Method and apparatus for assisting user of information retrieval systems
First Claim
1. An information retrieval system, comprising:
- database means for storing basic information;
a plurality of basic information pages stored in said database means;
a plurality of subsidiary information pages stored in said database means, each one of the subsidiary information pages corresponding to a respective one of the basic information pages and including information designed to help an operator of the system relative to the respective one of the basic information pages;
record means for maintaining a record of the location of each one of the subsidiary information pages corresponding to each one of the basic information pages;
terminal means for displaying data received from said database means;
communication means for transmitting data from said database means to said terminal means;
request means on said terminal means for requesting a selected one of said basic information pages;
transmission means responsive to such request means for causing said communication means to transmit said selected basic information page to said terminal means for display thereby;
help key means on said terminal means for initiating display of a subsidiary information page corresponding to the selected one of the basic information pages by a single operation of the help key means;
said communication means including current page identification means for determining the identity of the selected one of the basic information pages being transmitted at the time said help key means is operated, subsidiary page identification means for determining the location of the corresponding one of the subsidiary information pages, and help transmission means for transmitting the corresponding one of the subsidiary information pages to the terminal means for display;
said communication means being responsive to a single operation of said help key means to cause the current page indentification means to determine the identity of the selected one of the basic information pages being transmitted at the time said help key means is operated, cause the subsidiary page identification means to determine the location of the corresponding one of said subsidiary information pages, and cause the help transmission means to transmit said associated subsidiary information page to said terminal means for display thereby.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In information retrieval system includes a help feature, wherein a help key on a terminal can be actuated and a host computer responds by determining the identity of a page of basic information being transmitted at the time the help key is operated, determining the location of a page of subsidiary information associated with the currently transmitted page of basic information, and transmitting that associated page of subsidiary information to the terminal for display thereby. A system guide aspect enables the system to provide guide information adapted to assist in the use of other data subgroups. A bookmark facility involves the use of a mark request key on the terminal and a mark record device operable in response to the actuation of the mark request key to create a record of the storage location of the one of the pages being transmitted to the terminal for display thereby at the time of such actuation. A search request key on the terminal enable transmission of a search request to the host computer.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An information retrieval system, comprising:
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database means for storing basic information; a plurality of basic information pages stored in said database means; a plurality of subsidiary information pages stored in said database means, each one of the subsidiary information pages corresponding to a respective one of the basic information pages and including information designed to help an operator of the system relative to the respective one of the basic information pages; record means for maintaining a record of the location of each one of the subsidiary information pages corresponding to each one of the basic information pages; terminal means for displaying data received from said database means; communication means for transmitting data from said database means to said terminal means; request means on said terminal means for requesting a selected one of said basic information pages; transmission means responsive to such request means for causing said communication means to transmit said selected basic information page to said terminal means for display thereby; help key means on said terminal means for initiating display of a subsidiary information page corresponding to the selected one of the basic information pages by a single operation of the help key means; said communication means including current page identification means for determining the identity of the selected one of the basic information pages being transmitted at the time said help key means is operated, subsidiary page identification means for determining the location of the corresponding one of the subsidiary information pages, and help transmission means for transmitting the corresponding one of the subsidiary information pages to the terminal means for display; said communication means being responsive to a single operation of said help key means to cause the current page indentification means to determine the identity of the selected one of the basic information pages being transmitted at the time said help key means is operated, cause the subsidiary page identification means to determine the location of the corresponding one of said subsidiary information pages, and cause the help transmission means to transmit said associated subsidiary information page to said terminal means for display thereby. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An information retrieval system, comprising:
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database means for storing a plurality of separate data subgroups; a plurality of data subgroups stored in said database means; terminal means for displaying data received from a selected one of said data subgroups; communication means for transmitting said data from said selected data subgroup to said terminal means; data request means on said terminal means adapted to request access to a selected one of said data subgroups; said communication means being responsive to operation of said data request means to transmit to said terminal means data from an associated one of said data subgroups; one or more of said data subgroups being organized into a plurality of pages; one of said data subgroups containing guide information to guide a user of said terminal means in the use of said other data subgroups; and guide information request means on said terminal means for initiating display of said guide information; said communication means including selected subgroup indentification means for determining the identity of the selected one of the data subgroups being transmitted at the time said guide information request means is operated, guide information identification means for determining the location of the data subgroup containing the guide information, and guide transmission means for transmitting the guide information to the terminal means for display; said communication means being responsive to a single operation of said guide information request means to transmit said guide information. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. An information retrieval system, comprising:
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database means for storing information in an organized plurality of pages and for storing said pages at numerically ordered locations; terminal means for displaying data received; communication means for transmitting said information to said terminal means a page at a time for display thereby; mark request means on said terminal means for activating a mark record means; and mark record means responsive to a single operation of said mark request means to create a record of the storage location of one of said pages which is being transmitted to said terminal means for display thereby at the time of such operation. - View Dependent Claims (12, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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13. An information retrieval system, comprising:
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database means for storing information in an organized plurality of pages and for storing said pages at numerically order locations; terminal means for displaying data received; communication means for transmitting said information to said terminal means a page at a time for display thereby; mark request means on said terminal for activating a mark record means; alphanumeric key means on said terminal means for composing a mark title; and mark record means responsive to the composition of a mark title followed by the actuation of said mark request means to create a record of the storage location of the one of said pages which is being transmitted to said terminal means for display thereby at the time of such actuation, and a record of said mark title composed prior to such actuation, and to associate said records with each other for subsequent retrieval purposes; said mark record means being responsive to subsequent actuation of said alphanumeric key means to compose said mark title, and subsequent actuation of said mark request means, to consult said record for the purpose of determining the page storage location related to said mark title, to retrieve the page stored at the location so determined, and to cause said communication means to transmit said page so retrieved to said terminal means for display thereby.
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18. A method of operating an information retrievial system, comprising the steps of:
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storing information in database means and employing said database means to organize said information into a plurality of pages and to store said pages at numerically ordered locations; employing terminal means for displaying data received; employing communication means for transmitting said information to said terminal means a page at a time for display thereby; said terminal means including mark request means for transmitting a request; and employing mark record means for responding to the actuation of said mark request means by creating a record of the storage location of the one of said pages which is being transmitted to said terminal means for display thereby at the time of such actuation.
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19. A method of operating an information retrieval system, comprising the steps of:
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storing information in database means and employing said database means to organize said information into a plurality of pages and to store said pages at numerically ordered locations; employing terminal means for displaying data received; employing communication means for transmitting said information to said terminal means a page at a time for display thereby; said terminal means including mark request means for transmitting a request, and alphanumeric key means adapted to be actuated in any selected order to compose a mark title; employing mark record means for responding to the composition of a mark title followed by the actuation of said mark request means by creating a record of the storage location of the one of said pages which is being transmitted to said terminal means for display thereby at the time of such actuation, creating a record of said mark title composed prior to such actuation, and associating said records with each other for subsequent retrieval purposes; and employing said mark record means to respond to subsequent actuation of said alphanumeric key means to compose said mark title, and subsequent actuation of said mark request means, by consulting said record for the purpose of determining the page storage location associated with said mark title, retrieving the page stored at the location so determined, and causing said communication means to transmit said page so retrieved to said terminal means for display thereby.
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20. A method of operating an information retrieval system, comprising the steps of:
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storing information in database means and employing said database means to organize said information into pages at least some of which include one or more keywords each; employing terminal means for displaying said pages; employing communication means for transmitting selected ones of said pages to said terminal means for display thereby, and for receiving messages from said terminal means; said terminal means including search request key means for transmitting a search request to said communication means, and alphanumeric key means operable in any order for composing and transmitting to said communication means a keyword message;
employing said communication means to maintain a list of keywords associated with a plurality of said information pages, together with a table correlated with said list arranged to identify each of said information pages with with each such keyword is associated;and employing said communication means to respond to receipt of a selected keyword message from said terminal means, followed by a search request therefrom, by scanning said keyword list to locate said selected keyword, determining from said table correlated with said list the identities of said information pages associated with said selected keyword, and transmitting a message identifying such pages to said terminal means.
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Specification