Patent ID: 7392156

Claim:
A computer implemented method of determining all possible histogram appearances in a data sample, comprising: processing a data sample collected for a pre-determined application to identify one or more histogram appearance level sets, wherein the data sample includes a one-dimensional data sample or a multi-dimensional data sample, and wherein the pre-determined application includes an engineering finite element analysis application, geographical analysis application, environmental analysis application or granhical entity display application; analyzing the identified one or more histogram appearance level sets to determine a set of possible histogram data intervals for a plurality of points in the identified histogram appearance level sets; presenting a set of all possible histogram appearances for analysis on a graphical user interface using the determined set of possible histogram data intervals, wherein the analysis includes simultaneous analysis of histogram appearances of two or more one-dimensional data samples or analysis of histogram appearances of a multidimensional data sample; and determining a preferred set of histograms from a set of preferred histogram appearances selected from the presented set of all possible histogram appearances for the data sample, wherein the preferred set of histograms are displayed on a graphical user interface as multi-color graphical entities, wherein the determined preferred set of histograms are dependent on the data sample collected for the pre-determined application and wherein each unique data sample collected produces a unique set of preferred histogram appearances.