Visualization and interaction with financial data using sunburst visualization

1. A method for displaying data, the method executing on a computer system, the method comprising:

grouping data according to plural user-specified dimensions;

determining one or more extrinsic hierarchical relationships between the plural user-specified dimensions;

displaying plural concentric bands or portions thereof in a first order based on the one or more extrinsic hierarchical relationships, and providing a visualization in response thereto, wherein each band is concentric about a center of the visualization, wherein each band includes one or more sectors, wherein a line drawn from a sector of an outer band to the center crosses one or more sectors of inner bands such that each inner-band sector crossed has a higher hierarchical relationship to the outer-band sector; and

providing a first user option to change the first order to a second order by exchanging a first concentric band at a first distance to the center with a second concentric band at a second distance to the center, thereby selectively creating or changing one or more intrinsic hierarchies while preserving the one or more extrinsic hierarchical relationships.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data includes financial data.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein depicting plural bands includes depicting only bands or portions thereof that are associated with data that a user has access permissions to view.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including providing a second user option to omit one or more of the plural bands while maintaining the one or more hierarchical relationships between remaining displayed bands.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining further includes

providing a user interface control to enable a user to adjust a hierarchical relationship used to depict the plural bands or portions thereof.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the concentric bands include bands displayed as rings or portions thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the plural bands include one or more sectors.

8. The method of claim 7 , further including providing a third user option to sort sectors of a band according to a user-specified criterion.

9. The method of claim 7 , further including providing a fourth user option to select a sector sizing criterion for sizing of depicted sectors of depicted bands.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein depicting further includes illustrating an inner most ring corresponding the first band and illustrating an adjacent ring corresponding to the second band.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein depicting further includes displaying a graphical representation of a hierarchy using concentric rings, wherein adjacent hierarchy levels or dimensions correspond to adjacent rings, with central rings representing higher levels in the hierarchy than outer rings.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein providing the first user option includes providing a user interface control for enabling a user to alter the displayed graphical representation and accompanying hierarchy by selectively changing an order of the rings.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the displayed graphical representation includes a sunburst visualization with three or more rings corresponding to one or more dimensions of an intrinsic hierarchy used to characterize the data.

14. An apparatus for illustrating data, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a processor readable storage device coupled to the one or more processors, the processor-readable storage device including one or more instructions for:

grouping data according to plural user-specified dimensions;

determining one or more hierarchical relationships between the plural user-specified dimensions;

displaying plural concentric bands or portions thereof in a first order based on the one or more hierarchical relationships, and providing a visualization in response thereto, wherein each band is concentric about a center of the visualization, wherein each band includes one or more sectors, wherein a line drawn from a sector of an outer band to the center crosses one or more sectors of inner bands such that each inner-band sector crossed has a higher hierarchical relationship to the outer-band sector; and

providing a first user option to change the first order to a second order by exchanging a first concentric band at a first distance to the center with a second concentric band at a second distance to the center, thereby selectively creating or changing one or more intrinsic hierarchies while preserving the one or more extrinsic hierarchical relationships.

15. A processor-readable storage device including instructions executable by a digital processor, the processor-readable storage device including one or more instructions for:

grouping data according to plural user-specified dimensions;

determining one or more hierarchical relationships between the plural user-specified dimensions;

displaying plural concentric bands or portions thereof in a first order based on the one or more hierarchical relationships, and providing a visualization in response thereto, wherein each band is concentric about a center of the visualization, wherein each band includes one or more sectors, wherein a line drawn from a sector of an outer band to the center crosses one or more sectors of inner bands such that each inner-band sector crossed has a higher hierarchical relationship to the outer-band sector; and

providing a first user option to change the first order to a second order by exchanging a first concentric band at a first distance to the center with a second concentric band at a second distance to the center, thereby selectively creating or changing one or more intrinsic hierarchies while preserving the one or more extrinsic hierarchical relationships.

16. The processor-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the data includes financial data.

17. The processor-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein depicting plural bands includes depicting only bands or portions thereof that are associated with data that a user has access permissions to view.

18. The processor-readable storage device of claim 15 , further including one or more instructions for:

providing a second user option to omit one or more of the plural bands while maintaining the one or more hierarchical relationships between remaining displayed bands.

19. The processor-readable storage device of claim 18 , wherein determining further includes

providing a user interface control to enable a user to adjust a hierarchical relationship used to depict the plural bands or portions thereof.

20. The processor-readable storage device of claim 18 , wherein the concentric bands include bands displayed as rings or portions thereof.