Patent Publication Number: US-2017364597-A1

Title: System for interactive analysis of data

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to German Application No. 20 2016 103 245.8, filed Jun. 20, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to a system for interactive analysis of data being stored in a storage means, and to the visualization of the analysis at a client means 
     BACKGROUND 
     Systems for analysis of data, which is stored in a server means, are known from prior art. For example, systems are known according to which data sets are stored in a server means, are transmitted to a client means in processed form, and are being displayed there. In order to be able to subject the data to further analysis, it is, for example, necessary to combine the data according to certain attributes, or to filter it according to certain attribute values. 
     In order to carry out filtering of the data, it is known to generate at the client means a filter criterion or filter rules, which then are transmitted to the server means in order to filter the data sets there. In order to generate such filter criteria or filter rules, it is known to provide filter generators. Such filter generators, however, are to be operated in a complex manner and require a high degree of technical knowledge, because the filters have to be generated by the user by formulating a mathematical filter expression. In fact, it is known to provide such filter generators with a graphical user surface in order to facilitate the generation of the filter expressions. Hereby, however, it is disadvantageous that during generation of a filter expression comprising several filter criteria, the dependencies of the individual filter criteria with respect to each other are not taken into consideration such that an ad hoc adaptation of a filter criterion under consideration of the potential filter criteria of the other filter results is not possible. In order to obtain a desired filtered result of the data, the user, therefore, has to adapt the filter expression in several steps iteratively, if needed. 
     SUMMARY 
     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for interactive analysis of data, which at least partially avoids the disadvantages known from prior art, and by means of which a simple intuitive and, in particular, time-saving analysis of the data is enabled. 
     According to one embodiment of the invention this object is solved by a system for interactive analysis of data according to the independent claim. Preferred embodiments of the system according to the invention are defined in the dependent claims. 
     Accordingly, a system for interactive analysis of data is provided, comprising a client means and at least one server means, wherein
         the client means is coupled to the at least one server means via a communications network, and wherein at least one data base is assigned to the at least one server means, in which the data to be analyzed is stored,   the data comprise the number of data sets, wherein each data set comprises location information and a number of further attribute values, and   the server means is adapted to
           generate an electronic document and to transmit it to the client means, wherein a map, in particular, a topographic map and a number of filter modules are embedded in the electronic document to be transmitted, wherein
               an attribute of the data sets is assigned to each filter module, and the attribute values of all filter modules together form a filter criterion according to which the data sets are filtered,   information of those data sets are embedded in the topographic map, which meet the filter criterion, wherein the position of the embedded information on the topographic map correspond to the respective location information of the data set, and   
               to receive, from the electronic document transmitted to the client means, an update request comprising information on attribute values of at least one filter module, and depending on the received update request, to generate an update message and transmit it to the client means, wherein the update message comprises information and/or instructions by means of which the client means updates the embedded information and/or the filter modules in the topographic map.   
               

     Hereby, it is advantageous that each filter module provides data, which is a component of the entire filter criterion. After transmitting the information on the attribute value or attribute values of a filter module to the server means, the server means is able to evaluate this information and, for example, to transmit filtered data sets to the client means by means of the update message such that, for example, all other filter modules may be adapted. Thus, the user is able to see at one glance, how the other filter modules are modified, if the attribute values of a filter module are filtered or are modified. Thereby, by adapting the individual filter modules, a user may generate a complete filter criterion without having to adapt the filter criterion in several steps iteratively. 
     It is advantageous, if the information embedded in the topographic map is embedded in the topographic map in accumulated/copied form. 
     Further, it is preferable, if each filter module visualizes the attribute values of the attribute assigned to the filter module in form of a diagram. Thereby, a more simple and intuitive adaptation of the filter modules, and thereby an intuitive filtering of the data may be realized. 
     The attribute values may be visualized in the filter module in an accumulated form and/or in a grouped form. 
     It is specifically advantageous, if the attribute values of those data sets may be visualized in the filter module, which meet the filter criterion. Thereby, only such attribute values in the filter modules are being displayed in an advantageous manner, by means of which a further filtering or limitation of the filter result is achieved. Such attribute values, which do not lead to any further limitation of the filter result, are not being displayed or are made inactive. This has the advantage that the server means is prevented from carrying out further filtering, which does not lead to any modification of the filtered result. In particular with respect to large data amounts, such unnecessary filter steps may lead to substantial speed losses of the server system which are notable for the user, or to a negative response behavior of the server system. 
     A control element may be assigned to the filter modules respectively, by means of which a user may filter the attribute values of the attribute assigned to the filter module, wherein the filtered attribute values of the respective filter module are a component of the filter criterion, and wherein the filter module is adapted to transmit information on the filtered attribute values to the server means. 
     The information on the filtered attribute values may be transmitted together with the update message to the server means. 
     It is preferable, if after filtering of the attribute values assigned to a filter module, the other filter modules are updated automatically, preferably in real-time. Thereby, the user may see at one glance, how a modification of a filter module modifies the other filter modules. 
     Hereby, it is preferable, if during updating the other filter modules, the attribute values assigned to the respective filter module are selected according to the filter criterion, which is derived from the filtered attribute values. That means that in each filter module, only such attribute values are displayed, the data sets of which meet the complete filter criterion. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the server means may further be adapted to embed at least one expert module into the electronic document, wherein the expert module is adapted to visualize two attributes of the data sets in a diagram, preferably on to axes. Thereby, the dependencies of the data sets with respect to attributes may be acquired immediately. 
     It is preferable, if a control element is assigned to the expert module, which in turn is assigned to either one of the two attributes, wherein a user may filter the attribute values of the respective attribute by means of the control element. 
     A data table may be assigned to the expert module, which, if needed, may be displayed in the electronic document, wherein data on which the diagram is based may be displayed in the data table. 
     A data table may be assigned to the expert module, which, if needed, may be displayed in the electronic document, wherein the data on which the diagram is based are being displayed in the data table. 
     The server means may further be adapted to store the filter criterion together with the data derived therefrom or the filtered data as historical data in the data base. 
     Further, the server means may further be adapted to compare the data derived after application of a filter criterion to the historical data stored in the data base, and to transmit the result of the comparison to the client means, and to display it there. 
     It is preferable, if a number of filter criteria is storable in the data base, and if the server means further is adapted to select one of the filter criteria from the data base to apply the selected filter criterion to the data sets, and to transmit the result therefrom to the client means by means of the electronic document. 
     Thereby, the market development for real estate objects may be monitored in an advantageous manner, if information on properties is stored with the data. 
     It is preferable, if the location information comprises geo-coordinates, and if the attribute values further assigned to the location information comprise information on a property. 
     The attribute, which is assigned to a filter module, may be selected from the group comprising the location of the property, the rent of the property, additional costs of the property, rental area of the property, area calculation type for the property, equipment features of the property, year of construction of the property, accessibility of the property to public transportation, accessibility to restaurants, accessibility to hotels, and combinations thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further details and features of the invention as well as concrete technical embodiments and advantages of the invention can be derived from the following description in connection with the drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exemplary application of a system according to the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an alternative exemplary application of the system according to the invention; and 
         FIG. 4A-B  are examples for a competitor analysis and a competitor matrix respectively as an application for the system according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of a system for interactive analysis of data according to the invention. 
     The system comprises a server means S and a client means C, wherein the server means is coupled to the client means via a communications network. Further, the system comprises a data base DB, which is coupled to the server means S, and in which the data to be analyzed is stored. 
     In this example and in the embodiments described in the following  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , it is assumed that the data to be analyzed is data of the real estate market. This data comprises a number of data sets, which respectively comprise location information and further data describing a property. The further data describing a property may be, for example, the rent for the property, the additional costs for the property, the rental area of the property, area calculation type for the property, equipment features of the property, year of construction of the property, and the like. 
     For landlords or real estate agents of office properties, an efficient and systematic investigation of the office market is of interest, wherein specifically an actual state analysis is of interest. For example, an analysis has to be carried out in order be able to determine the rent, the currently available rental areas, or the year of construction of the office properties in a geographical area. More comprehensive analysis, as, for example, the dependency of the rent with respect to the rental area may also be carried out by the system according to the invention, so as to name only some examples of possible analysis. 
     In order to be able to carry out such an analysis, the server means S generates an electronic document D, in which a topographic map  10  and a number of filter modules F 1  to Fn are embedded. If, for example, an analysis is to be carried out for the wider area of Munich, those data sets are filtered from the data base, which correspond to the location information of the wider area of Munich. 
     From these filtered data sets for the wider area of Munich, now the characteristics or attribute values are determined for all or for some attributes, and depending on the type of the attribute, a diagram is generated for the respective attribute, which is embedded in the electronic document together with the respective filter module. Hereby, each filter module is assigned to an attribute of the data sets. For example, the attribute “rent” may be assigned to the filter module F 3 . For the filter module F 3 , also all values of the attributes “rent” are read from the filtered data sets for the wider area of Munich, and are inserted, for example, in a grouped form as bar diagram into the filter module F 3 . Thus, for example, certain price ranges can be grouped to one bar of the bar diagram respectively. An example of a filter module F 3  for the rent is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     In the topographic map  10 , the properties of the wider area of Munich are displayed, wherein the properties are advantageously grouped according to districts, and the accumulated rent area of each group is displayed. 
     The electronic document thus generated then is transmitted from the server means S to the client means C, and is being displayed there. The user may thus, for example, recognize at one glance, how many rent areas are available in which district, and in which price range the rent is ranging. By means of additional filter modules, the user may recognize further details of the properties for the wider area of Munich at one glance, for example, in which price range the additional costs are ranging, or how the year of construction of the properties is distributed. 
     Based on this, the user may now carry out a detailed analysis, in which the user may adapt each filter module individually. For this, a control element is assigned to each filter module, by means of which the user may filter or limit the attribute values on which the filter module is based. 
     For example, a slide control may be assigned to the filter module “rent” F 3 , by means of which the user may set the minimum and maximum rent. The slide control in the filter module F 3 , thus, serves as interactive filter. Instead of a slide control, also other input elements may be used, by means of which a minimum or maximum rent may be set. After setting the minimum and maximum rent in the filter module F 3 , all other filter modules are adapted automatically such that there, now only such attribute values are displayed, the data sets of which meet the filter criterion for the rent. If, for example, a rent between EUR  15  and EUR  25  is set by means of the filter module F 3 , then, for example, only the additional costs of this property are displayed in the filter module F 4 , the rent of which lies between EUR  15  and EUR  25 . In this manner, all filter modules F 1  to Fn depend from each other and are updated automatically as soon as the filter module is modified. The user may analyze the consequences of a modification in a filter module on the other filter modules nearly in real-time. 
     In the filter module F 6 , for example, a ring is used as input element for the setting of a filter, wherein the ring comprises several segments. Each segment of the ring represents a filter criterion for the attribute “area calculation type”. Further, each segment of the ring is configured as being “clickable” such that a user, by clicking on a segment, may select an attribute value assigned to this segment as filter criterion. Moreover, it is preferable, if the user may click on several segments such that the correspondingly selected attribute values together form a filter criterion, e.g., filter criterion=“BOF” or “DIN277”. 
     As soon as a criterion is modified in a filter module, the client means C generates an update request N 1  and transmits the latter to the server means S. The server means receives this update request N 1 , and, depending on the update request, generates an update message N 2  and transmits the latter to the client means C. The update message N 2 , hereby, comprises information and/or instructions by means of which the client means may update the information displayed in the topographic map as well as the other filter modules. 
     The information and/or instructions comprised in the update message N 2  is determined by the server means S by filtering the data sets stored in the data base DB according to the filter criterion transmitted in the update request N 1 . The thus obtained filtered data may then be transmitted together with the update message N 2  to the client means, where the topographic map and the filter modules are then updated accordingly. 
     If now subsequently the further filter module is adapted, i.e., a further filter criterion is set, also this filter criterion is transmitted to the server means S with the update request N 1 . The server means S then filters the data sets in the data base DB according to this further filter criterion, wherein also the filter criterion transmitted to the server means previously is taken into consideration. In this manner, all filter modules made available may be adapted or modified, wherein the effects on the other filter modules are visible for the user immediately after each modification of a filter module. 
     By means of the filter modules, the user may intuitively and in a simple and fast manner, generate a complex filter criterion or a complex filter expression, and hereby, at the same time, may take the dependencies of the filter components with respect to each other into consideration. 
     A filter criterion thus generated may be stored in the data base DB in order to be able to be reused at a later point of time. Moreover, the result of a filter, i.e., the filtered data meeting the filter criterion, may be stored in the data base as historical data, preferably with a corresponding filter criterion. This enables the user to carry out an analysis with the same filter criterion at a later point of time again, and to compare the result of this analysis to the historical data. Thereby, market development of the properties may be documented. 
     Further advantages of the system according to the invention, if it is used for the analysis of realty data, are for example:
         The offers for office properties for partial markets and districts may be analyzed and evaluated in a fast and simple manner on a daily basis.   Relevant market information may be searched for in a fast and uncomplicated manner.   A complete overview on offers for rent and availabilities for rent areas may be determined.   The market development with respect to certain objects may be documented.   And much more.       

       FIG. 2  shows an exemplary electronic document, which is generated by the server means S and transmitted to the client means C for the office property market in Munich. 
     In the topographic map  10 , the wider area of Munich is illustrated, wherein accumulated and grouped property data is embedded in the topographic map. 
     Below the topographic, map, the filter modules F 1  to Fn are displayed, which are configured as has been explained previously with reference to  FIG. 1  or which provide the functionality as described above. 
     For example, with respect to the example shown in  FIG. 2 , the slider control assigned to the filter module F 3  may be set such that only those objects are being displayed, the rent of which ranges within a certain price range. After the modification of the slider control assigned to the filter module F 3 , the topographic map  10  as well as the other filter modules are updated, as has been described previously with respect to  FIG. 1 . The same applies, if one of the other function modules is adapted. 
       FIG. 3  shows a further application example of a system for interactive analysis of data according to the invention. 
     While in  FIG. 2 , filter modules F 1  to Fn are shown, which have been inserted into the electronic document, in  FIG. 3 , expert modules E 1  to En are shown, which also may be inserted into the electronic document. The expert modules, alternatively or in addition to the filter modules, may be inserted into the electronic document. The topographic map  10  is not shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , a diagram is embedded in the expert modules E 1  to En respectively, which visualizes two attributes of the data sets on two axes. Thereby, dependencies of two attributes of the data sets with respect to each other may be acquired in a particularly simple manner. Thus, for example, the dependency of the rent with respect to the accessibility to public transportation is visualized in the expert module E 1 . 
     Also, a control element, for example, a slider control, may be assigned to the expert modules respectively, by means of which the data sets, on which the diagram of the respective expert module are based, may be filtered. 
     Below the control elements, as shown with respect to the control element E 1 , the data on which the respective expert module or the diagram of the respective expert module is based, may be faded in. This data may be displayed, for example, in form of a data table. 
     Thus, by means of the expert modules, dependencies between two attributes of the data sets may be acquired in a fast and simple manner. 
     Further, the system according to the invention enables to carry out a so-called competitor analysis, and in particular, in a manner being particularly simple for the user of the system, wherein also the result of the competitor analysis is acquirable for the user in a particularly simple manner. An exemplarily visualization of a competitor analysis and a corresponding competitor matrix are shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
     For a competitor analysis, a concrete object, for example a property, is contrasted to the current supply market, as the real estate market. The user may select a concrete object, e.g., by selecting on the displayed topographic map or by selecting from a list. Further, the user may set several criteria, which have to be met by the properties of the current supply market, for example, the perimeter around the concrete object and/or a price range for the rent. 
     Then, all competition objects of the current supply market meeting the filter criteria are displayed to the user, preferably, on the topographic map, as shown in figure (a), and in a list embedded below the topographic map. In the list, which has several lines and columns, each column is assigned to an object. Further, each column is linked to an object in the topographic map such that upon selection of an object in the topographic map, the corresponding column in the list may be highlighted, for example, optically. Thus, the user is able to assign the data for an object in a particularly simple manner to an object on the topographic map. 
     The columns of the list, moreover, may be sorted according to one or more criteria. 
     It is preferable, if the result of a competitor analysis is displayed in a so-called competition matrix, as shown in figure (b), and in particular with respect to a concrete object, for which the competitor analysis has been carried out. Thus, for example, the building quality or the year of construction may be contrasted to the rent, wherein the concrete object forms the reference value in the competition matrix. For example, the user is able to recognize in a particularly simple and fast manner, whether there are objects within a certain perimeter to the concrete object, which have a higher building quality, but which nevertheless have a lower rent. 
     A particular advantage of the system is that during the analysis of the office market data, the single attributes of the data sets may be, on the one hand, illustrated such that they may be recognized by the user in a particularly fast and simple manner. On the other hand, the user may identify the dependencies of the individual attributes particularly fast, because the modification of a filter module immediately affects the data of the other filter modules. These effects on the other filter modules may be discerned by the user also in a particularly simple and fast manner. 
     REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           10  map (topographic map) 
         C client means 
         D electronic document 
         DB data base 
         E 1  to En expert module 
         F 1  to Fn filter modules or filter criteria 
         N 1  update request 
         N 2  update message (result of the request N 1 ) 
         S server means