Hierarchical entity information for search

• US 10,635,677 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Cai, Jie, Liao, Ciya
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacob, Ajith
• Application Number:
  US15/452,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20170177587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90348 by searching ordered data, e.g. alpha-numerically ordered data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A fast browsing architecture for exploring hierarchical lists of entities through a search user interface. A graphical UI operates to handle the hierarchical lists and sub-lists in different ways for different scenarios such as a hierarchical level is zero (only one list of entities associated with a query and the list cannot be further drilled down), a second scenario where the hierarchical level is one (a list of entities associated with the query and these entities can be further drilled down to a number of sub-lists) and the sub-lists cannot be further drilled down, and a third scenario where the hierarchical level is more than one (a list of entities associated with the query and these entities can be further drilled down to a number of sub-lists), sub-lists can be further drilled down to a number of lists, until there is no more drill down lists to be found.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, through a search user interface, a search query;

evaluating entity relationships associated with the search query using a hierarchical data structure that indexes entity data, by queries, into hierarchical levels that comprise a listing of entities and one or more sub-lists for entities of the listing; and

providing, through the search user interface, a scrollable set of interactive elements presented at a hierarchical level of the hierarchical data structure based on an evaluation of the search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical level corresponds with the listing of entities and wherein the scrollable set of interactive elements is associated with entity data of the listing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing presents the scrollable set of interactive elements in a ranked format and with a graphical emphasis to indicate a ranked order for the entity data of the listing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the scrollable set of interactive elements is expandable into scrollable interactive elements for the one or more sub-lists.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the search user interface is gesture enabled.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by gesture input through the search user interface, a selection of an interactive element for a sub-list of the one or more sub-lists, and updating the hierarchical level of the scrollable set of interactive elements to present interactive elements associated with the selection of the sub-list.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by gesture input through the search user interface, a selection of an interactive element for a list item within the one or more sub-lists, and updating the hierarchical level of the scrollable set of interactive elements to present interactive elements associated with the selection of the list item.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively connected with the at least one processor storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to execute a method that comprises;

receiving, through a search user interface, a search query,

evaluating entity relationships associated with the search query using a hierarchical data structure that indexing entity data, by queries, into hierarchical levels that comprise a listing of entities and one or more sub-lists for entities of the listing, and

providing, through the search user interface, a scrollable set of interactive elements presented at a hierarchical level of the hierarchical data structure based on an evaluation of the search query.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the hierarchical level corresponds with the listing of entities and wherein the scrollable set of interactive elements is associated with entity data of the listing.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the providing presents the scrollable set of interactive elements in a ranked format and with a graphical emphasis to indicate a ranked order for the entity data of the listing.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the scrollable set of interactive elements is expandable into scrollable interactive elements for the one or more sub-lists.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the search user interface is gesture enabled.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the method, executed by the at least one processor, further comprises:

receiving, by gesture input through the search user interface, a selection of an interactive element for a sub-list of the one or more sub-lists, and updating the hierarchical level of the scrollable set of interactive elements to present interactive elements associated with the selection of the sub-list.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the method, executed by the at least one processor, further comprises:

receiving, by gesture input through the search user interface, a selection of an interactive element for a list item within the one or more sub-lists, and updating the hierarchical level of the scrollable set of interactive elements to present interactive elements associated with the selection of the list item.

15. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to execute a method comprising:

receiving, through a search user interface, a search query;

evaluating entity relationships associated with the search query using a hierarchical data structure that indexes entity data, by queries, into hierarchical levels that comprise a listing of entities and one or more sub-lists for entities of the listing; and

providing, through the search user interface, a scrollable set of interactive elements presented at a hierarchical level of the hierarchical data structure based on an evaluation of the search query.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the hierarchical level corresponds with the listing of entities and wherein the scrollable set of interactive elements is associated with entity data of the listing.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the providing presents the scrollable set of interactive elements in a ranked format and with a graphical emphasis to indicate a ranked order for the entity data of the listing.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the scrollable set of interactive elements is expandable into scrollable interactive elements for the one or more sub-lists.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the search user interface is gesture enabled, and wherein the executed method further comprising:

receiving, by gesture input through the search user interface, a selection of an interactive element for a sub-list of the one or more sub-lists, and updating the hierarchical level of the scrollable set of interactive elements to present interactive elements associated with the selection of the sub-list.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the search user interface is gesture enabled, and wherein the executed method further comprising:

receiving, by gesture input through the search user interface, a selection of an interactive element for a list item within the one or more sub-lists, and updating the hierarchical level of the scrollable set of interactive elements to present interactive elements associated with the selection of the list item.