Multi-Dimensional Search Results Adjustment System

• US 20100332466A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Scott, Tischer, Steven Neil
• Granted Patent: US 8,620,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/043 with self-sucking action, e.g. wicks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0402 Cleaning, repairing, or assembling

Abstract

A search based on one or more search terms is performed, and a subset of the returned search results is displayed. It is determined that a user has altered the position of an object located in multidimensional space. A first dimension of the multi-dimensional space corresponds to a variation in degree of a first filter criterion, and a second dimension corresponds to a variation in degree of a second filter criterion. The first and second filter criterion are different from the search terms and are not determined based on the search results. A value corresponding to each of the filter criteria is identified based on the position of the object in the first and second dimension, respectively. The search results are filtered based on each value to generate a second subset of the search results.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

performing a search based on one or more search terms, the search returning a plurality of search results;

displaying a first subset of the search results, the first subset not including all of the search results;

determining that a position of an object located in a multidimensional space has been altered by a user, wherein a first dimension of the multi-dimensional space corresponds to a variation in degree of a first filter criterion and a second dimension of the multi-dimensional space corresponds to a variation in degree of a second filter criterion, and wherein the first and second filter criterion are different from the search terms and are not determined based on the search results;

identifying a value of the first filter criterion based on the position of the object in the first dimension;

identifying a value of the second filter criterion based on the position of the object in the second dimension; and

filtering the search results based on the value of the first filter criterion and based on the value of the second filter criterion to generate a second subset of the search results.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the object comprises a virtual object in a graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the position of the object is altered in response to sensing a location of a user'"'"'s hand in three-dimensional space.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the object comprises a physical object.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of the first filter criterion represents a degree of literal string matching and the value of the second filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a topic.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of the first filter criterion represents a degree of literal string matching and the value of the second filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a history of prior searches.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of the first filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a history of prior searches and the value of the second filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a topic.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system programmed to;

perform a search based on one or more search terms, the search generating a plurality of search results;

display a first subset of the search results, the first subset not including all of the search results;

determine that a position of an object located in a multidimensional space has been altered by a user, wherein a first dimension of the multi-dimensional space corresponds to a variation in degree of a first filter criterion and a second dimension of the multi-dimensional space corresponds to a variation in degree of a second filter criterion, and wherein the first and second filter criterion are different from the search terms and are not determined based on the search results;

identify a value of the first filter criterion based on the position of the object in the first dimension;

identify a value of the second filter criterion based on the position of the object in the second dimension; and

filter the search results based on the value of the first filter criterion and based on the value of the second filter criterion to generate a second subset of the plurality of search results.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the object comprises a virtual object in a graphical user interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the position of the object is altered in response to sensing a location of a user'"'"'s hand in three-dimensional space.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the object comprises a physical object.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the value of the first filter criterion represents a degree of literal string matching and the value of the second filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a topic.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the value of the first filter criterion represents a degree of literal string matching and the value of the second filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a history of prior searches.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the value of the first filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a history of prior searches and the value of the second filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a topic.

15. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program to cause a computer system to:

perform a search based on one or more search terms, the search returning a plurality of search results;

display a first subset of the search results, the first subset not including all of the search results;

determine that a position of an object located in a multidimensional space has been altered by a user, wherein a first dimension of the multi-dimensional space corresponds to a variation in degree of a first filter criterion and a second dimension of the multi-dimensional space corresponds to a variation in degree of a second filter criterion, and wherein the first and second filter criterion are different from the search terms and are not determined based on the search results;

identify a value of the first filter criterion based on the position of the object in the first dimension;

identify a value of the second filter criterion based on the position of the object in the second dimension; and

filter the search results based on the value of the first filter criterion and based on the value of the second filter criterion to generate a second subset of the search results.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the object comprises a virtual object in a graphical user interface.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the object comprises a physical object.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the value of the first filter criterion represents a degree of literal string matching and the value of the second filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a topic.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the value of the first filter criterion represents a degree of literal string matching and the value of the second filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a history of prior searches.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the value of the first filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a history of prior searches and the value of the second filter criterion represents a degree of relevance to a topic.