US 11,790,010 B2
Inferring intent and utilizing context for natural language expressions in a data visualization user interface
Melanie K. Tory, Portland, ME (US); Vidya Raghavan Setlur, Portola Valley, CA (US); and Alex Djalali, Athens, GA (US)
Assigned to Tableau Software, LLC, Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Tableau Software, LLC, Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Apr. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/730,122.
Application 17/730,122 is a continuation of application No. 16/575,354, filed on Sep. 18, 2019, granted, now 11,314,817.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/827,768, filed on Apr. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0253481 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 17/00 (2019.01); G06F 16/904 (2019.01); G06F 16/9032 (2019.01); G06T 11/20 (2006.01); G06F 3/16 (2006.01); G06F 3/04847 (2022.01); G06F 16/248 (2019.01); G06F 16/26 (2019.01)
CPC G06F 16/904 (2019.01) [G06F 3/04847 (2013.01); G06F 3/167 (2013.01); G06F 16/248 (2019.01); G06F 16/26 (2019.01); G06F 16/90332 (2019.01); G06T 11/206 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for generating modified data visualizations, comprising:
at a computing device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors:
displaying an initial data visualization according to an initial visual specification that specifies a data source, a plurality of visual variables, and a plurality of data fields from the data source, wherein:
each of the visual variables defines a respective characteristic of data marks in the initial data visualization according to association of a respective one or more of the data fields with the respective visual variable, the respective characteristic specifying horizontal position, vertical position, color, size, or text, for the data marks;
receiving a first natural language command that includes a request for information from the data source; and
in response to receiving the first natural language command:
extracting one or more first keywords from the first natural language command;
determining, based on the one or more first key words and one or more of (i) the data source, (ii) the visual variables, and/or (iii) the data fields of the initial visual specification, that the request does not directly specify a characteristic in the initial visual specification;
generating a modified visual specification in accordance with the determining and the first natural language command;
generating one or more queries based on the modified visual specification;
executing the one or more queries to retrieve data for a modified data visualization; and
generating and displaying the modified data visualization.