Graphical user interfaces for information retrieval systems

• US 20100030749A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources Unlimited Company (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dahn, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,140,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation

Abstract

The present inventors devised, among other things, an online legal research system with improved user controls. One exemplary system allows users to enter a query in a query input region that automatically expands to accommodate the length of the query field. The exemplary system also responds to the query by automatically directing it to an appropriate database, saving the user from having to choose among the myriad databases within the system. The exemplary system also provides user-specific folders for not only selected documents or excerpts from documents, but also annotating these documents with notes. The system enables the user to determine whether to make the notes private or publicly available.

Claims

1. An online legal research system comprising:

one or more databases containing legal documents;

a server operatively coupled to the databases and configured;

to provide one or more portions of a graphical user interface to one or more client access devices, the one or more portions including an expandable user text entry box for receiving text defining a query; and

to search one or more of the databases in response to the query.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the expandable user text entry box has an associated character length threshold and wherein the box is expanded in response to a user text entry satisfying a predetermined condition based on the character length threshold.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to automatically search an appropriate one of the databases in response to the query without the user identifying the database.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a subscriber database having data structures associated with corresponding users of the system, each data structure logically associated user selected or defined content;

wherein the graphical user interface further includes;

a display region for displaying a listing of a legal document stored within one of the databases; and

means for enabling the user to identify and store the listed legal document or portion thereof in logical association a corresponding one of the data structures.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the interface further includes:

means for associating a user defined note with the listed legal document; and

means for associating a privacy level with the user defined note.

6. A method for an online legal research system, the method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface having a text entry box for defining a query;

expanding the box in response to receiving text defining a query; and

searching one or more databases of the legal research system in response to the query.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the expandable user text entry box has an associated character length threshold and wherein the box is expanded in response to a user text entry satisfying a predetermined condition based on the character length threshold.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the searching comprising automatically search an appropriate one of the databases in response to the query without the user identifying the database.