User interface and search system for internet and other applications
First Claim
1. A system permitting a search for information through hierarchically linked documents accessible via the Internet in which an individual document contains a reference link to a succeeding document, comprising:
- an input processor for receiving a user entered search information item identifying an object associated with at least one of said hierarchically linked documents;
an Internet processor for searching and identifying a plurality of grandchild documents hierarchically and linearly linked to a corresponding plurality of child documents, said child documents being hierarchically and linearly linked to a parent document identified by said object and excluding non-hierarchically and non-linearly associated documents in response to user initiation of a hierarchical search; and
an output processor for processing data identifying said plurality of child documents for communication to a reproduction device.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A user interface provides historical and hierarchical search and navigation modes through previously selected and hierarchically linked multimedia applications, documents and directories. The system permits a search for information through hierarchically linked documents accessible via the Internet in which an individual document contains a reference link to a succeeding document. The systems includes an input processor for receiving a user entered search information item identifying an object associated with at least one of the hierarchically linked documents. An Internet processor for searching and identifying a plurality of child documents hierarchically linked to a parent document identified by the object and excluding non-hierarchically associated documents in response to user initiation of a hierarchical search. An output processor processes data identifying the plurality of child documents for communication to a reproduction device.
28 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A system permitting a search for information through hierarchically linked documents accessible via the Internet in which an individual document contains a reference link to a succeeding document, comprising:
-
an input processor for receiving a user entered search information item identifying an object associated with at least one of said hierarchically linked documents; an Internet processor for searching and identifying a plurality of grandchild documents hierarchically and linearly linked to a corresponding plurality of child documents, said child documents being hierarchically and linearly linked to a parent document identified by said object and excluding non-hierarchically and non-linearly associated documents in response to user initiation of a hierarchical search; and an output processor for processing data identifying said plurality of child documents for communication to a reproduction device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A method for searching for information through hierarchically linked documents accessible via the Internet in which an individual document contains a reference link to a succeeding document, comprising the activities of:
-
initiating generation of data representing a menu item permitting user entry of a search information item identifying an object associated with at least one of said hierarchically linked documents; using reference links in individual documents to identify search results comprising a sequence of documents including a grandchild document hierarchically and linearly linked to a child document, said child document being hierarchically and linearly linked to a parent document identified by said object in response to user initiation of a hierarchical search; excluding non-hierarchically and non-linearly associated documents from said search results; and processing data representing said search results to be suitable for communication to a reproduction device. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
-
9. A system permitting a search through a sequence of hierarchically linked documents accessible via the Internet in which an individual document contains a reference link to a succeeding document, comprising:
-
an interface processor for receiving user entered search information items; and an Internet processor for, in response to user initiation of a hierarchical search, identifying a sequence of documents including a grandchild document hierarchically linked to a child document, said child document being hierarchically linked to a parent document, using reference links in individual documents to identify succeeding documents in said sequence, searching through said sequence of hierarchically linked documents to identify result documents containing a user entered first search information item, excluding non-hierarchically associated documents, from said identified result documents, excluding documents omitting a second user entered search information item, from said identified result documents and providing data items identifying said result documents. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification