Multi-dimensional analysis of objects by manipulating discovered semantic properties

• US 6,028,605 A
• Filed: 02/03/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Documentum Incorporated (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Wiener, Scott, Conrad, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/017,823
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 345/352, 345/353, 345/354, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/6, 707/102, 707/103
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A computer graphical user interface (GUI) for multi-dimensional analysis of objects by manipulating discovered semantic properties. A computer system robotically builds a semantic model of information contained on an information retrieval system such as the Internet. The semantic model is stored as metadata in an intermediate format on the computer system. The computer system performs a semantic analysis on the metadata and generates search results in response to user queries. The GUI allows a user to select resource metadata and accumulate the metadata into a query definition. The GUI dynamically extracts metadata from user-selected query results and displays the results grouped by types or categories of metadata. The query results may be also displayed on screen in a sidebar. A user may pin metadata items and display changes to the query results based upon the pinned items. The GUI further displays user preference feedback to the user and uses the feedback to modify subsequent queries and displayed search results.

Claims

1. A method of searching, retrieving and presenting information with a computer graphical user interface (GUI) comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of information categories for each user according to each user'"'"'s pattern of interaction with the computer graphical user interface;

displaying a results window associated with one or more information categories;

displaying panels inside the results window based upon metadata and a user query;

enabling a user to page through panels by using virtual buttons;

performing a query by conducting a semantic analysis on metadata representing a semantic model of information on an information retrieval system;

dynamically extracting features of the underlying information from user-selected results and displaying the results grouped by categories of features of the underlying information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of performing the query against active resources.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of performing the query against archived resources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of performing the semantic analysis on the on the metadata includes the substeps of:

relating resource metadata, and

accumulating the selected resource metadata into a query.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising allowing pinning of extracted metadata displayed on a screen to define a query in either batch mode or real time.

6. A program storage device readable by a machine, comprising a program of executable instructions performing method steps for multi-dimensional analysis of objects by manipulating discovered semantic properties, said steps comprising:

displaying a plurality of information categories for each user according to each user'"'"'s pattern of interaction with the computer graphical user interface;

displaying a results window associated with one or information categories;

displaying panels inside the results window based upon metadata and a user query;

enabling a user to page through panels by using virtual buttons;

performing a query by conducting a semantic analysis on metadata representing a semantic model of information on an information retrieval system;

dynamically extracting features of the underlying information from user-selected results and displaying the results grouped by categories of features of the underlying information.

7. The device of claim 6 comprising executable instructions performing the query against active resources.

8. The device of claim 6 comprising executable instructions performing the query against archived resources.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein the step of performing the semantic analysis on the on the metadata includes the substeps of:

relating resource metadata, and

accumulating the selected resource metadata into a query.

10. The device of claim 6 comprising allowing pinning of extracted metadata displayed on a screen to define a query in either batch mode or real time.