, a larger portion of the entire data set may be represented in a single view.