SIMULATION-ASSISTED SEARCH

• US 20080097975A1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: My Virtual Model Inc.
• Original Assignee: My Virtual Model Inc.
• Inventors: Saumier-Finch, Gregory, Guay, Louise, St.-Arnaud, Jean, Faribault, Claude, Haydock, Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US11/751,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097975A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A visually-oriented search system guides a search with non-verbal inputs. Instead of specifying discrete attributes (words) as input to a search engine, a user may create a visual model of a desired end result and apply the model as a generalized input from which discrete attributes are extracted for submission to conventional search engines. The search may be enhanced with a simulation of the visually-created query, and the simulation may be transformed into a query suitable for distribution to one or more search engines. The query may be refined using domain-specific rules, vocabulary, expert systems, and the like. Search results may be browsed by a user, or employed to further refine subsequent searches.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more visual attributes of an object;

creating a simulation of the object with the one or more visual attributes;

presenting the simulation to a user; and

generating a textual search string corresponding to the simulation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the textual search string to at least one search engine.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving one or more results from the at least one search engine.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising modifying the simulation according to at least one of the one or more results.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one search engine includes an Internet retail site.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one search engine includes a product selection site.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the textual search string to a plurality of search engines to obtain search results.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying the search results to the user.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a plurality of search strings corresponding to the simulation, each one of the search strings using a syntax adapted for one or more search engines.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a selection of one or more search engines and generating a textual search string for each one of the one or more search engines.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the selection of one or more visual attributes includes extracting the one or more visual attributes from a digital image.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the selection of one or more visual attributes includes extracting the one or more visual attributes from a digital sketch created by a user.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the simulation includes receiving personalization data and personalizing the simulation according to the personalization data.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein personalization data relates to one or more of height, weight, age, gender, hair color, hair style, hair length, body type, body measurements, skin tone, and head shape.

15-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of

receiving a selection of one or more visual attributes of an object;

creating a simulation of the object with the one or more visual attributes;

presenting the simulation to a user; and

generating a textual search string corresponding to the simulation.

33. The computer program product of claim 32 further comprising code that performs the step of presenting the textual search string to at least one search engine.

34. The computer program product of claim 33 further comprising code that performs the step of receiving one or more results from the at least one search engine.

35. The computer program product of claim 34 further comprising code that performs the step of modifying the simulation according to at least one of the one or more results.

36. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein the at least one search engine includes an Internet retail site.

37. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein the at least one search engine includes a product selection site.

38. The computer program product of claim 32 further comprising code that performs the step of presenting the textual search string to a plurality of search engines to obtain search results.

39-98. -98. (canceled)

99. A user interface comprising:

a first window that receives an incremental specification of a plurality of visual attributes for a product from a user to provide a specification for the product;

a second window that displays a simulation of the product according to the specification; and

a control for initiating a search among a plurality of remote search engines for items having the plurality of visual attributes.

100. The user interface of claim 99 further comprising a third window that displays search results from the plurality of remote search engines.

101. The user interface of claim 99 wherein the first window includes a questionnaire.

102. The user interface of claim 99 wherein the user interface includes software that translates the specification of the product into a search string for the search.

103-107. -107. (canceled)