Generalized Faceted Browser Decision Support Tool

• US 20080222561A1
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Helfman, Jonathan, White, Brent-Kaan William
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a faceted browser for decision-making that enables interactive visualization of a decision space as choices are made. According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises receiving a selection of a first choice from a user. The first choice is displayed in a user interface that includes a plurality of facets, each facet including a plurality of choices. The method further comprises disabling at least one second choice in response to the selection of the first choice, and determining a first result set in response to the selection of the first choice. The user interface is then updated in real-time to display the selected status of the first choice, the disabled status of the second choice, and the first result set to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for aiding a user in decision-making, the method comprising:

receiving a selection from the user of a first choice displayed in a user interface, the user interface displaying a plurality of facets, each facet displaying a plurality of choices;

disabling at least one second choice in response to the selection of the first choice, the disabled second choice being unable to be selected by the user;

determining a first result set in response to the selection of the first choice; and

updating the user interface to display a selected status of the first choice, a disabled status of the second choice, and the first result set to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a third choice;

disabling at least one fourth choice in response to the selection of the third choice, the disabled fourth choice being unable to be selected by the user;

determining a second result set in response to the selection of the third choice; and

updating the user interface to display a selected status of the first choice, a disabled status of the second choice, a selected status of the third choice, a disabled status of the fourth choice, and the second result set to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a de-selection of one of the first and third choices;

enabling at least one of the second and fourth choices in response to the de-selection; and

updating the user interface to display the first, second, third, and fourth choices in a current state resulting from the de-selection, along with an updated result set, to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a facet label for each facet;

defining a choice label for each choice;

defining a result label for each result;

defining associations between facets and choices;

defining associations between results and facet-choice pairs;

and storing the facet labels, the choice labels, the result labels, the associations between facets and choices, and the associations between results and facet-choice pairs in a text-based file, wherein the file does not contain program code for rendering the user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

reading the text-based file to generate the user interface.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

validating the associations between results and facet-choice pairs to ensure that each facet-choice pair is defined in the associations between facets and choices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is presented in a web browser, and wherein each result in the result set is presented as a hypertext link.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each choice is represented by a user interface element selected from a group consisting of:

checkbox, button, and drop-down list.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a ranking for each facet in the plurality of facets; and

presenting an indication of each facet'"'"'s ranking in the user interface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indication is a color.

11. A computer-implemented method for aiding a user in decision-making, the method comprising:

generating a user interface to be displayed to the user, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of facets, and wherein each facet includes a plurality of choices;

receiving a selection of a first choice, wherein the first choice corresponds to a first facet,

disabling a second choice and a third choice in response to the selection of the first choice, wherein the disabled second and third choices cannot be selected by the user, and wherein the second choice and third choices correspond to a second facet;

determining a result set in response to the selection of the first choice; and

updating the user interface to display a selected status of the first choice, a disabled status of the second choice, a disabled status of the third choice, and the result set to the user.

12. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to aid a user in decision-making by:

receiving a selection from the user of a first choice displayed in a user interface, the user interface including a plurality of facets, each facet including a plurality of choices,

disabling at least one second choice in response to the selection of the first choice, the disabled second choice being unable to be selected by the user;

determining a first result set in response to the selection of the first choice; and

updating the user interface to display a selected status of the first choice, a disabled status of the second choice, and the first result set to the user.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a third choice;

disabling at least one fourth choice in response to the selection of the third choice, the disabled fourth choice being unable to be selected by the user;

determining a second result set in response to the selection of the third choice; and

updating the user interface to display a selected status of the first choice, a disabled status of the second choice, a selected status of the third choice, a disabled status of the fourth choice, and the second result set to the user.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a de-selection of one of the first and the third choices;

enabling at least one of the second and fourth choices in response to the de-selection; and

updating the user interface to display the first, second, third, and fourth choices in a current state resulting from the de-selection, along with an updated result set, to the user.

15. A system comprising:

a display component;

a memory component;

a user input component;

and a processing component, wherein the processing component is communicatively coupled to the display component, the memory component, and the user input component, the processing component performing a method comprising;

presenting on the display component a user interface to the user, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of facets, and wherein each facet includes a plurality of choices;

receiving through the user input component a selection of a first choice;

disabling at least one second choice in response to the selection of the first choice, wherein the disabled second choice can no longer be selected through the user input component;

determining, by accessing the memory component, a result set in response to the selection of the first choice; and

updating the user interface to display, on the display component, a selected status of the first choice, a disabled status of the second choice, and the result set to the user.

16. A system comprising:

a memory component;

a communications interface;

and a processing component, wherein the processing component is communicatively coupled to the memory component and the communications interface, the processing component performing a method comprising;

transmitting a first specification of a user interface, wherein the first specification includes a plurality of facets, and wherein each facet includes a plurality of choices;

receiving a selection of a first choice;

disabling at least one second choice in response to the selection of the first choice, the disabled second choice being unable to be selected by a user;

determining, by accessing the memory component, a result set in response to the selection of the first choice; and

transmitting, in real-time, a second specification of the user interface, wherein the second specification includes a selected status of the first choice, a disabled status of the second choice, and the result set.

17. A system for aiding a user in decision-making, comprising:

a data storage device operable to store data for a plurality of results; and

at least one server in communication with the data storage device and operable to generate a user interface to be displayed to the user, the user interface including a plurality of facets, each facet including a plurality of choices,

wherein the at least one server is further operable to receive a selection from the user of a first choice displayed in the user interface, and in response thereto, disable at least one second choice, the disabled second choice being unable to be selected by the user,

wherein the at least one server is further operable to determine a first result set in response to the selection of the first choice; and

wherein the at least one server is further operable to update the user interface to display a selected status of the first choice, a disabled status of the second choice, and the first result set to the user.