INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090043762A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dakota Software Corp.
• Original Assignee: Dakota Software Corp.
• Inventors: Pollock, Robert Brooks, Shiverick, Reginald C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,922,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

An information retrieval method, process, and apparatus are provided which includes iterative or parametric data set querying. The result of each query iteration is displayed in an easy to analyze fashion, enabling the user to interactively refine the query with additional iterations. Each field of data in a data set is represented by a filter in a filter tree table. A user may graphically select and de-select filters using the filter tree table. The selections are converted into a filtering query that is run against the data set to produce filtered data. A summary query is then run against the results of the filtering query. The filtered data is displayed, along with the selected filters of the filter tree table. The filter tree table may also include and display other information related to each filter, such as an associated data item count as generated by the summary query. Further user input is accepted, with the user input further selecting or de-selecting data groupings to be displayed. The user input is fed back to generate another filtering iteration. In this manner, when the user makes a single selection or de-selection, all applicable filters are changed, and the user changes are propagated through all appropriate filters.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented information filtering method, comprising the steps of:

accepting a user input for selecting or de-selecting at least one of a plurality of data groupings within a filter tree table, said data groupings being associated with a plurality of data items in an unfiltered data table;

generating a filtering query, including at least one query operator, based on said at least one data grouping selected from said plurality of data groupings;

running said filtering query against said unfiltered data table;

receiving a plurality of filtered data items from said unfiltered data table in response to said filtering query;

creating a filtered data table with said plurality of filtered data items;

generating a data item count For each selected data grouping; and

displaying said filtered data table and said filter tree table.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more data sets automatically or in response to a user input;

receiving a plurality of data items from said one or more data sets;

creating said unfiltered data table based on said plurality of data items;

displaying said unfiltered data table; and

updating said filter tree table with selectable data groupings associated with said plurality of data items.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a summary query from selected data groupings of said filter tree table;

running said summary query against said filtered data table;

generating summary results comprising said data item counts; and

updating said filter tree table with said summary results.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating one or more data item results.

5. The method of claim 1, further including a preliminary step of selecting a data set.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said data set comprises a database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said data set comprises one or more data tables.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first filter level of said filter tree table corresponds to a column in said data set.

9. The method of claim 1, further including the step of displaying the data item count for a particular data grouping.

10. The method of claim 1, further including the step of updating all data item counts upon a data grouping selection or de-selection by said user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein all data groupings are automatically recalculated upon a selection or de-selection by said user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating a filtering query step includes creating said filtering query based on selected data groupings.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said filtering query is a SQL query.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said user input includes clicking on a selection icon corresponding to a predetermined data grouping.

15. An information filtering apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a user interface, communicating with said processor, to interface with a user;

an unfiltered data table, communicating with said processor, to store one or more data items;

a filtered data table, communicating with said processor, to store one or more filtered data items;

a filter tree table, communicating with said processor, to store one or more data groupings associated with said data items;

wherein said processor executes instructions to perform a filtering method, said filtering method including;

receiving a user input, from said user interface, for selecting or deselecting at least one of said data groupings in said filter tree table,

generating at least one filtering query based on said at least one selected data grouping,

running said filtering query against said unfiltered data table,

filling said filtered data table with filtered data items from said unfiltered data table,

generating a data item count for each selected data grouping, and

displaying said filtered data table and said filter tree table using said user interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said processor, said

unfiltered data table, said filtered data table and said filter tree table are hosted by a data

server accessible to a plurality of clients in a client-server arrangement.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said processor, said unfiltered data table, said filtered data table and said filter tree table are hosted by a user computer that includes input and output devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a data source interface, communicating with said processor, to receive data from one or more external data sources.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a data source interface, communicating with said processor, to receive data items from one or more external data sources and translate said received data items into a predetermined data format.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising at least one internal data source communicating with said processor.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said filter tree table stores data item counts corresponding to each data grouping.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said filter tree table stores data item results corresponding to each data grouping.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said processor generates a display of one or more data items corresponding to selected data groupings in said filter tree table.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said processor generates a display of a parametric filter comprising data groupings stored in said filter tree table.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said processor generates a display of a parametric filter comprising data groupings and said data item counts stored in said filter tree table.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said processor generates a display of a parametric filter comprising data groupings and data item results stored in said filter tree table.