Abstract: System, method, and computer-readable program for managing cost and supply of parts are disclosed. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a computerized method of managing cost and supply of parts includes receiving part information for a plurality of part suppliers, wherein the part information for each part supplier comprises material data of parts, and receiving a request involving the material data of parts of the plurality of part suppliers. The computerized method also includes automatically determining any relevant material data of parts of the plurality of part suppliers based on the request and displaying at least a portion of the relevant material data.

Abstract: A system and method for managing costs of a target part is presented. The system and method entails five steps. First, the system and method provides features characteristics information of the target part. Second, system and method provides financial information related to the target part. Third, the system and method provides purchasing demand information related to the target part. Fourth, the system and method analyzes the features characteristics data, financial information, and purchasing demand information. Finally, the system and method compares the target part should cost to a supplier's price of the target part to determine cost saving opportunities.

Abstract: A server receives image, graphic and/or analytic data and processes and asynchronously outputs that data to a thin/no client. The server inputs image data in a variety of different formats and renders a normalized format that can be streamed to the thin/no client using light-weight protocol(s). The server updates the image, feature and/or analytic data in real time. The server inputs feature, analytic, business logic and other data and process it into various format(s) that can be streamed to the thin/no client and overlaid on the image data. The server provides application services, which can include collaboration, tracking, alerting, business, workflow and/or other desired services. The server can receive collaboration data from one thin/no client and stream that collaboration data to other thin/no clients to enable shared situational awareness between the thin/no clients. The server includes a programming environment for programming thin/no clients contained within server-based web pages.

Abstract: The data visualization systems and methods of this invention provide a powerful tool for visualizing multi-dimensional databases. In one exemplary embodiment, the data visualization systems and methods of this invention visualize pivot tables using two novel visual metaphors: a single measure perspective consisting of linked bar charts and a multiscape landscape visualization; and a anchored measures perspective for displaying several measures simultaneously. The data visualization systems and methods of this invention usefully display much larger pivot tables than is possible using conventional interfaces and provide the ability to navigate through complex cubes to identify important structures. In various exemplary embodiments, the data visualization systems and methods of this invention attach to MS Excel™ as an add-on, access pivot tables directly from SQL Server 7.0, and integrate with MS Office.

Abstract: A tree-structured workflow control and a tree-structured report selection control allow users to easily display data and generate reports, without having to actively determine the various measures and dimensions to be displayed in various interactive views of the data and various simple and advanced reports. By linking predetermined sets of dimensions, measures and views to predetermined workflow control entries and report selection entries in a tree structure having labels on the branches and leaves that are logically related to the associated predetermined sets, the user can immediately obtain a data visualization perspective or a report without having to actively select the particular dimensions and measures for display, and without having to actively arrange the selected dimensions into a multi-dimensional view.

Abstract: A software visualization technique allows a software application or portfolio to be visually analyzed to determine the extent and depth of problems raised when converting an existing software application or portfolio to make application- or portfolio-wide revisions, such as those needed to respond to the year 2000 problem or the conversion to Euro currency. The software visualization technique first generates or inputs statistical data on a number of different software metrics and statistics about the conversion process, such as the data or currency dependent lines of program code, the types of affected code lines, and the sizes and complexities of the systems, subsystems and programs of a software application and of the applications forming a portfolio. These metrics and statistics are then used to alter the appearance of various views of the software application, systems, subsystems, programs individual lines of the programs generated by various visualization tools of the software visualization technique.

Abstract: Techniques for displaying an intermediate level of detail in a computer system. The techniques are employed in a system for discovering information about a large body of software. The system displays representations of up to 40,000 lines of code in a single window. Included in the techniques for displaying the intermediate level of detail are the use of color and shape to indicate characteristics of lines, the linking of all of the lines which share a certain characteristic, and selection at the levels of the line, the characteristic, and the file. The software information system further includes one or more code viewers for simultaneously displaying selected lines of code. A cursor may be attached to or detached from a single one of the code viewers.

Abstract: Real time data summaries from a common data base are produced within a network. A line document program is stored within the network enabling selective visual analysis and displays of the data when the data when the data summaries are downloaded at computer terminals at a plurality of sites.

Abstract: Techniques for displaying an intermediate level of detail in a computer system. The techniques are employed in a system for discovering information about a large body of software. The system displays representations of up to 40,000 lines of code in a single window. Included in the techniques for displaying the intermediate level of detail are the use of color and shape to indicate characteristics of lines, the linking of all of the lines which share a certain characteristic, and selection at the levels of the line, the characteristic, and the file. The software information system further includes one or more code viewers for simultaneously displaying selected lines of code. A cursor may be attached to or detached from a single one of the code viewers.

Abstract: A technique for displaying the results of a query on a database. The technique associates a subquery of the query with a space in a display and represents the results of the subquery by means of a symbol whose appearance varies with a characteristic of the results of the subquery. The technique may be used with queries on a data base of statistical articles. The display is a grid with each field of the grid representing a journal-year pair. A symbol appears in the field if a search of the data base results in a minimum number of hits in the year and journal represented by the pair. The appearance of the symbol varies with properties such as the number of hits and the number of pages in the hits. Bar graphs along the sides of the grid indicate total numbers of hits per journal and year.

Abstract: A computer is provided with the facility to display in map form spatially-time-varying data associated with respective nodes. Specifically, responsive to a user inputting a specific command, the computer displays a plurality of symbols representing respective ones of the nodes in which the symbols share a common characteristic, the size of which is varied commensurate with changes in the data associated with their respective nodes. In addition, the user is provided with a tool so that he/she may either manually or automatically play through the data. The user is also provided with a number of other tools to control the display of the symbols and/or data, such as, for example, a tool which changes the size of the symbols so that smaller symbols are not obscured by larger symbols.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing displays in which the locations of nodes of a graph relative to each other are a function of the significance of a relationship between the nodes. The technique used to locate the nodes produces groups of nodes with significant relationships to each other which are set visually apart from the other nodes. The relationships between the nodes are defined by using a statistic to give weights to links between the nodes. Statistics may also be used to determine the size, shape, and color of the nodes and the color and width of the links. The display may also include histograms which show the numbers of links or nodes which have given values of the statistics and which relate the colors in which the nodes and links are displayed to values of the statistics. The histograms may further be used to interactively define masks for links and nodes, and masked links and nodes are not taken into account in making the display.

Abstract: An interactive method and apparatus for displaying structure, statistics, and characteristics of large software systems, i.e. of more than one million lines of code. This method and apparatus displays important structure and statistics in a manner where the entire software system can be visualized as an entity. The visualization technique is to present similar subdivisions of the code in similar geometric shapes of having a substantially equal reference frames, such as a substantially constant row heights, so relative sizes of the subdivisions can be understood. In addition to the sizes, different shading and coloring modes can be used to display changes, software errors and software fixes. Further, if data of the various releases of a software system are available, the evolution of the system through its releases can be animated to provide a greater understanding of the history of a large software system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for visually displaying structural characteristics of a large database for visualizing areas where new developments may be added, or finding places where old developments may need to be re-structured or replaced. This method and apparatus shows the entire structure without showing the entire semantics, which would be too much information. Semantic information is available in other windows that can be opened after the focus of the analysis is selected. After selection, the semantic information is displayed in a focused manner also. This is accomplished by referencing the selected relation to the location of that relation in the database specification or in the relational data base management system (RDBM) application code.

Abstract: A library of C++ classes for use in writing data visualization programs. The library embodies a general design principle for class libraries: that the classes are partitioned into entity classes and functionality classes. Entity classes in the library specify properties of areas in a display and the functionality classes specify functionalities which the areas may have, for example, being responsive to the mouse or the keyboard or being capable of executing drawing commands. The classes are narrowly defined, and when the C++ programmer specifies a class for an object, he or she can give the object exactly the desired properties by selecting from among the area classes and the functionality classes. Because properties are acquired by inheritance, code generated using the libraries is shorter and faster than code generated using conventional class libraries.

Abstract: A computer is provided with the facility to display in map form, directed data associated with respective nodes. The operation of the mapping facility is initiated in response to the user entering an appropriate command. Specifically, responsive to the command, the computer displays a plurality of symbols representing respective ones of the nodes such that those symbols which exchange data are connected to one another by a displayed link formed from two half-line segments each indicative of the direction and level of data associated with its respective symbol. In addition, a plurality of tools are displayed for controlling the parameters used in the display of the symbols and links. For example, the user is provided with the capability to change the length of the half-line segments, and is provided with the capability to erase from the display those segments representing data values which are not within a range of data thresholds established by the user operating a threshold tool.