Heatmap Multi-Pass Rendering Two-Channel Mask
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heatmaps generated by data visualization applications face challenges in processor-efficient manipulation due to physiological, hardware, and ambient lighting differences, which affect color interpretation and require resource-intensive re-rendering when users interact with or change hardware settings.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a multi-pass rendering method to generate a two-channel mask for heatmap visualizations, allowing for efficient manipulation and customization of value-color spectra, along with user interface tools for specifying custom value-color spectra, aggregation methods, and area of effect, to enhance readability and reduce processing resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data visualization applications re-render the dataset to the map as the user manipulates the image or changes hardware settings, then color interpretation consistency is improved, but processor resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing the relationship between data values and colors in a lookup table during an initial rendering pass. When users manipulate the image or change hardware settings, the application can quickly retrieve and apply the appropriate colors from the pre-computed table without performing resource-intensive re-rendering operations, thus maintaining color consistency while reducing processor consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the rendering information in the form of a lookup table that stores the essential value-color mappings. This copy allows the application to quickly reference and apply color information without needing to re-execute the full rendering pipeline, effectively decoupling the expensive rendering operation from the frequent user interactions and hardware changes.
2Productivity
If standard heatmaps are generated without customization, then processing speed is improved, but readability and user interpretation accuracy deteriorate due to color blindness and individual color perception differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing users to customize different segments of the value-color spectrum independently. Users can modify specific color ranges or individual colors in the lookup table to accommodate their visual needs or preferences, such as adjusting colors for color blindness while maintaining the overall processing efficiency of the heatmap generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables parameter changes by allowing users to modify the color values in the lookup table without changing the underlying data or the rendering process. This flexibility lets users adjust color parameters to improve readability and interpretation accuracy while keeping the processing speed intact, as the customized colors are simply applied from the pre-computed table.
3Ease of operation
If custom value-color spectra are implemented with user interface tools, then user control and readability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary lookup table that mediates between the data and the visual representation. The user interface tools interact with this table to apply custom color spectra, effectively isolating the complexity of color customization from the core rendering logic. This intermediary layer simplifies the user interface by providing straightforward controls for color adjustment while managing the underlying complexity internally.
Data Source
AI summary
Performance and capability improvements of computer devices that provide digital images of heatmap visualizations for datasets are provided via both systems and methods. A value-color spectrum is correlated to the dataset via a multi-pass rendering. The multi-pass rendering yields a two-channel mask, which is applied to a map to show the dataset in a heatmap visualization on that map, and may be continually used as the map is manipulated by a user. User interface tools are also provided to enable a user to specify a custom value-color spectrum, how the dataset is to be aggregated, the area of effect for a data point in the visualization, the strength of effect for a data point in the visualization, and which specifies how a dataset will be visually represented in a heatmap.