Method and apparatus for conveying higher-dimensional tabular information to people using lower-dimensional output devices

Claim 1

Computer apparatus comprising: 1) means for specifying n (integer) independent information dimensions, wherein each dimension comprises a parameter associated with data comprising an original content and an associated relationship between content in different data elements to be displayed in a two-dimensional display medium; 2) means for specifying k≧2 (integer) data functions defined on subsets of the n information dimensions, wherein each of the k≧2 data functions comprises a range of possible values; 3) means for associating at least one of the k≧2 functions with one or more aspects of the two-dimensional display medium, wherein each aspect comprises a range of possible values that can be displayed on that aspect; and for each aspect 4) means for mapping the range of the functions associated with that aspect to the range of values that can be displayed on that aspect on the two-dimensional display medium so that the original content and relationship of the different data elements are retained invariantly; and 5) a two-dimensional output display for displaying the data.