INTEGRATION OF PREDEFINED MULTI-DIMENSIONAL AND FLEXIBLY-ORDERED DYNAMIC SEARCH INTERFACES

• US 20080243779A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jin, Qi, Pfahl, Timo, Behnen, Marion
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• 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 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and system for integrating faceted and predefined multi-dimensional search interfaces are provided. The method, computer program product, and system provide for displaying a first set of results from a search request in a faceted search interface and a second set of results from the search request in a predefined multi-dimensional search interface, and responsive to a user action in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface affecting a scope of the search request, synchronizing the faceted search interface with changes in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface without requiring a separate user action in the faceted search interface.

Claims

1. A method for integrating faceted and predefined multi-dimensional search interfaces, the method comprising:

displaying a first set of results from a search request in a faceted search interface and a second set of results from the search request in a predefined multi-dimensional search interface, the second set of results correlating to the first set of results, the first set of results being retrieved from a first data source and the second set of results being retrieved from a second data source separate from the first data source, the first data source and the second data source being created from a same data set or correlated data sets; and

responsive to a user action in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface affecting a scope of the search request, synchronizing the faceted search interface with changes in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface resulting from the user action without requiring a separate user action in the faceted search interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the faceted search interface with changes in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface comprises:

modifying the search request; and

displaying a modified first set of results from the modified search request in the faceted search interface and a modified second set of results from the modified search request in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface, the modified second set of results correlating to the modified first set of results, the modified first set of results being retrieved from the first data source and the modified second set of results being retrieved from the second data source.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the modified first set of results comprises:

updating a portion of the first set of results displayed in the faceted search interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined multi-dimensional search interface is an online analytical processing (OLAP) interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user action in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface is user selection of a drill-down operation, a drill-up operation, or a slice-and-dice operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data source is an independent-dimensional data structure and the second data source is an interconnected-dimensional data structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the faceted search interface and the predefined multi-dimensional search interface are part of a single user interface.

8. A system for integrating faceted and predefined multi-dimensional search interfaces, the system comprising:

a data model storing a first set of results from a search request and a second set of results from the search request, the second set of results correlating to the first set of results, the first set of results being retrieved from a first data source and the second set of results being retrieved from a second data source separate from the first data source, the first data source and the second data source being created from a same data set or correlated data sets;

a faceted search interface displaying data from the first set of results stored in the data model; and

a predefined multi-dimensional search interface displaying data from the second set of results stored in the data model,

responsive to a user action in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface affecting a scope of the search request, the faceted search interface synchronizes with changes in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface resulting from the user action without requiring a separate user action in the faceted search interface.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an interface controller in communication with the predefined multi-dimensional search interface, the interface controller triggering a modification of the search request responsive to the user action in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface affecting the scope of the search request.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein responsive to modification of the search request,

the data model stores a modified first set of results from the modified search request and a modified second set of results from the modified search request, the modified second set of results correlating to the modified first set of results, the modified first set of results being retrieved from the first data source and the modified second set of results being retrieved from the second data source;

the faceted search interface displays data from the modified first set of results stored in the data model; and

the predefined multi-dimensional search interface component displays data from the modified second set of results stored in the data model.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the predefined multi-dimensional search interface is an online analytical processing (OLAP) interface.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the user action in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface is user selection of a drill-down operation, a drill-up operation, or a slice-and-dice operation.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first data source is an independent-dimensional data structure and the second data source is an interconnected-dimensional data structure.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium including a computer readable program for integrating faceted and predefined multi-dimensional search interfaces, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

display a first set of results from a search request in a faceted search interface and a second set of results from the search request in a predefined multi-dimensional search interface, the second set of results correlating to the first set of results, the first set of results being retrieved from a first data source and the second set of results being retrieved from a second data source separate from the first data source, the first data source and the second data source being created from a same data set or correlated data sets; and

responsive to a user action in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface affecting a scope of the search request, synchronize the faceted search interface with changes in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface resulting from the user action without requiring a separate user action in the faceted search interface.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein synchronize the faceted search interface with changes in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface comprises:

modify the search request; and

display a modified first set of results from the modified search request in the faceted search interface and a modified second set of results from the modified search request in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface, the modified second set of results correlating to the modified first set of results, the modified first set of results being retrieved from the first data source and the modified second set of results being retrieved from the second data source.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein display the modified first set of results comprises:

update a portion of the first set of results displayed in the faceted search interface.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the predefined multi-dimensional search interface is an online analytical processing (OLAP) interface.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the user action in the predefined multi-dimensional search interface is user selection of a drill-down operation, a drill-up operation, or a slice-and-dice operation.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first data source is an independent-dimensional data structure and the second data source is an interconnected-dimensional data structure.