Abstract:
According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more computer processors display unstructured data. One or more computer processors display a first chart that graphically represents at least a portion of the unstructured data. In response to the first chart failing to satisfy a user-defined criteria, one or more computer processors modifies the first chart to generate a second chart that graphically represents at least a portion of the unstructured data in a user-defined manner. In certain embodiments, the unstructured data includes information that does not have a pre-defined data model and/or is not organized in a pre-defined manner.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates generally to the field of data processing, and more particularly to sharing crowd sourced graphical representations. 
         [0002]    Structured information may be defined as information whose intended meaning is explicitly represented in the structure or format of the data. Unstructured information may be characterized as information whose meaning requires interpretation in order to approximate and extract the intended meaning. Examples include natural language documents, speech, audio, images, and video. In other words, unstructured data is any data residing unorganized outside a database. 
         [0003]    Unstructured data can include text, audio, video, and/or graphics. Unstructured information is believed to represent one of the largest and fastest growing sources of information available. In some estimation, unstructured data represents 80% of all corporate information. High-value information in this huge amount of data may be difficult to discover. Unstructured information may not be in a format adapted to search techniques. Searching for information in unstructured sources may not always be practical. First, data must be analyzed to detect and locate items of interest. The results must then be structured to facilitate searchability. Charts are graphical representations of data, in which data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart. 
         [0004]    It is known to have internet-based competitions, such as contests with rewards for contest winners, to determine which person has made the best data visualization (for example, chart, graph, etc.) to represent a given set of unstructured data. These competitions are generally judged by a relatively small group of human “experts” (as opposed to a large group of people without special qualifications). These competitions do not allow the competitors to see each other&#39;s entries during the time that the competition is open to new entries. It is believed that the reason for this access restriction is so that the people designing new data visualizations will not build on each others work (by learning from each other&#39;s mistakes, etc.). 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    According to embodiments of the present invention, one or more computer processors display unstructured data. One or more computer processors receive a first plurality of data visualization data sets, including a first data visualization data set. Each data visualization data set is machine readable data for generating a display of a data visualization. Each data visualization, respectively corresponding to a data visualization data set of the first plurality of data visualization data sets, represents at least a portion of data in a first unstructured data set. The one or more processors receive a first plurality of user evaluations that evaluate the data visualizations corresponding to the first plurality of data visualization data sets. The one or processors generate a first ranking based, at least in part on the first plurality of user evaluations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an environment, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a depiction of an exemplary Webpage that includes unstructured data, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  depicts user-generated charts associated with the exemplary Webpage of  FIG. 2 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  illustrates operational steps of a program function, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  depicts a block diagram of components of a client computing device executing the program function, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    With reference now to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , the descriptions of various embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. 
         [0012]    The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention. 
         [0013]    The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire. 
         [0014]    Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and/or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device. 
         [0015]    Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java™ Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user&#39;s computer, partly on the user&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user&#39;s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention. 
         [0016]    Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions. 
         [0017]    These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
         [0018]    The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
         [0019]    The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. 
         [0020]    Some embodiments of the present invention are used to produce and/or present “data visualizations.” As used herein, “data visualizations” includes charts, graphs, diagrams, flow charts, three dimensional representation, color coded representation, tables and the like. As used herein, “data visualizations” do not include prose text, poetry type text, photographs, graphics, company logos, visualizations generated by musical metadata, annotations in pre-existing texts, etc. 
         [0021]    Some embodiments of the present invention facilitate sharing of “crowdsourced” data visualizations (sometimes herein more simply referred to as “charts”). In some embodiments, charts for unstructured data are generated by users and made available for viewing and/or review by subsequent users. In other embodiments, users rank pre-generated charts, which are made available to subsequent users. Certain embodiments allow one or more users to review and rank (crowdsourcing) user-generated charts, which reduce the need for subsequent users to generate charts. Crowdsourced charts that effectively depict unstructured data can increase a user&#39;s comprehension thereof. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the Figures.  FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an environment, generally designated  100 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0022]    Environment  100  includes client  110 , data rendering database  122 , rankings  124 , and data sources  130 , all interconnected over network  140 . Network  140  can be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or a combination of the two, and can include wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. Network  140  may be a distributed computing environment utilizing clustered computers and components that act as a single pool of seamless resources, as is common in data centers and with cloud computing applications or “clouds”. In general, network  140  can be any combination of connections and protocols that will support communications between client  110  and additional computing devices. 
         [0023]    In various embodiments of the present invention, client  110  may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a netbook computer, a personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or any programmable electronic device capable of communicating with an additional computing devices and resources via network  140 . Data sources  130  are information repositories that include unstructured data, such as information included in one or more webpages, email correspondences, word processing documents, video, and text documents. In an embodiment, data sources  130  represent information repositories that are available via the Internet. Data rendering database  122  is an information repository that includes user generated charts. Rankings  124  is an information repository that includes user generated rankings associated with the user generated charts included in data rendering database  122 . In certain embodiments, information included in rankings  124  comprises rankings that reflect how effective unstructured data is graphically represented by a particular chart that is included in data rendering database  122 . In other embodiments, information included in rankings  124  includes user-generated comments that are associated with the charts of data rendering database  122 . 
         [0024]    Client  110  includes user interface  116 , data viewing software  114 , and program function  112 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Client  110  is a device utilized by users to access information that includes unstructured data and/or charts thereof. User interface  116  can be a gesture-based, text-based, and/or graphics-based user interface. User interface  116  can also be a motion tracking user interface or a combination of any of the previously mentioned user interface types. In an embodiment, user interface  116  is a touch screen display. User interface  116  can facilitate the generation of charts of unstructured data, such as the data included in data sources  130 . Data viewing software  114  is software used for accessing and viewing data that includes unstructured data, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, data viewing software  114  is a web browser, email client, text document viewer, and/or word processor. 
         [0025]    Data viewing software  114  is in communication with program function  112 . Program function  112  is software that allows a user to generate charts for unstructured data, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Program function  112  stores user-generated charts in data rendering database  122 . Program function  112  stores user-generated rankings that are associated with the user-generated charts of data rendering database  122  in rankings  124 . Program function  112  allows users to rank the user-generated charts that are included in data rendering database  122 . Program function  112  allows users to modify the user-generated charts that are included in data rendering database  122 . Program function  112  can generate charts, which include but are not limited to histograms, tables, bar charts, line charts, diagrams, maps, plots, and sparklines, that seek to effectively illustrate unstructured data. Program function  112  allows users to author charts. 
         [0026]    To further explain, storage of user-generated charts into a database requires a structured query language (SQL) statement that will insert the chart into the database. In the embodiment under discussion, program function  112  generates the SQL statement and inserts it into the database. User-generated rankings are associated with the chart using a relational database model. In this embodiment, the relational database is stored in the storage system shown in  FIG. 1 . In this embodiment, in the table(s) of the relational database, a column called “chart_id” uniquely identifies a chart. Another column, called “ranking” has a numerical value associated to that chart identifier. The charts are stored in (or, at least linked from) the same relational database table as the rankings. In this embodiment, the operation of modifying the charts is similar to creating them. The implementation under discussion involves retrieving the chart from the database. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a depiction of an exemplary webpage, generally  200 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Webpage  200 , which includes an inventory of animals on an animal farm, includes unstructured data  210  and window  220 . In response to a user of client  110  accessing webpage  200 , which is included in data sources  130 , program function  112  determines whether there are any charts available in data rendering database  122  that are associated with webpage  200 . Program function  112  determines that there are four user-generated charts that are associated with webpage  200  and displays their name, rankings, and originating user in window  220 . 
         [0028]    In an embodiment, program function  112  uses object character recognition to determine whether webpage  200  includes numerical and/or quantitative wording or phrases, for example, “more than”. If numerical and/or quantitative wording or phrases are present in webpage  200  and there are no associated charts available in data rendering database  122 , program function  112  allows the user to generate a chart and stores the chart in data rendering database. Program function  112  associates each chart included in data rendering database  122  with the appropriate data source included data sources  130 . In an embodiment, applicable data sources include webpages, emails, and/or text-based documents. 
         [0029]    Window  220  displays that there are four user-generated charts associated with unstructured data  210  Charts I, II, III, and IV that were generated by Users A, B, C, and D, respectively.  FIG. 3  depicts Charts I, II, III, and IV, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Specifically,  FIG. 3  illustrates the animal inventory of webpage  200  depicted as a bar chart in Charts I and II, a pie chart in Chart III, and a table in Chart IV. If there are no user-generated charts available for webpage  200  in data rendering database  122 , program function  112  allows the user of client  110  to generate and store one or more charts in data rendering database  122 . Applicable charts include, but are not limited to, pie charts, line charts, bar charts, histograms, timelines, organizational charts, tree charts, flow charts, plots, area chart, cartogram, and pedigree charts. 
         [0030]    Applicable charts also include, but are not limited to, bubble charts, polar area diagram, waterfall charts, radar charts, tree maps, mathematical diagrams, diagrams, and streamgraphs. Applicable charts may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. If a user disagrees with a ranking depicted in window  220 , then program function  112  allows the user to rank the chart. In an embodiment, program function  112  can display a chart&#39;s average ranking. In other embodiments, program function  112  can display rankings that are associated with one or more particular users, for example User A. Program function  112  can display all rankings that are associated with a particular chart or charts of a pre-determined minimum ranking. The user selects Chart IV and agrees with the ranking. In response to the user selecting Chart IV, program function  112  displays Chart IV. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart depicting operational steps of program function  112 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Program function  112  monitors user webpage access (step  400 ). Program function  112  determines whether unstructured data is present in the accessed webpage (decisional  405 ). The purpose of this function is to find unstructured data. That means data that is not stored in an explicit relationship form. The function will scan each line into a list, and then find the lines that have a high frequency (duplication). Duplicated lines are removed as these are often taken to be footers and headers. If the page is an HTML page, the function will parse out all data in the &lt;BODY&gt; tag. 
         [0032]    If decisional operation  405  determines that unstructured data is not present in the accessed page (“no” branch decisional  405 ), program function  112  stops. If unstructured data is present in the accessed page (“yes” branch decisional  405 ), program function  112  determines whether user-generated visualizations are available for the accessed page (decisional  410 ). User-generated visualizations are typically stored in some repository (for example a database keyed by the page name). In this embodiment, this repository takes the form of the relational database stored in the storage system shown in  FIG. 1 . This repository will be accessed, by using the key, to determine if a user-generated visualization is available. If user-generated visualizations are not available (“no” branch decisional  410 ), program function  112  determines whether the user desires to generate a chart (decisional  435 ). 
         [0033]    If the user does not desire to generate a chart (‘no” branch decisional  435 ), then program function  112  stops. If the user desires to generate a chart (“yes” branch decisional  435 ), program function  112  stores the user-generated chart (step  440 ). If user-generated charts are available (“yes” branch decisional  410 ), program function  112  displays the user-generated chart (UGC) rankings (step  415 ). Program function  112  determines whether the user desires to use a UGC (decisional  420 ). If the user does not desire to use a UGC (“no” branch decisional  420 ), program function  112  stops. If the user desires to use a UGC (“yes” branch decisional  420 ), program function  112  displays the appropriate UGC (step  425 ). To explain further, the “appropriate” UGC is the UGC (or UGCs) chosen by a user (often a human user), or by the controlling software, based on the rankings received from users (generally other human users). In this embodiment, the controlling software simply shows the highest ranked UGC as the “appropriate UGC.” In other embodiments, the “appropriate UGC” may be selected in a different way (for example, showing the lowest ranked UGC, or showing all of the top three ranked UGCs). Program function  112  determines whether the user agrees with the UGC ranking (decisional  430 ). If the user does not agree with the UGC ranking (“no” branch decisional  430 ), program function  112  prompts user for a new ranking (step  445 ). Program function  112  stores the new ranking (step  450 ). If the user agrees with the UGS ranking (“yes” branch decisional  430 ), program function  112  stops. In an embodiment, program function  112  determines and displays the average ranking for a UGC using all user-generated rankings. 
         [0034]    There are many possible embodiments for the form and format of the rankings. These embodiments include: (i) a simple binary (thumbs up/thumbs down); (ii) a scale (1-5); (iii) a scale (1-10) stars; (iv) weighted rankings (for example, highly active users supply rankings that are weighted to have greater influence on aggregate ranking than less active users); (v) multiple, role-based rankings (for example, separate rankings for people with different professions, such as scientists, engineers, accountants and artists); and/or (vi) qualitative rankings (for example, the use of user-selectable, non-numerical descriptors, such as, “detailed,” “summary,” “visually pleasing,” “clever,” “straight forward”). The user makes a selection, and the ranking is updated. With further regard to item (iv) in the foregoing list, some embodiments that include weighted rankings give new users (for example, users active less than one (1) year) a weight of 0.1 on ranking, while longer-term users receive a larger weight factor (for example, increasing linearly with time up to a maximum of 1.0 for users active over ten (10) years). 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  depicts a block diagram of components of client  110 , in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It should be appreciated that  FIG. 5  provides only an illustration of one implementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Many modifications to the depicted environment may be made. 
         [0036]    Client  110  includes communications fabric  502 , which provides communications between computer processor(s)  504 , memory  506 , persistent storage  508 , communications unit  510 , and input/output (I/O) interface(s)  512 . Communications fabric  502  can be implemented with any architecture designed for passing data and/or controlling information between processors (such as microprocessors, communications and network processors, etc.), system memory, peripheral devices, and any other hardware components within a system. For example, communications fabric  502  can be implemented with one or more buses. 
         [0037]    Memory  506  and persistent storage  508  are computer readable storage media. In this embodiment, memory  506  includes random access memory (RAM)  514  and cache memory  516 . In general, memory  506  can include any suitable volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage media. 
         [0038]    Program function  112  and data viewing software  114  are stored in persistent storage  508  for execution by one or more of the respective computer processor(s)  504  via one or more memories of memory  506 . In this embodiment, persistent storage  508  includes a magnetic hard disk drive. Alternatively, or in addition to a magnetic hard disk drive, persistent storage  508  can include a solid state hard drive, a semiconductor storage device, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, or any other computer readable storage media that is capable of storing program instructions or digital information. 
         [0039]    The media used by persistent storage  508  may also be removable. For example, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage  508 . Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, and smart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer onto another computer readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage  508 . 
         [0040]    Communications unit  510 , in these examples, provides for communications with other data processing systems or devices, including resources of data sources  130 , data rendering database  122 , and rankings  124 . In these examples, communications unit  510  includes one or more network interface cards. Communications unit  510  may provide communications through the use of either or both physical and wireless communications links. Program function  112  and data viewing software  114  may be downloaded to persistent storage  508  through communications unit  510 . 
         [0041]    I/O interface(s)  512  allows for input and output of data with other devices that may be connected to client  110 . For example, I/O interface(s)  512  may provide a connection to external device(s)  518  such as a keyboard, a keypad, a touch screen, and/or some other suitable input device. External device(s)  518  can also include portable computer readable storage media such as, for example, thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards. Software and data used to practice embodiments of the present invention, e.g., program function  112 , data rendering database  122 , and rankings  124 , can be stored on such portable computer readable storage media and can be loaded onto persistent storage  508  via I/O interface(s)  512 . I/O interface(s)  512  also connects to a display  520 . Display  520  provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be, for example, a computer monitor. 
         [0042]    The programs described herein are identified based upon the application for which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular program nomenclature herein is used merely for convenience, and thus the invention should not be limited to use solely in any specific application identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.