Method and apparatus for indexing, searching and displaying data
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method of analyzing a database with indirect relationships, using links and nodes, comprising the steps of:
- selecting a node for analysis;
generating candidate cluster links for the selected node, wherein the step of generating comprises an analysis of one or more indirect relationships in the database;
deriving actual cluster links from the candidate cluster links;
identifying one or more nodes for display; and
displaying the identity of one or more nodes using the actual cluster links.
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Litigations
2 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer research tool for indexing, searching and displaying data is disclosed. Specifically, a computer research tool for performing computerized research of data including textual objects in a database or a network and for providing a user interface that significantly enhances data presentation is described. Textual objects and other data in a database or network is indexed by creating a numerical representation of the data. The indexing technique called proximity indexing generates a quick-reference of the relations, patterns and similarity found among the data in the database. Proximity indexing indexes the data by using statistical techniques and empirically developed algorithms. Using this proximity index, an efficient search for pools of data having a particular relation, pattern or characteristic can be effectuated. The Computer Search program, called the Computer Search Program for Data represented in Matrices (CSPDM), provides efficient computer search methods. The CSPDM rank orders data in accordance with the data'"'"'s relationship to time, a paradigm datum, or any similar reference. An alternative embodiment of the invention employs a cluster link generation algorithm which uses links and nodes to index and search a database or network. The algorithm searches for direct and indirect links to a search node and retrieves the nodes which are most closely related to the search node. The user interface program, called the Graphical User Interface (GUI), provides a user friendly method of interacting with the CSPDM program and prepares and presents a visual graphical display. The graphical display provides the user with a two or three dimensional spatial orientation of the data.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of analyzing a database with indirect relationships, using links and nodes, comprising the steps of:
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selecting a node for analysis; generating candidate cluster links for the selected node, wherein the step of generating comprises an analysis of one or more indirect relationships in the database; deriving actual cluster links from the candidate cluster links; identifying one or more nodes for display; and displaying the identity of one or more nodes using the actual cluster links. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for determining the proximity of an object in a stored database to another object in the stored database using indirect relationships, links, and a display, comprising:
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selecting an object to determine the proximity of other objects to the selected object; generating a candidate cluster link set for the selected object, wherein the generating step includes an analysis of one or more indirect relationships in the database; deriving an actual cluster link set for the selected object using the generated candidate cluster link set; and displaying one or more of the objects in the database, referred to in the actual cluster link set, on a display.
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13. The method of 12 wherein a set of direct links exists for the database, and wherein the step of generating a candidate cluster link set comprises:
recursively analyzing portions of the set of direct links for indirect links.
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14. A method for representing the relationship between nodes using stored direct links, paths, and candidate cluster links, comprising the steps of:
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a) initializing a set of candidate cluster links; b) selecting the destination node of a path as the selected node to analyze; c) retrieving the set of direct links from the selected node to any other node in the database; d) determining the weight of the path using the retrieved direct links; repeating steps b through d for each path; and e) storing the determined weights as candidate cluster links. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of analyzing a database having objects and a first numerical representation of direct relationships in the database, comprising the steps of:
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generating a second numerical representation using the first numerical representation, wherein the second numerical representation accounts for indirect relationships in the database; storing the second numerical representation; identifying at least one object in the database, wherein the stored numerical representation is used to identify objects; and displaying one or more identified objects from the database. - View Dependent Claims (19, 21)
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20. The method of 18 wherein the step of identifying at least one object in the database comprises:
searching for objects in a database using the stored numerical representation, wherein direct and/or indirect relationships are searched.
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22. A method of representing data in a computer database with relationships, wherein nodes or objects in a database are represented by boxes of a default box size, and wherein various information types may be assigned to node, node sub-types, links, and link sub-types to be placed within the box, and assigned information types contain information, comprising the steps of:
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generating links, wherein each link represents a relationship between two nodes and is identified by the two nodes in which the relationship exists; allocating a weight to each link, wherein the weight signifies the strength of the relationship represented by the link relative to the strength of other relationships represented by other links; generating link sub-types; generating node sub-types; selecting anchor points within the boxes for each information type; placing each information type at their selected anchor point; determining whether the information of the placed information type overflows the default box size, comprising the step of; adjusting the position of the anchor points; and adjusting the size of the box; determining whether a placed information type overlaps another placed information type within the same box comprising the steps of; adjusting the position of the anchor points; and adjusting the size of the box; and displaying the box.
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23. A method of representing data in a computer database with relationships, comprising the steps of:
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assigning nodes node identifications; generating links, wherein each link represents a relationship between two nodes and is identified by the two nodes in which the relationship exists; allocating a weight to each link, wherein the weight signifies the strength of the relationship represented by the link relative to the strength of other relationships represented by other links; and displaying a node identification. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of representing data in a computer database and for computerized searching of the data, wherein relationships exist in the database, comprising:
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assigning links to represent relationships in the database; generating node identifications based upon the assigned links, wherein node identifications are generated so that each link represents a relationship between two identified nodes; storing the links and node identifications, wherein the links and nodes may be retrieved; searching for node identifications using the stored links; and displaying node identifications, wherein the displayed node identifications are located in the searching step.
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Specification