Method and apparatus for defining search queries and user profiles and viewing search results

• US 6,473,751 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1999
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Camplin, Alison, Martino, Jacquelyn Annette, Nikolovska, Lira
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US09/459,023
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-7, 345/828-829, 345/835, 345/836
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7335 Graphical querying, e.g. query-by-region, query-by-sketch, query-by-trajectory, GUIs for designating a person/face/object as a query predicate end-user interface involving hot spots associated with the video H04N21/4725; end-user interface for selecting a Region of Interest H04N21/4728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/738 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A user interface for querying and displaying records form a database employs a physical metaphor for the process of constructing queries and viewing results. In one embodiment, the search criteria are shown as strings of beads in a three-dimensional scene, each bead representing a criterion and each string representing a different category. For example the criteria, drama, action, suspense, and horror may be included in a category of genre. Criteria are selected to form a query by moving corresponding beads to a query string. User preference profiles can be constructed in the same way. Profiles can be saved and represented as bead strings that can be used in further interactions in the same manner as criteria beads. Results are displayed in a three-dimensional scene also. The accuracy of the match between retrieved records and the query correspond to the placement of results, also represented as beads, along the Z-axis of the scene.

Claims

1. A database accessing device comprising:

a controller with a display and connectable to a database containing searchable records;

said controller being connectable to a data store holding criteria variously characterizing said records;

said controller being connectable to an input device;

said controller being programmed to generate a scene in which tokens, each representing a respective one of at least a subset of said criteria are arranged in a first region of said scene;

said controller being programmed to receive first selection commands from said input device to select first selected ones of said tokens and generate a search query responsively so said first selected ones;

said controller being programmed to retrieve records from said database responsively to said search query;

said controller being further programmed to display said first selected ones of said tokens in said first region prior to a receipt of said first selection commands and, responsively to said receipt, to display said first selected ones of said tokens in said second region, whereby a structure of said query is indicated on said display to form a new search query.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein said tokens are arranged in groups according to respective common characteristics of said criteria and only a subset of said groups is shown at a given time on said display, said subset being selectable responsively to second selection commands from said input device.

3. A device as in claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to save said search query selectively in response to first save commands from said input device and to add a saved search query resulting thereby to said criteria, whereby a saved search query can be selected in the same manner as individual criteria.

4. A device as in claim 1, wherein:

said controller is programmed to receive third selection commands from said input device to select second selected ones of said tokens and generate a user profile responsively to said second selected ones;

said controller being programmed to retrieve records from said database responsively to said user profile selectively in response to a profile-invoking command from said input device;

said controller being further programmed to display said second selected ones of said tokens in said first region prior to a receipt of said third selection commands and, responsively to said receipt of said third selection commands, to display said second selected ones in said second region, whereby a structure of said user profile is indicated on said display.

5. A device as in claim 4, wherein said controller is programmed to save said user profile selectively in response to second save commands from said input device and to add a saved user profile resulting thereby to said criteria, whereby a saved user profile can be selected in the same manner as individual criteria to form a new search query.

6. A device as in claim 1, wherein said scene is a three-dimensional scene and said first selected ones are displayed in a foreground of said scene, at a time of selection thereof, relative to others of said tokens.

7. A device as in claim 5, wherein:

said controller is further programmed to generate another display to show results of a retrieval from said database responsively to said query, said retrieval including records corresponding, with variable accuracy, to said search query;

said another display includes another three-dimensional scene, in which a Z-axis leads from foreground to background, in which said records are represented as record tokens;

in said another display, said record tokens are ranked according to an accuracy to which they correspond to said query, the ranking further corresponding to their respective positions along said Z-axis.

8. A device as in claim 1, wherein:

said controller is further programmed to generate another display to show results of a retrieval from said database responsively to said search query, said retrieval including records corresponding, with variable accuracy, to said query;

said another display includes another three-dimensional scene, in which a Z-axis leads from foreground to background, in which said records are represented as record tokens;

in said another display, said record tokens are ranked according to an accuracy to which they correspond to said query, the ranking further corresponding to their respective positions along said Z-axis.

9. A device as in claim 4, wherein said tokens are arranged in groups according to respective common characteristics of said criteria and said groups are represented pictorially as connected tokens.

10. A device as in claim 1, wherein said tokens are represented as beads and said beads are connected as strings of beads that rotate to bring them into a foreground of said scene responsively to said first selection commands.

11. A database accessing device comprising:

a controller with a display and connectable to a database containing searchable records;

said controller being connectable to a data store holding criteria variously characterizing said records;

said controller being connectable to an input device;

said controller being programmed to generate a scene in which said criteria are indicated by respective icons and said icons can be moved from a first region of said display to a second region responsively to commands receivable from said input device;

said controller being further programmed to construct a search query responsively to said commands;

said controller being programmed such that an arrangement of said icons between said first and second regions indicates a structure of said search query;

said controller being programmed to apply said search query to said database and retrieve records therefrom responsively thereto.

12. A device as in claim 11, wherein said icons are arranged in groups according to respective common characteristics of said criteria and only a subset of said groups is shown at a given time on said display, said subset being selectable responsively to further commands from said input device.

13. A device as in claim 11, wherein said controller is programmed to save said search query selectively in response to save commands from said input device and to add a saved search query resulting thereby to said criteria, whereby a saved search query can be selected in the same manner as individual criteria.

14. A device as in claim 11, wherein:

said controller is programmed to select, responsively to further input from said input device, selected ones of said icons and generate a user profile responsively to said second selected ones;

said controller being programmed to retrieve records from said database responsively to said user profile selectively in response to a profile-invoking command from said input device;

said controller being further programmed to display said selected ones of said icons in said first region prior to a receipt of said further input and, responsively to said further input, to display said second selected ones in said second region, whereby a structure of said user profile is indicated on said display.

15. A device as in claim 14, wherein said controller is programmed to save said user profile selectively in response to further save commands from said input device and to add a saved user profile resulting thereby to said criteria, whereby a saved user profile can be selected in the same manner as individual criteria to form a new search query.

16. A device as in claim 11, wherein:

said controller is further programmed to generate another display to show results of a retrieval from said database responsively to said query, said retrieval including records corresponding, with variable accuracy, to said query;

said another display includes another three-dimensional scene, in which a Z-axis leads from foreground to background, in which said records are represented as record icons;

in said another display, said record icons are ranked according to an accuracy to which they correspond to said query, the ranking further corresponding to their respective positions along said Z-axis.

17. A device as in claim 11, wherein said icons are arranged in groups according to respective common characteristics of said criteria and said groups are represented pictorially as connections icons.

18. A device as in claim 11, wherein said icons are represented as beads and said beads are connected as strings of beads that rotate to bring them into a foreground of said scene responsively to said first selection commands.

19. A method of searching a database, comprising the steps of:

displaying a scene in which search criteria are indicated by respective icons;

receiving commands to select from among said icons;

forming a search criteria from said search criteria corresponding to a result of said step of receiving;

changing a position of icons selected in said step of receiving, whereby a structure of a query is indicated;

applying said query to a database and retrieving results responsively thereto;

displaying said results in a further scene, said further scene being a three-dimensional scene in which records of results of said step of retrieving are represented as icons where those of said records matching said criteria the accurately are placed in a foreground of said scene and those records matching said criteria the least accurately are placed in a background of said scene.