SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TEXT DISAMBIGUATION AND CONTEXT DESIGNATION IN INCREMENTAL SEARCH

• US 20080313564A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veveo, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Veveo, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: ARAVAMUDAN, Murali, BARVE, Rakesh, VENKATARAMAN, Sashikumar, GARG, Pankaj, ARDHANARI, Sankar, SHARMA, Manish M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/816
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Methods and systems for text disambiguation and context designation in incremental search are provided. A method for selecting items in response to ambiguous keystrokes entered by a user and unambiguous metadata associated with a previously selected search result includes receiving ambiguous keystrokes, selecting and presenting a first subset of items and metadata associated with the items presented based on the ambiguous keystrokes. The method also includes receiving a selection of one of the items from the user, and, in response to a locking operation received from the user, locking in fixed relation at least one of the ambiguous keystrokes to at least one metadata term associated with the selected item. The method further includes, subsequent to receiving the locking operation, selecting and presenting a second subset of items based at least in part on the locked metadata term, and presenting the second subset of items.

Claims

1. A user-interface method for selecting a subset of items from a relatively large set of items in response to search criteria including ambiguous keystrokes entered by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys and including unambiguous metadata associated with a previously selected search result, the method comprising:

a. receiving ambiguous keystrokes entered by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys in which a given key is in fixed association with a plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols, wherein the user is using the symbols to search for desired items;

b. in response to receiving the ambiguous keystrokes, selecting and presenting a first subset of items and corresponding unambiguous metadata associated with the items presented based on the ambiguous keystrokes;

c. receiving a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items from the user;

d. in response to a locking operation received from the user, locking in fixed relation at least one of the ambiguous keystrokes to at least one unambiguous metadata term associated with the selected item;

e. subsequent to receiving the locking operation, selecting and presenting a second subset of items based at least in part on the locked unambiguous metadata term; and

f. presenting the second subset of items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unambiguous metadata term locked in fixed relation to the at least one of the ambiguous keystrokes is one of the presented metadata terms associated with the selected item of the first subset so that the locked metadata term lexically disambiguates the items of the first subset from each other for the subsequent selecting and presenting step.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unambiguous metadata term locked in fixed relation to the at least one of the ambiguous keystrokes is a metadata term describing a concept associated with the selected item of the first subset so that only items associated with the concept of the selected item are selected and presented in the subsequent selecting are presenting step.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a browse action from the user for highlighting one of the presented items of the first subset; and

, in response to the user browse action, transforming at least part of the ambiguous keystrokes into at least one unambiguous metadata term associated with the highlighted item, wherein at least some of the characters of the unambiguous metadata term match the alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed association with the ambiguous keystrokes entered by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items includes receiving a browse action from the user for highlighting one of the presented items of the first subset and wherein receiving a locking operation from the user includes receiving at least one additional keystroke entry from the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one additional keystroke entry from the user is a keystroke for performing an explicit lock operation.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one additional keystroke entry from the user includes additional ambiguous keystrokes entered by the user for providing additional alphabetical or numerical symbols for searching for desired items.

8. A user-interface system for selecting a subset of items from a relatively large set of items in response to search criteria including ambiguous keystrokes entered by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys and including unambiguous metadata associated with a previously selected search result, the system comprising:

a. a first logic for receiving ambiguous keystrokes entered by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys in which a given key is in fixed association with a plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols, wherein the user is using the symbols to search for desired items;

b. a second logic for, in response to receiving the ambiguous keystrokes, selecting and presenting a first subset of items and corresponding unambiguous metadata associated with the items presented based on the ambiguous keystrokes;

c. a third logic for receiving a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items from the user;

d. a fourth logic for, in response to a locking operation received from the user, locking in fixed relation at least one of the ambiguous keystrokes to at least one unambiguous metadata term associated with the selected item;

e. a fifth logic for, subsequent to receiving the locking operation, selecting and presenting a second subset of items based at least in part on the locked unambiguous metadata term; and

f. a sixth logic for presenting the second subset of items.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the unambiguous metadata term locked in fixed relation to the at least one of the ambiguous keystrokes is one of the presented metadata terms associated with the selected item of the first subset so that the locked metadata term lexically disambiguates the items of the first subset from each other for the subsequent selecting and presenting step.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the unambiguous metadata term locked in fixed relation to the at least one of the ambiguous keystrokes is a metadata term describing a concept associated with the selected item of the first subset so that only items associated with the concept of the selected item are selected and presented in the subsequent selecting are presenting step.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a seventh logic for receiving a browse action from the user for highlighting one of the presented items of the first subset; and

an eighth logic for, in response to the user browse action, transforming at least part of the ambiguous keystrokes into at least one unambiguous metadata term associated with the highlighted item, wherein at least some of the characters of the unambiguous metadata term match the alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed association with the ambiguous keystrokes entered by the user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the third logic for receiving a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items includes logic for receiving a browse action from the user for highlighting one of the presented items of the first subset and wherein the fourth logic for receiving a locking operation from the user includes logic for receiving at least one additional keystroke entry from the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one additional keystroke entry from the user is a keystroke for performing an explicit lock operation.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one additional keystroke entry from the user includes additional ambiguous keystrokes entered by the user for providing additional alphabetical or numerical symbols for searching for desired items.