Semantic modeling of geographic information in business intelligence

A method executed on a processor comprising:

• retrieving from a memory and presenting on a display, using the processor, a template identifying a plurality of style options for graphic representation of a selected type of business information;
• receiving, using the processor, configuration user input selecting one of the plurality of style types to provide a selected style type, wherein the selected style type is one of a color, point, line, area, polygon, bubble, graph, symbol and size;
• storing, using the processor, the selected style type in memory associated with a configuration user organization and the selected type of business information;
• retrieving from a memory and presenting on a display, using the processor, a template identifying a plurality of location types used in a mapping program;
• receiving, using the processor, configuration user input identifying a business data field and a corresponding geographic information identifier from a business information program;
• in response to a configuration user selection, associating, using the processor, the geographic information identifier with a selected one of the location types used in the mapping program;
• storing in memory, using the processor, an association of the business data field with a selected one of the location types used in the mapping program;
• receiving, using the processor, at run-time of the mapping program, a business user input identifying the business data field and the type of business information;
• and
• retrieving from memory, using the processor, both the selected style type associated with the type of business information and the location definition associated with the business data field;
• rendering on a business user display, using the processor, the type of business information using the selected style type on the corresponding location identified by the location type;
• wherein each of the plurality of location types is associated with a prioritization value and further comprising receiving a configuration user input specifying a priority order of prioritization values which determines, at runtime, which location definition will be rendered as a layer on a map when a business data field matches multiple location types in memory;
• wherein the plurality of location types include address, US city, world city, US zip code, US county, US state, country and custom;
• and
• rendering the location types address, US city and world city as points and rendering the location types states, county, US zip code and country as polygons.

A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing system to:

• retrieve from a memory and present on a display, using the processor, a template identifying a plurality of style options for graphic representation of a selected type of business information;
• receive, using the processor, configuration user input selecting one of the plurality of style types to provide a selected style type;
• store, using the processor, the selected style type in memory associated with a configuration user organization and the selected type of business information;
• retrieve from a memory and presenting on a display, using the processor, a template identifying a plurality of location types used in a mapping program;
• receive, using the processor, configuration user input identifying a business data field and a corresponding geographic information identifier from a business information program;
• in response to a configuration user selection, associate, using the processor, the geographic information identifier with a selected one of the location types used in the mapping program;
• store in memory, using the processor, an association of the business data field with a selected one of the location types used in the mapping program;
• receive, using the processor, at run-time of the mapping program, a business user input identifying the business data field and the type of business information;
• and
• retrieve from memory, using the processor, both the selected style type associated with the type of business information and the location definition associated with the business data field;
• render on a business user display, using the processor, the type of business information using the selected style type on the corresponding location identified by the location type.