SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND INTERFACES FOR REDUCING EXECUTIONS OF OVERLY BROAD USER QUERIES

• US 20070150439A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cengage Learning Incorporated (Cengage Learning Holdings Ii, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Gale Group, Inc. (Cengage Learning Holdings Ii, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brei, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection

Abstract

The present inventor devised, among other things, an exemplary information retrieval system that promises to reduce the execution of overly broad queries. One exemplary system detects overly broad queries and presents users one or more potentially relevant portions of a hierarchical subject matter classification system, instead of executing the query against the targeted database. The system also presents users the option of accessing one or more relevant documents to the query via an interface for the classification system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a query from an access device having a display;

determining that the query is too broad; and

in response to the determination that the query is too broad, displaying at least a portion of a hierarchical subject guide on the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least a portion of the hierarchical subject guide includes displaying a subject matter identifier and a document count indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the subject matter identifier and the document count indicator includes displaying a listing of one or more document identifiers associated with the subject matter identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least a portion of the hierarchical subject guide includes displaying first and second user selectable subject matter identifier and respective first and second document count indicators, wherein selection of one of the first and second subject matter identifiers causes display of one or more document identifiers associated with the one of the first and second subject matter identifiers.

5. An information retrieval system comprising:

a database; and

a server for retrieving data from the database in response to user queries, wherein the server includes;

first means for determining that a user query is too broad; and

second means, responsive to the first means, for providing at least a portion of a hierarchical subject guide for the database to an access device associated with the user query.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein displaying at least a portion of the hierarchical subject guide includes displaying a subject matter identifier and a document count indicator.

8. A graphical user interface for a database comprising:

a query definition region;

a hierarchical subject matter guide region including two or more user selectable subject matter identifiers and corresponding document count indicators for indicating corresponding numbers of documents in a database that associated with the selectable subject matter identifiers; and

a document identifier display region, responsive to selection of one of the subject matter identifiers, for displaying one or more user selectable document identifiers, wherein each user selectable document identifiers is selectable to invoke retrieval of a corresponding document related by subject matter to the subject matter identifiers.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein two or more of the user selectable subject matter identifiers occupy different levels of a hierarchical subject matter guide.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein the query definition region is operable coupled to means for determining whether a query defined in the query definition region is too broad, wherein the mean activates display of the hierarchical subject matter guide region in response to a determination that the query is too broad.