System and a method for presenting related items to a user

• US 20050091225A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guzak, Chris J., Moore, Jason Fergus, De Vorchik, David George, McKee, Timothy P., Sheldon, David Joel, Sierra, Giampiero, Karatal, Kerem B., Peterson, Leonard J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• 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: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system and method for presenting related items to a user. A universal data store is provided which contains a plurality of items. A portion of the items contain relational information that allows relationships between two or more of the plurality of items to be determined. A shell presents a selected item to a user and is configured to utilize the relational information to present one or more items in the data store which are related to the selected item.

Claims

1. A computer system for presenting related items in a universal data store to a user, the system comprising:

a universal data store containing a plurality of items stored in accordance with a universal data schema and containing relational information corresponding to at least a portion of said plurality of items, wherein the relational information allows relationships between two or more of the plurality of items to be determined; and

a shell for presenting said plurality of items to a user, wherein the shell is configured to present a selected item to a user and is further configured to utilize said relational information to present one or more items in said data store which are related to said selected item.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the relational information corresponding to one or more of said plurality of items includes a set of item characteristics.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said shell is configured to present one or more of said set of item characteristics to a user.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said shell is configured to accept a user input representing a selection to view one or more items in the data store having one of said item characteristics.

5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said shell is configured to present one or more items in the data store which share one of said item characteristics.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the shell is configured to present at least a portion of said relational information.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the shell is configured to accept a user input representing a selection to view items in the data store which are related to said selected item.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said relational information corresponding to the selected item includes a set of item characteristics associated with the selected item and wherein said user input represents a selection to view one or more items in the data store which share one of said set of item characteristics with the selected item.

9. A computer-implemented method for presenting related items in a universal data store to a user, the method comprising:

accessing data in said universal data store, wherein said universal data store stores a plurality of items in accordance with a universal data schema, and wherein at least a portion of said plurality of items contain relational information which allows relationships between said plurality of items to be determined;

utilizing said relational information to determine a relationship between a selected item and one or more of the items containing said relational information in the data store; and

displaying said selected item and one or more related items to the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the displaying of said selected item and one or more related items includes displaying at least a portion of said relational information to a user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises receiving a user input representing a selection to view one or more items in the data store which are related to said selected item.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying of said selected item and one or more related items is responsive to said input.

13. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for presenting related items in a universal data store to a user, the method comprising:

accessing data in said universal data store, wherein said universal data store stores a plurality of items in accordance with a universal data schema, and wherein at least a portion of said plurality of items contain relational information which allows relationships between two or more of said plurality of items to be determined;

utilizing said relational information to determine a relationship between a selected item and one or more of the items containing said relational information in the data store; and

presenting said selected item and one or more related items to the user.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the relational information includes a set of item characteristics.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein accessing data in said universal data store is in response to a user input representing a selection to view one or more items in the data store which are related to said selected item.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein said relational information corresponding to the selected item includes a set of item characteristics associated with the selected item and wherein said user input represents a selection to view one or more items in the data store which share one or more item characteristics with the selected item.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the presenting of said selected item and one or more related items includes presenting at least a portion of said relational information to a user.

18. A shell for presenting related items in a universal data store to a user, the shell comprising:

a data store interaction component which retrieves data associated with one or more items from the universal data store, wherein said one or more items are stored in accordance with a universal data schema and at least a portion of said one or more items contain relational information that allows relationships between two or more items to be determined; and

a related item presentation component which utilizes said retrieved data to present related items to a user, wherein the relationship presentation component is configured to present a selected item to a user and is further configured to utilize said relational information to present one or more items in said data store which are related to said selected item.

19. The shell of claim 18, wherein the relational information corresponding to one or more of said plurality of items includes a set of item characteristics.

20. The shell of claim 19, wherein said related item presentation component is configured to present one or more of said set of item characteristics to a user.

21. The shell of claim 19, wherein said related item presentation component is configured to present one or more items in the data store which share one of said item characteristics.

22. The shell of claim 18, wherein the related item presentation component is configured to present at least a portion of said relational information.

23. The shell of claim 18, wherein the shell is configured to accept a user input representing a selection to view items in the data store which are related to said selected item.

24. The shell of claim 23, wherein said relational information corresponding to the selected item includes a set of item characteristics associated with the selected item and wherein said user input represents a selection to view one or more items in the data store which share one of said set of item characteristics with the selected item.

25. A computer system for presenting related items in a universal data store to a user, the system comprising:

means for accessing data in said universal data store, wherein said universal data store stores a plurality of items in accordance with a universal data schema, and wherein at least a portion of said plurality of items contain relational information which allows relationships between said plurality of items to be determined;

means for utilizing said relational information to determine a relationship between a selected item and one or more of the items containing said relational information in the data store; and

means for displaying said selected item and one or more related items to the user.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the relational information corresponding to one or more of said plurality of items includes a set of item characteristics.

27. The computer system of claim 26, wherein said means for displaying are configured to present one or more of said set of item characteristics to a user.

28. The computer system of claim 26, wherein said means for accessing data in said universal data store interacts with said data store in response to a user input representing a selection to view one or more items in the data store having one of said item characteristics.