Direct Gesture Interaction with Data Visualization Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Auxiliary control mechanisms for data visualization are not well-suited for small-sized devices like tablets and smartphones due to limited screen real estate, making it difficult for users to interact effectively with data visualizations.
Innovation Solution
Allowing users to directly interact with data visualizations using gestures such as filtering, sorting, and labeling changes on touch-sensitive devices, eliminating the need for auxiliary control mechanisms and providing a more intuitive user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If auxiliary control mechanisms are provided within peripheral regions of the graphical user interface, then data manipulation functionality is provided, but screen real estate is consumed and interaction becomes complex on small devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the data visualization content with the control mechanisms by making the visualizable data items themselves interactive. Users can directly manipulate data items, axes, and labels through gestures on the visualization itself, eliminating the need for separate auxiliary control panels and toolbars that consume screen space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the control functionality from traditional auxiliary mechanisms and embeds it directly into the data visualization elements. By making data items, axes, and labels themselves interactive targets, the control functions are taken out from peripheral regions and integrated into the main visualization area.
2Adaptability or versatility
If auxiliary control mechanisms are provided for data manipulation, then functionality is provided, but the interface becomes complex and difficult to understand
Solution Approach 1:
The data visualization elements serve themselves by being directly interactive. Data items, axes, and labels inherently respond to user gestures without requiring separate control mechanisms, making the interface more intuitive and easier to understand while maintaining full data manipulation functionality.
3Productivity
If traditional auxiliary control mechanisms are used, then data manipulation is possible, but screen space efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines control functionality with data visualization content, allowing users to interact directly with visualizable data items through gestures. This merging eliminates the need for separate control panels and maximizes screen space efficiency while maintaining full interaction capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Functionality is described herein for directly interacting with parts of a data visualization. For instance, the functionality allows a user to directly interact with data items to filter them out from the data visualization, and later restore them to the data visualization. The functionality also allows a user to directly interact with an axis to sort the data items in the data visualization. The functionality also allows a user to directly interact with a label of the data visualization to choose a new label, and to reorganize the information represented by the data visualization in response thereto. Further, before finalizing any update to the data visualization, the functionality may provide a preview of the updated data visualization.