Bell Labs Computer Visualization Technology finds "hidden" patterns in corporate data.DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 25, 1996--Can't see the forest for the trees Forest for the Trees was the brainchild of Carl Stephenson, an eclectic producer known for his work with Beck. Difficult to classify, Forest for the Trees is probably best described as experimental psychedelic trip-hop. ? Or tell the trees apart in the deep woods Deep Woods is the culfest of the Madras Christian College, Chennai, India. It is normally held in the 2nd week of December. it is a three day event with various colleges from all over the city participating. ? Bell Laboratories scientists have come up with an innovative solution to both problems for those who want to analyze complex and ever-growing networked databases. They've built a system called Interactive Data Visualization See information visualization. to find hidden or latent patterns, trends and relationships within data. The system, which is being demonstrated at the SuperComm Convention here this week, uses Bell Labs- developed software and novel computer graphics to make visual sense of complex data. "We can display the information in such way that it's possible to see details and the 'big picture' at the same time," said Daniel Fyock, technical manager of Bell Labs Data Visualization Products Group. The new technology has a variety of potential applications. In marketing, for example, it can be used to conduct market segmentation Market Segmentation A marketing term referring to the aggregating of prospective buyers into groups (segments) that have common needs and will respond similarly to a marketing action. and customer retention studies; in software development, to understand code legacies and to engineer relational databases relational database Database in which all data are represented in tabular form. The description of a particular entity is provided by the set of its attribute values, stored as one row or record of the table, called a tuple. ; in telecommunications networks A telecommunications network is a of telecommunications links and nodes arranged so that messages may be passed from one part of the network to another over multiple links and through various nodes. , to detect fraud. For instance, the system graphically displays subscribers' calling activity so that unusual calling patterns stand out, and it identifies "visual signatures" that are characteristic of fraud. "Visualization Using the computer to convert data into picture form. The most basic visualization is that of turning transaction data and summary information into charts and graphs. Visualization is used in computer-aided design (CAD) to render screen images into 3D models that can be viewed from all involves presenting information in pictorial form and using human recognition capabilities to detect patterns," said Stephen G. Eick, technical manager of the Bell Labs Data Visualization Research Group. "It links the world's two most powerful information- processing systems -- the human mind and the modern computer," he said, adding, "We're inventing visual metaphors," Eick led the research and prototyping work on the technology; Fyock, its commercialization. Interactive Data Visualization is based on research in computer graphics, statistics, human factors, and computer science. "The business community has become increasingly dependent on the use of data analysis tools -- like spreadsheets and statistical analysis -- which we believe can be significantly enhanced by this new technology," said James Weichel, head of the Bell Labs Advanced Technology Product Realization Department. "This is breakthrough technology for analysis of complex databases," he added. "Corporate databases are strategic assets, and Interactive Data Visualization offers powerful tools for making better use of these assets, for competitive advantage and to improve business management." Data Visualization conveys more information than do traditional techniques such as static graphs, tables, and business charts, and it presents complex data in an intuitive form, using color, shape, size, motion, and other elements to represent the data. Various display constructs are available. The systems are interactive, with users exploring data and discovering new patterns and relationships among data elements, and are intended to provide greater insights into business, leading to more informed business decisions. Bell Labs is the research and development arm of Lucent Technologies, the systems and technology company formed by AT&T in its recent restructuring. Lucent Technologies designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems In telecommunication, a communications system is a collection of individual communications networks, transmission systems, relay stations, tributary stations, and data terminal equipment (DTE) usually capable of interconnection and interoperation to form an integrated whole. and software, consumer and business telephone systems and microelectronics components. The company is composed of five businesses: Network Systems, Business Communications Systems, Consumer Products, Microelectronics, and Multimedia Ventures and Technologies. -0- Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies INTERACTIVE DATA VISUALIZATION Additional Technical Information Bell Labs novel Interactive Data Visualization technology uses visual techniques that enable users to extract and analyze hidden information from large, complex computer databases. The technology, embodied em·bod·y tr.v. em·bod·ied, em·bod·y·ing, em·bod·ies 1. To give a bodily form to; incarnate. 2. To represent in bodily or material form: in software, was invented over the past few years by researchers in the Data Visualization Research Group at Bell Labs in Naperville, Ill. The software includes an interactive graphical user interface graphical user interface (GUI) Computer display format that allows the user to select commands, call up files, start programs, and do other routine tasks by using a mouse to point to pictorial symbols (icons) or lists of menu choices on the screen as opposed to having to and offers a set of user-controlled features to support the discovery, exploration, and analysis of information, patterns and relationships latent within large data-sets. By visualizing visualizing, v 1., holding an image in one's mind. 2., forming an image of a goal or destination in one's mind before undertaking it, so as to facilitate success. data, users gain a better understanding of their "core business," enabling them to improve their business processes and make better informed business decisions. Interactive Data Visualization is currently being used in telecommunications systems to address strategic business problems and to detect unusual calling patterns in international long-distance calling. Such patterns are depicted de·pict tr.v. de·pict·ed, de·pict·ing, de·picts 1. To represent in a picture or sculpture. 2. To represent in words; describe. See Synonyms at represent. on a graphic representation of all calls to international destinations. The system identifies "visual signatures" that are characteristic of odd calling behavior, such as unusually high numbers of third-party calls or calls to numbers that are frequent targets of hackers. By building working tools, the Bell Labs team members are working to address current, business-critical issues, produce software embodying their design principles, and improve their capability for rapidly producing novel, information-rich displays. Systems are based on the following guiding principles: -- Reduced representations provide a single unifying view of a data space with each data item represented by a small glyph A displayed or printed image. In typography, a glyph may be a single letter, an accent mark or a ligature. See grapheme. (character) glyph - An image used in the visual representation of characters; roughly speaking, how a character looks. A font is a set of glyphs. . This overall view enables a user to discover global structure, navigate within the data space, and coordinate other linked views. -- Color and other visual characteristics encode (1) To assign a code to represent data, such as a parts code. Contrast with decode. (2) To convert from one format or signal to another. See codec and D/A converter. (3) The term is sometimes erroneously used for "encrypt. attributes of the data, making patterns easily recognizable. -- Interactive filters are used to reduce the complexity of the display, allowing the user to focus on interesting patterns and make discoveries. -- Multiple linked views show different aspects of the database, each answering a related question and providing different insights into the data. The views are linked so that manipulations in one view instantly propagate prop·a·gate v. 1. To cause an organism to multiply or breed. 2. To breed offspring. 3. To transmit characteristics from one generation to another. 4. to all others. -- Rapid interaction allows a user to query the database by pointing at objects on a screen with the mouse, extracting finer information and revealing detail. -- Animation shows the evolution of temporal databases (database) temporal database - A database that can store and retrieve temporal data, that is, data which depends on time in some way. . Using these principles, they have developed systems for visualizing software, bibliographic databases For computer programs to manage an individual's bibliographic references, see Reference management software A bibliographic or library database is a database of bibliographic information. , log files, relationship databases, and networks, among others. They are able rapidly to construct informative, pleasing and novel visualizations of abstract databases. EXAMPLES OF BELL LABS INTERACTIVE DATA VISUALIZATIONS -- Software management: displays source code by representing each line of code as a thin vertical row, colored according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. parameters such as age, author, or functionality of each line. For example, red rows may be the newest lines and blue the oldest lines, with a range of colors not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color in between. The displayed data are derived from a variety of sources, such as version control systems, static analysis, and profiling. With direct manipulation and high interaction graphics, the user manipulates this reduced representation of the code to find interesting patterns. Further insight is obtained by using additional windows to display the actual code. Applications include code discovery, code tuning, re- engineering, project management, and analysis of development methodologies. -- Database structures: shows the integrity constraint (database) integrity constraint - A constraint (rule) that must remain true for a database to preserve integrity. Integrity constraints are specified at database creation time and enforced by the database management system. structure of large relationship databases. It displays associations between relations (tables), the memory layout of relations, mappings between the database and application code, schema information, and paths through the database using multiple linked views. -- Patterns and relationships of transactions: displays data as a network of interconnected nodes, with the placement of the nodes based on how strongly they interact. Datasets for which visualizations have been done include international-calling toll fraud, communities of interest in a local telephone exchange, and affinity purchasing relationships for retail sales. -- Geography-based information: shows geographic networks such as the long-distance telephone network. It uses the underlying geography to position nodes and provides techniques to allow the user to filter the data to make patterns visible. Data may also be animated to show events in time. CONTACT: Donna Cunningham, Bell Labs 802-482-3748 (office) 802-482-2933 (home) donnac@lucent.com or Patrice Edwards, Bell Labs 908-582-4785 (office) 201-763-0033 pjedwards@lucent.com |
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