Interactive controls and information visualization using histogram equalization

摘要

A user interface uses histogram equalization to allow easier manipulation and visualization of a data set, especially data sets having values that are not distributed uniformly. The user interface can show values of a data set in different colors or shades of colors, or a combination of these, or in grayscale. Additionally, values can also be represented according to a size or area relative to other values. A user may change views of the data by adjusting controls of the interface including slider bars, dials, tool bars, button bars, and others, and combinations of these.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
creating a first histogram of data values of a data set, wherein the first histogram comprises keys and first histogram values for the keys, with unique values among the data values being stored as the keys and frequencies of the unique values being stored as the first histogram values; creating a second histogram of the data values comprising generating second histogram values for each key of the first histogram, wherein the second histogram values comprise cumulative frequency values based on the first histogram values; creating a mapping for at least a portion of the data set, based on the second histogram values; generating, by use of at least one processor, a visualization for at least the portion of the data set, the generating comprising selecting an attribute of an object in the visualization representing a data value of the data set based on the mapping; mapping an interactive control, to the data values by reverse transformation based on an array, of indexes corresponding to positions of the interactive control, and of data values corresponding to said unique values in the data set, wherein each data value in the array corresponds to a range of indexes in the array; and using the array to select one of the unique values corresponding to a position of the interactive control, for use in changing, in a memory coupled to the processor, the portion of the data set used in said generating of the visualization˜ in response to an adjustment to the interactive control.