Method and system for selecting an information item
First Claim
1. A method for enabling a user to select a specific information item from a set of information items in an information processing system, the set of information items being organised in a classification scheme comprising a number of categories, at least two of those categories comprising a number of sub-categories, each of the categories and sub-categories having a descriptive name, the method comprising the steps of:
- displaying the names of one or more of the categories,displaying the names of one or more of the sub-categories, andoffering the user the possibility of selecting one of the categories, characterised in that the method further comprises the step of;
upon selection of a category by the user, displaying the names of non-selected categories and/or sub-categories of non-selected categories in dependence on the respective relevance of said categories or sub-categories to the selected category,upon user selection of a particular displayed category, enhancin(g promimence of the name of the selected category, together with less prominently presenting the names of various lower level categories that are linked to said selected category.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer system enables a user to browse a hierarchically classified database by interactively displaying a relevant portion of the classification scheme of the database as category names and sub-category names. After a user selects a displayed category (or sub-category), the system automatically modifies the displayed relevant portion of the classification scheme in a way that is dependent on the particular selected category. The modified portion of the classification scheme that is displayed includes not only the name of the user selected category and some of the names of sub-categories thereof, but also the names of some non-selected categories that are on the same hierarchy level as the selected category and are relevant to the selected category, as well as some of the names of sub-categories of these non-selected categories, thereby helping the user to find the name of a category or sub-category of interest without overwhelming the user with too many displayed names of categories and sub-categories.
124 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for enabling a user to select a specific information item from a set of information items in an information processing system, the set of information items being organised in a classification scheme comprising a number of categories, at least two of those categories comprising a number of sub-categories, each of the categories and sub-categories having a descriptive name, the method comprising the steps of:
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displaying the names of one or more of the categories, displaying the names of one or more of the sub-categories, and offering the user the possibility of selecting one of the categories, characterised in that the method further comprises the step of; upon selection of a category by the user, displaying the names of non-selected categories and/or sub-categories of non-selected categories in dependence on the respective relevance of said categories or sub-categories to the selected category, upon user selection of a particular displayed category, enhancin(g promimence of the name of the selected category, together with less prominently presenting the names of various lower level categories that are linked to said selected category. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for navigating in a database that comprises a plurality of categories which are organised in multiple trees, in that each lower level category is linked by a first link to a particular higher level category through an unconditional belonging property, and moreover various lower level categories are, external to their first link, linked by one or more second links to respective associated other categories at the same level, through an associated parameterised relational property, each of the categories having a descriptive name, said method comprising:
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in a virtual space prominently presenting the names of various top level categories in a relative spatial arrangement, together with less prominently presenting the names of various lower level categories that are linked to said top level categories through respective ones of said first links, and are arranged in relative proximity according to said first links, upon user selection of a particular displayed category, enhancing prominence of the name of the selected category, together with less prominently presenting the names of various lower level categories that are linked to said selected category through respective one of said first links, and are arranged in relative proximity according to said first links, whilst selectively also less prominently presenting the names of various other categories that are directly or indirectly linked to said selected category through respective ones of said second links which fulfil an associated parameter threshold condition, and are arranged in relative proximity according to an associated parameter value, upon user selection of a particular lowest level category, presenting an associated list of items belonging to said particular lowest level category for further selection thereof.
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Specification