Customer self service iconic interface for resource search results display and selection

• US 20020105550A1
• Filed: 02/07/2001
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jasura, Donn P., Keller, Neal M., Biebesheimer, Debra L., Oblinger, Daniel A., Podlaseck, Mark E., Rolando, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,693,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A graphical user interface for a customer self service system that performs resource search and selection including a system and method for controlling a display of resources resulting from a query initiated by a user of the system. The system and method for controlling the display includes the steps of: enabling via a first graphic interface, entry of a query and selection of one or more user context icons, each representing a context associated with the current user situation and having context attribute parameters associated therewith; enabling, via a second graphic interface, user specification of relevant resource selection criteria for enabling expression of relevance of resource results in terms of user context; searching a resource database and generating a resource response set for best matching a user'"'"'s query, user context attributes and user defined relevant resource selection criteria; and, displaying via a third graphic interface, the response set of resources that the customer self service system has determined to match the user'"'"'s query based on the user'"'"'s context, attributes and user defined resource selection criteria utilized in search. Central to the system is the expression of the relevance of results in terms of user context in a manner optimized to facilitate resource selection.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a display of resources resulting from a query initiated by a user in a customer self service system that performs resource search and selection, said system comprising:

a first graphic interface including entry field enabling entry of a query and one or more selectable user context icons, each representing a context associated with the current user situation and having context attribute parameters associated therewith, said interface further enabling user specification of relevant resource selection criteria for enabling expression of relevance of resource results in terms of user context;

mechanism for searching a resource database and generating a resource response set for matching a user'"'"'s query, said searching mechanism generating a response set based on said query, user context attributes and user defined relevant resource selection criteria; and

,

a second graphic interface for displaying the response set of resources that the customer self service system has determined to match the user'"'"'s query based on said user'"'"'s context, attributes and user defined resource selection criteria utilized by said search mechanism, wherein the said second interface enables the expression of relevance of results in terms of user context in a manner optimized to facilitate resource selection.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second graphic interface comprises a first graphic element for displaying said response set according to a defined ranking.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein one or more ranked resources from said first graphic element are user selectable, said second graphic interface comprises a second graphical element for displaying a multi-dimensional plot comprising two or more axes with each axis corresponding to a user specified results selection criterion and each axis including points representing each of said resources selected from said first graphic element along each dimension.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, further including mechanism for enabling user selection of a single point of a desired resource from said multi-dimensional plot, said system enabling visualization of the same resource represented as a data point upon each of said axes of said multi-dimensional plot in response to said single resource selection.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said visualization of the same resource upon each of said axes includes graphically connecting a point corresponding to the selected resource to all the other points for that resource in said plot.

6. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second graphic interface includes a display indicating a weighting of each user selected criterion at each dimension.

7. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein each axis enables visualization of a ranking of said resources according to each selection criterion at each dimension.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said ranking visualization of selected resources includes displaying of points representing said selected resources in relation to user-specified minimum and maximum resource selection criteria values.

9. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein each axis of said multi-dimensional plot is displayed according to a user-defined sequence.

10. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second graphic interface comprises a third graphic element for displaying a detailed description of each of said selected resources of said response set.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said detailed description of said third graphic element includes one or more of:

a text description, visual representation of a resource, and, a hyperlink to more details regarding said resource.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, whereupon selection of a single point of a desired resource from said multi-dimensional plot, said third graphic element capable of displaying a detailed description of said corresponding selected resource.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said relevant resource selection criteria includes one or more of:

cost, risk, time, timing and quality.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, further including mechanism for enabling user selection and modification of user context attribute values, and selection and modification of relevant resource selection criteria via said first graphic interface so that the best resources results are shown.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, further including mechanism for enabling user customization of said relevant resource selection criteria, including said weight, sequence and acceptable resource selection criteria value ranges via, said first graphic interface, to enable increased specificity and accuracy of a query'"'"'s search parameters and resource evaluation criteria and thereby identify and improve selection logic and response sets fitted to said query for display via said second graphic interface.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14, further including mechanism for enabling user selection and modification of graphical resource filters for enabling user specification of inclusionary and exclusionary resource selection parameters.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said displaying step d) further includes the step of:

displaying said response set according to a defined ranking.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein one or more ranked resources from said response set are user selectable, said displaying step d) further including the step of:

displaying a multi-dimensional plot comprising two or more axes with each axis corresponding to a user specified results selection criterion and each axis including points representing each of said resources selected from said first graphic element along each dimension.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further including the steps of:

enabling user selection of a single point of a desired resource from said multi-dimensional plot; and

,

graphically connecting said single point corresponding to the selected resource to all the other points for that resource in said plot.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said displaying step d) further includes the step of:

indicating a weighting of each user selected criterion at each dimension.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said step of displaying a multi-dimensional plot includes providing visualization of a ranking of said resources according to each selection criterion at each dimension.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said ranking visualization of selected resources includes displaying of points representing said selected resources in relation to user-specified minimum and maximum resource selection criteria values.

24. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said step of displaying a multi-dimensional plot includes displaying each axis of said multi-dimensional plot according to a user-defined sequence.

25. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said displaying step d) further includes the step of displaying a detailed description of each of said selected resources of said response set, said detailed description includes one or more of:

a text description, visual representation of a resource, and, a hyperlink to more details regarding said resource.

26. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein in response to selection of a single point of a desired resource from said multi-dimensional plot, the step of displaying a detailed description of said corresponding selected resource.

27. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said relevant resource selection criteria includes one or more of:

cost, risk, time, timing and quality.

28. The method as claimed in claim 17, further including the steps of:

enabling user selection of contexts and selection and modification of user context attribute values thereof; and

enabling selection and modification of relevant resource selection criteria including a weight, sequence and acceptable resource selection criteria value ranges to enable increased specificity and accuracy of a query'"'"'s search parameters and resource evaluation criteria and thereby identify and improve selection logic and response sets fitted to said query for display.

30. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 29, wherein said displaying step d) further includes the step of:

displaying said response set according to a defined ranking.

31. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 30, wherein one or more ranked resources from said response set are user selectable, said displaying step d) further including the step of:

displaying a multi-dimensional plot comprising two or more axes with each axis corresponding to a user specified results selection criterion and each axis including points representing each of said resources selected from said first graphic element along each dimension.

32. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 31, further including the steps of:

enabling user selection of a single point of a desired resource from said multi-dimensional plot; and

,

graphically connecting said single point corresponding to the selected resource to all the other points for that resource in said plot.

33. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 31, wherein said displaying step d) further includes the step of:

indicating a weighting of each user selected criterion at each dimension.

34. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 31, wherein said step of displaying a multi-dimensional plot includes providing visualization of a ranking of said resources according to each selection criterion at each dimension.

35. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 34, wherein said ranking visualization of selected resources includes displaying of points representing said selected resources in relation to user-specified minimum and maximum resource selection criteria values.

36. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 31, wherein said step of displaying a multi-dimensional plot includes displaying each axis of said multi-dimensional plot according to a user-defined sequence.

37. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 31, wherein said displaying step d) further includes the step of displaying a detailed description of each of said selected resources of said response set, said detailed description includes one or more of:

a text description, visual representation of a resource, and, a hyperlink to more details regarding said resource.

38. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 32, wherein in response to selection of a single point of a desired resource from said multi-dimensional plot, the step of displaying a detailed description of said corresponding selected resource.

39. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 29, wherein said relevant resource selection criteria includes one or more of:

cost, risk, time, timing and quality.

40. The program storage device readable by machine as claimed in claim 29, further including the steps of:

enabling user selection of user context attributes and selection and modification of associated context attribute values thereof; and

enabling selection and modification of relevant resource selection criteria including a weight, sequence and acceptable resource selection criteria value ranges to enable increased specificity and accuracy of a query'"'"'s search parameters and resource evaluation criteria and thereby identify and improve selection logic and response sets fitted to said query for display.

17. A method for controlling a display of resources resulting from a query initiated by a user in a customer self service system that performs resource search and selection, said method comprising the steps of:

a) enabling via a first graphic interface, entry of a query and selection of one or more user context icons, each representing a context associated with the current user situation and having context attribute parameters associated therewith,

b) enabling user specification of relevant resource selection criteria for enabling expression of relevance of resource results in terms of user context;

c) searching a resource database and generating a resource response set for best matching a user'"'"'s query, user context attributes and user defined relevant resource selection criteria; and

,

d) displaying via a second graphic interface, the response set of resources that the customer self service system has determined to match the user'"'"'s query based on said user'"'"'s context, attributes and user defined resource selection criteria utilized in search, said second interface expressing the relevance of results in terms of user context in a manner optimized to facilitate resource selection.

29. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for controlling a display of resources resulting from a query initiated by a user in a customer self service system that performs resource search and selection, said method comprising the steps of:

a) enabling via a first graphic interface, entry of a query and selection of one or more user context icons, each representing a context associated with the current user situation and having context attribute parameters associated therewith,

b) enabling user specification of relevant resource selection criteria for enabling expression of relevance of resource results in terms of user context;

c) searching a resource database and generating a resource response set for best matching a user'"'"'s query, user context attributes and user defined relevant resource selection criteria; and

,

d) displaying via a second graphic interface, the response set of resources that the customer self service system has determined to match the user'"'"'s query based on said user'"'"'s context, attributes and user defined resource selection criteria utilized in search, said second interface expressing the relevance of results in terms of user context in a manner optimized to facilitate resource selection.