METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FILTERING INFORMATION

• US 20110270876A1
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eric J. Hoffer, Timothy David Gill
• Original Assignee: Eric J. Hoffer, Timothy David Gill
• Inventors: Hoffer, Eric J., Gill, Timothy David
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying

Abstract

A system and method for filtering data is provided, including identifying a target portion of a data source, dividing the target portion into one or more elements of a set, receiving one or more search requests as a filter specification, interpreting the filter specification as a Boolean logic expression, evaluating the elements of the set based on the Boolean expression, and displaying the elements which match the search request on a display.

Claims

1. A method for filtering data, the method comprising:

accessing data from a data source, the data being presented on a display;

identifying a target portion within said data source;

identifying one or more sets of data within said target portion;

dividing the sets of data into one or more elements, wherein each element includes one or more searchable components;

receiving one or more characters of a filter specification;

interpreting of the filter specification as a logic expression;

evaluating the elements and determining if the searchable components match the filter specification;

designating one or more matched elements, wherein the matched elements include the elements whose components match the filter specification;

displaying the matched elements on the display; and

excluding the elements that are not matched elements from the display.

2. A system for filtering data, the system comprising:

an input portion for receiving one or more characters of a filter specification;

a data source for providing data;

a user interface for accessing the data;

a processor portion for;

dividing the data into one or more elements,

interpreting the filter specification as a Boolean logic expression,

processing the expression against the elements, and

identifying elements which match the filter specification; and

a display portion for displaying the elements which match the filter specification as identified by the processor portion.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an activation portion for activating the input mechanism.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a memory portion.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising a receiving portion for receiving software.

6. The system of claim 2, the processor portion further for detecting portions of the data on which the filter specification can be processed and identifying one or more sets within the detected portions of the data, wherein each set comprises at least one element.

7. The system of claim 2, the processor portion further for removing at least one of the elements that do not match the filter specification from being presented by the display portion.

8. The system of claim 2, further comprising a feedback portion for providing the provider of the data source with one or more items of information regarding the filter specification processed by the processor portion, and regarding the results of such processing.

9. A method of filtering data, the method comprising:

identifying a target portion of a data source;

dividing the target portion into one or more elements;

receiving one or more search requests as filter specification;

interpreting the filter specification as a Boolean logic expression,

evaluating the elements based on the logic expression; and

displaying the elements which match the search request on a display.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising accessing the data source via a web page.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising dividing the target portion into one or more sets, each set comprising one or more of the elements.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising performing a Boolean search based on the search request.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting a modification of the search request and updating the Boolean search based on the modified search request.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising excluding the elements that do not match the search request.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising dynamically detecting a modification of the search request, evaluating the elements based on the modification, and updating the display.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising corresponding with a provider of the data source regarding the search request.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying a responsive portion or portions related to the search request and to the filtration results, the responsive portion comprising an advertisement, a hyperlink, information, or functionality.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing data regarding each element in a memory unit, and marking the memory units corresponding to the elements that match the search request.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising accessing the data source and detecting the target portion automatically.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising visually indicating the target portion.