Search user interface with enhanced accessibility and ease-of-use features based on visual metaphors

• US 6,505,194 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2000
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Martino, Jacquelyn A., Camplin, Alison F., Nikolovska, Lira
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US09/537,496
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/2-5, 707/102, 348/6, 348/10, 348/8, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 345/355, 345/327, 345/429, 345/349
• US Class Current: 707/768
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/73 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/732 Query formulation
• 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: Y10S 707/914 Video
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• 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 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A user interface for querying and displaying records from a database employs a physical metaphor for the process of constructing queries and viewing results. In one embodiment, the search criteria are displayed 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. In general, a three-dimensional scene is constructed in which objects may be manipulated to change their physical relationships to other objects in the scene. These changes may indicate changes in a current query being defined or edited, a current profile being defined or edited, a goodness of fit of results to a given search, etc. The three-dimensional nature of the scene is asymmetric to take advantage of the multiple dimensions for purposes of differentiating objects in the scene such that varying positions along one dimension indicate variation with respect to a characteristic corresponding to that dimension.

Claims

1. A database searching device, comprising:

a controller with a display, an input device, and connectable to a database containing searchable records;

said controller being programmed to display symbols representing control criteria to be selectively incorporated in a search query;

said criteria symbols being grouped into categories;

each of said criteria in at least one of said categories having a ranking according to a parameter;

said controller being programmed to generate a search scene having more than two axes;

said controller being programmed to display said criteria in a distribution of said symbols along a first of said more than two axes according to one of said categories and said ranking;

said controller being programmed to display said criteria in a distribution of said symbols along a second of said more than two axes according to the other of said categories and said ranking;

said controller being programmed to accept commands to include selected ones of said criteria in a search query.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein said search scene is a three-dimensional search scene and said more than two axes is three axes.

3. A device as in claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to represent said symbols corresponding to said criteria, other than said selected ones of said criteria, in a first region of said search scene and to represent said control criteria and said symbols corresponding to said selected ones of said criteria in a second region of said search scene, said first and second regions being displaced with respect to each other along one of said first, second, and a third of said more than two axes.

4. A device as in claim 3, wherein said first and second regions being displaced with respect to each other along said third of said more than two axes.

5. A device as in claim 1, wherein:

said controller is programmed such that said search scene is a three-dimensional search scene;

said controller is programmed to display said criteria in a distribution of said symbols along said first of said more than two axes according to said ranking; and

said first axis joins a foreground of said search scene and a background of said search scene.

6. A device as in claim 5, wherein said ranking represents a frequency of with which respective ones of said criteria were previously incorporated in queries.

7. A device as in claim 5, wherein said database is an electronic program guide database.

8. An electronic program guide user interface, comprising:

a controller with a display and input device connectable to a electronic program guide database;

said controller being programmed to display icons representing criteria for searching said database in a three-dimensional scene having first, second, and third axes;

said controller providing for selection of said criteria for incorporation in search queries and selection of said criteria in preparation for incorporation in said search queries;

said search criteria being organized into first, second and third independent groups according to frequency of incorporation in search queries, whether said criteria are currently selected for incorporation in a current search query, whether said criteria are currently selected in preparation for incorporation in said search queries, respectively;

said icons representing criteria in said first group being displaced relative to criteria not in said first group along said first axis;

said icons representing criteria in said second group being displaced relative to criteria not in said second group along said second axis;

said icons representing criteria in said third group being displaced relative to criteria not in said third group along said third axis.

9. A user interface as in claim 8, wherein said icons have the same shape irrespective of their positions in said scene.

10. A user interface, as in claim 8, wherein:

said three-dimensional scene has a foreground and a background;

said third axis connects said foreground with said background;

said criteria in said third group are selected in preparation for incorporation in said search query;

said icons representing criteria not in said third group are at least one of;

displayed at a lower contrast than, and at least partially hidden by icons representing criteria in said third group.

11. A user interface, as in claim 8, wherein said icons are rendered to give the appearance of being three-dimensional objects.

12. A user interface, as in claim 8, wherein:

said three-dimensional scene has a foreground and a background;

said third axis connects said foreground with said background;

said criteria in said third group are selected in preparation for incorporation in said search query;

said icons representing criteria in said third group are rendered to give the appearance of being closer to a point of view for rendering said three-dimensional scene than said icons representing criteria not in said third group.

13. A data access device, comprising:

a controller with a display and an input device connectable to a database;

said controller being programmed to render a three-dimensional search scene having objects;

said search scene containing criteria objects among said objects, said criteria objects representing criteria that may be incorporated in a search query;

said criteria being grouped into categories;

said search scene having a foreground and a background;

said search scene being rendered such as to aggregate said criteria objects corresponding to the same one of said categories such as to define respective structures located in respective portions of said search scene;

said search scene being rendered such as to aggregate ones of said criteria for inclusion in a current search query such as to define another structure located in a respective portion of said search scene;

said controller being programmed to permit a selection of a one of said criteria objects for inclusion in said current search query and to represent said selection by changing said search scene so as to move said one of said criteria from its respective structure to said another structure.

14. A data access device, comprising:

a controller with a display and an input device connectable to a database;

said controller being programmed to render a search scene having objects;

said search scene containing criteria objects among said objects, said criteria objects representing criteria that may be incorporated in a search query;

said criteria being grouped in categories;

said search scene having three dimensions;

said controller being programmed to accept commands from said input device and to reorganize said objects responsively thereto;

an organization of said objects representing said search query, whereby a reorganization of said objects via said commands is effective to edit said query;

said organization of said objects being asymmetric such as to differentiate objects according to their respective positions along respective dimensions according to whether each object is at least one of;

currently selected, frequently selected in the past, recently selected in the past, and a category in which said each object is grouped.

15. A device as in claim 14, wherein each of said respective dimensions corresponds to a characteristic of said objects, said characteristics including whether a given object is currently selected, the frequency with which said given object was selected in the past, how recently said given object was selected in the past, and a category in which said given object is grouped.

16. A device as in claim 14, wherein said controller is programmed such that a movement of a criteria object from a first position in said search scene to a second position in said search scene indicates an inclusion of a criterion corresponding to said criteria object in a search query.

17. A device as in claim 16, wherein said controller is programmed such that a movement of said criteria object from said second position in said scene to said first position in said search scene indicates a removal of said criterion corresponding to said criteria object in said search query.

18. A device as in claim 14, wherein said controller is programmed such that a movement of said criteria object from said second position in said scene to said first position in said search scene indicates a removal of said criterion corresponding to said criteria object in said search query.

19. A method of generating a user interface for forming search queries and displaying results, comprising the steps of:

generating a three-dimensional search scene on a display, said search scene containing objects corresponding to search criteria;

accepting commands to modify said search scene;

modifying a search query being defined or edited responsively to said step of accepting;

said search scene being asymmetric such that varying positions along a given dimension indicate variation with respect to a characteristic corresponding to that dimension.