Visual navigation utilizing web technology

• US 6,664,980 B2
• Filed: 02/26/1999
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Bryan, Douglas L., Gershman, Anatole V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/259,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20030048307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2-5, 707/101-104, 345/737, 345/738, 345/739, 345/853, 345/817, 345/825, 345/818, 345/819, 345/820, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

A display navigation system is presented in which indicia for a first target category and a second target category are presented to a user on a display, where the indicia are associated with keywords and the keywords are assigned weight. The user then performs various interactions and the user'"'"'s interactions are detected. Additional indicia are presented to the user in response to the interactions, where the additional indicia represent additional target categories that are similar or dissimilar to the first and second target catergories depending on the interactions and weight of the keywords. Finally, additional indicia are displayed.

Claims

1. A method for display navigation, comprising the steps of:

(a) presenting indicia of a first target category and a second target category on a display, wherein the indicia is associated with at least one keyword and wherein the at least one keyword is assigned a weight;

(b) allowing a user to perform a plurality of user interactions to specify more of the indicia or less of the indicia;

(c) detecting selection of more of the indicia or less of the indicia;

(d) presenting additional indicia to the user on the display in response to the selection of more of the indicia or less of the indicia, the additional indicia representing an additional target category which is similar to a target category of the first and second target categories for which the user selected more of the indicia, or representing an additional target category which is dissimilar to the one target category of the first and second target categories for which the user selected less of the indicia, wherein the additional indicia presented is based on the weight of the at least one keyword; and

(e) displaying the additional indicia corresponding to the selected indicia.

2. A method for display navigation as recited in claim 1, including the step of overlapping target category to provide gradual user navigation to a final target category.

3. A method for display navigation as recited in claim 1, including the step of storing the category and indicia in a database.

4. A method for display navigation as recited in claim 1, including the step of characterizing an item based on the words utilized to describe the item.

5. A method for display navigation as recited in claim 1, including the step of representing an item with a graphic representation.

6. A method for display navigation as recited in claim 1, including the step of normalizing words.

7. A method for display navigation as recited in claim 1, including the step of determining items of interest to a user based on the duration of a user'"'"'s interest.

8. A method for display navigation as recited in claim 1, including the step of utilizing a thesauri to normalize an item'"'"'s description.

9. A method for display navigation as recited in claim 1, including the step of presenting information in an aquarium motif.

10. An apparatus that creates an information summary, comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a memory that stores information under the control of the processor;

(c) logic that retrieves an electronic indicia of a target item, wherein the electronic indicia is associated with at least one keyword and wherein the at least one keyword is assigned a weight;

(d) logic that creates a query based on the electronic media;

(e) logic that allows a user to perform a plurality of user interactions to select the electronic indicia, wherein the user indicates a preference for additional indicia by specifying more of the electronic indicia or less of the electronic indicia;

(f) logic that queries a network of information utilizing the query; and

(g) logic that provides the information associated with the target item to a user by presenting additional indicia to the user representing a second target item which is similar to the target item in response to a preference for more of the electronic indicia, or representing a third target item which is dissimilar to the target item in response to a preference for less of the electronic indicia, wherein the additional indicia presented is based on the weight of the at least one keyword.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electronic indicia is presented in an aquarium motif on a display.

21. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein logic that creates a query parses the electronic indicia based on predefined criteria to create the query.

22. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising logic that responds to a user indicia to buy and utilizes the electronic indicia of the target item with user profile information to electronically purchase the target item.

23. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising logic that utilizes matching as a filtering device for the information.

24. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising logic that recognizes patterns to enhance the location of pertinent information.

11. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium that creates an information summary, comprising:

(a) a code segment that retrieves an electronic indicia of a target item, wherein the electronic indicia is associated with at least one keyword and wherein the at least one keyword is assigned a weight;

(b) a code segment that creates a query based on the electronic media;

(c) a code segment that allows a user to perform a plurality of user interactions to select the electronic indicia, wherein the user indicates a preference for additional indicia by specifying more of the electronic indicia or less of the electronic indicia;

(d) a code segment that queries a network of information utilizing the query; and

(e) a code segment that provides the information associated with the target item to a user by presenting additional indicia to the user representing a second target item which is similar to the target item in response to a preference for more of the electronic indicia, or representing a third target item which is dissimilar to the target item in response to a preference for less of the electronic indicia, wherein the additional indicia presented is based on the weight of the at least one keyword.

12. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium that creates an information summary as recited in claim 11, including logic that parses the electronic indicia based on predefined criteria to create the query.

13. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium that creates an information summary as recited in claim 11, including logic responds to a user indicia to buy and utilizes the electronic indicia of the target item with user profile information to electronically purchase the target item.

14. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium that creates an information summary as recited in claim 11, including logic that ranks the results based on user relevance.

15. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium that creates an information summary as recited in claim 11, including logic that utilizes matching as a filtering device for the information summary.

16. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium that creates an information summary as recited in claim 11, including logic that recognizes patterns to enhance the location of pertinent information.

17. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium that creates an information summary as recited in claim 11, including logic that queries the Internet to obtain pertinent information.

18. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium that creates an information summary as recited in claim 11, including logic that optimizes the query for a particular search engine.

19. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium that creates an information summary as recited in claim 11, including logic that responds to updates of the information to obtain additional information.

25. A method of providing customized content over a network, comprising:

presenting a plurality of indicia representing diverse content from a plurality of target categories on a display, wherein the plurality of indicia is dynamically presented by changing in response to a user'"'"'s action or lack thereof, wherein the plurality of indicia is associated with at least one keyword and wherein the at least one keyword is assigned a weight;

allowing a user to perform a plurality of user interactions to select at least one of the plurality of indicia, wherein a user can indicate a preference for or against the at least one of the plurality of indicia;

formulating a determination of the user'"'"'s preferred content from the plurality of user interactions and information in a user profile;

presenting additional indicia relating to the user'"'"'s preferred content corresponding to the plurality of user interactions wherein the additional indicia represent a target category similar to the plurality of indicia in response to a preference for the at least one of the plurality of indicia, and wherein the additional indicia represent a target category dissimilar to the plurality of indicia in response to a preference against the at least one of the plurality of indicia, wherein the additional indicia presented is based on the weight of the at least one keyword; and

excluding further indicia unrelated to the user'"'"'s preferred content.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of user interactions includes commands from the user expressing a desire to view more content related to a target category or less content related to a target category.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the commands are voice commands.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the commands are keyboard commands.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the commands are expressed by touching the display.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the target categories are overlapped to provide gradual user navigation to a final target category.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the target categories and indicia are stored in a database.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein indicia are characterized based on the words utilized to describe the item.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein indicia of interest to a user are determined based on the duration of a user'"'"'s interest.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein information is presented in an aquarium motif.