METHOD AND AN APPARATUS FOR SEARCHING AND PRESENTING ELECTRONIC INFORMATION FROM ONE OR MORE INFORMATION SOURCES

• US 20020052880A1
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mindpass A/S
• Original Assignee: Mindpass A/S
• Inventors: KJAERSGAARD, JESPER, FRUENSGAARD, FINN OVE
• Granted Patent: US 6,513,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of searching and presenting electronic information from one or more information sources. The method comprises the steps of:

presenting one or more choices to a user,

registering one or more user specified choices,

using said one or more user specified choices to retrieve one or more references to information from said information sources, and

providing a search result comprising one or more references to information.

The method further comprises:

a context representation for one or more references, and

a context representation for one or more users,

where each context representation contains one or more indications representing other contexts with which each is related,

and the steps of:

presenting the search result to the user in a number of different ways at the same time based on one or more context representations, and

presenting additional choices relating to the search result based on one or more context representations.

Claims

1. A method of searching and presenting electronic information from one or more information sources, said method comprising the steps of:

presenting one or more choices to a user,

registering one or more user specified choices,

using said one or more user specified choices to retrieve one or more references to information from said information sources, and

providing a search result comprising one or more references to information characterized in that the method comprises

a context representation for one or more references, and

a context representation for one or more users, where

each context representation contains one or more indications representing other contexts with which each is related,

and in that the method further comprises the steps of;

presenting the search result to the user in a number of different ways at the same time based on one or more context representations, and

presenting additional choices relating to the search result based on one or more context representations.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the method further comprises the steps of:

enabling a user to select one or more references to review the information, and

enabling a user to collect references to information in a collection of information.

3. A method according to claims 2, characterized in that the method further comprises the step of modifying one or more context representations on the basis of one or more context representations.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the step of modifying a context representation is done when a user executes an action on the basis of one or more references to information or executes an action on the basis of one or more different users.

5. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the step of modifying a context representation is done when the context representation is related with another piece of information or is related with a user.

6. A method according to claims 1, characterized in that each reference to information comprises information of one or more of the following types:

documents comprising one or more of text, sound, video, and pictures,

a user,

a prior collection of information,

other users'"'"' collections of information,

chat rooms,

news groups,

services,

archives,

sound,

video,

pictures, or

e-mails,

and that each type of information has a unique context representation type.

7. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that each context representation comprises a type part, a contents part, a topic part, a link part and an attribute part.

8. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the link part of a given context representation comprises information regarding

which other objects link to a given object,

to which other objects the given object links, and

which relations exist between the given object and other objects.

9. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the topic part of a given context representation comprises a probability number for each topic of a given hierarchy of topics reflecting the probability of information referenced by that given context representation having a potential information value.

10. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the attribute part of a given context representation reflects

which other types of context representations can affect the given context representation,

when it can be affected, and

by how much it can be affected.

11. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that each context representation comprises a first part and a second part, where the first part comprises information on the information referenced by the context representation, and the second part comprises information on the change of the context representation as a result of its being affected by other context representations.

12. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the method is used in a search engine.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the processing (403) means are further adapted to

enable a user to select one or more references to review the information,

enable a user to collect references to information in a collection of information.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that said processing means (403) are further adapted to modify one or more context representations on the basis of one or more context representations.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that said processing means (403) modify a context representation when a user executes an action on the basis of one or more references to information or executes an action on the basis of one or more different users.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that said processing means (403) modify a context representation when the context representation is related with another piece of information or is related with a user.

19. An apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that each context representation comprises a type part, a contents part, a topic part, a link part and an attribute part.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the link part of a given context representation comprises information regarding

which other objects link to a given object,

to which other objects the given object links, and

which relations exist between the given object and other objects.

21. An apparatus according to claims 19, characterized in that the topic part of a given context representation comprises a probability number for each topic of a given hierarchy of topics reflecting the probability of information referenced by that given context representation having a potential information value.

22. An apparatus according to claims 19, characterized in that the attribute part of a given context representation reflects

which other types of context representations can affect the given context representation,

when it can be affected, and

by how much it can be affected.

23. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that each context representation comprises a first part and a second part, where the first part comprises information on the information referenced by the context representation, and the second part comprises information on the change of the context representation as a result of its being affected by other context representations.

13. An apparatus for searching and presenting electronic information from one or more information sources, said apparatus comprising:

presenting means (402) adapted to present one or more choices to a user,

registering means (404) adapted to register one or more user specified choices,

retrieving means adapted (401) to retrieve one or more references to information from said information sources using said one or more user specified choices, and

processing means (403) adapted to provide a search result comprising one or more references to information

characterized in that the processing means (403) further comprises;

a context representation for one or more references, and

a context representation for one or more users, where

each context representation contains one or more indications representing other contexts with which each is related,

and in that the processing (403) means are further adapted to;

present the search result to the user, via said presenting means (402), in a number of different ways at the same time based on one or more context representations, and

present additional choices to the user, via said presenting means (402), relating to the search result based on one or more context representations.

18. An apparatus according to claims 13, characterized in that each reference to information comprises information of one or more of the following types:

documents comprising one or more of text, sound, video, and pictures,

a user,

a prior collection of information,

other users'"'"' collections of information,

chat rooms,

news groups,

services,

archives,

sound,

video,

pictures, or

e-mails,

and that each type of information has a unique information context representation type.

24. A computer-readable medium whose contents are adapted to cause a computer system to search and present electronic information from one or more information sources, by performing the steps of:

presenting one or more choices to a user,

registering one or more user specified choices,

using said one or more user specified choices to retrieve one or more references to information from said information sources, and

providing a search result comprising one or more references to information

characterized in that the medium comprises

a context representation for one or more references, and

a context representation for one or more users, where

each context representation contains one or more indications representing other contexts with which each is related, and by further performing the steps of;

presenting the search result to the user in a number of different ways at the same time based on one or more context representations, and

presenting additional choices relating to the search result based on one or more context representations.

25. A computer program element comprising computer program code means adapted to enable a computer system to search and present electronic information from one or more information sources, by performing the steps of:

presenting one or more choices to a user,

registering one or more user specified choices,

using said one or more user specified choices to retrieve one or more references to information from said information sources, and

providing a search result comprising one or more references to information

characterized in that the program element comprises

a context representation for one or more references, and

a context representation for one or more users, where

each context representation contains one or more indications representing other contexts with which each is related,

and by further performing the steps of;

presenting the search result to the user in a number of different ways at the same time based on one or more context representations, and

presenting additional choices relating to the search result based on one or more context representations.