System and method for manipulating content in a hierarchical data-driven search and navigation system

• US 7,325,201 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle OTC Subsidiary LLC (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Endeca Technologies Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Keith A., Gourley, David J., Walter, John S., Knabe, Frederick C., Ferrari, Adam J., Tunkelang, Daniel, Lau, Andrew, Mohta, Vinay B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/272,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 715/713, 715735-739, 715853-855, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5
• US Class Current: 715/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A data-driven, hierarchical information search and navigation system and method enable search and navigation of sets of materials by certain common attributes that characterize the materials. A rules engine provides for manipulation of the content displayed to the user based on the query entered by the user. The rules engine includes one or more rules with a trigger and an action. The action of a rule is performed only if the trigger is satisfied. A trigger may be specified in terms of expressions of attribute-value pairs and is evaluated against a given query or navigation state. The actions can include various techniques for content manipulation, such as supplementing content, rendering content in a particular way, and sorting content in a particular way. An action may be specified in terms of navigation states. The rules engine may include a script for processing the rules.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for executing a rule for manipulating the content of a response to a query in a computer-implemented search and navigation system for a set of materials, comprising:

storing a plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the materials, wherein each of a plurality of values has an association with at least one of the attributes characterizing the materials;

computing a plurality of navigation states, each navigation state corresponding to a particular expression of attribute-value pairs and to a particular subset of the materials, wherein for each navigation state the particular subset of the materials corresponding to the navigation state consists of those materials that are each described in accordance with the particular expression by every attribute-value pair in the particular expression of attribute-value pairs corresponding to that navigation state, wherein within the plurality of navigation states, at least a first navigation state includes a first attribute-value pair having a first attribute, in which the first attribute-value pair does not describe all the materials that the first attribute characterizes and a second navigation state includes at least the first attribute-value pair and a second attribute-value pair having a second attribute, which is not the same as the first attribute, in which the second attribute-value pair does not describe all the materials that second attribute characterizes;

obtaining a query;

identifying a current navigation state associated with the query, the current navigation state corresponding to a current particular expression of attribute-value pairs and a current particular subset of materials;

obtaining a rule including a trigger and an action, the rule including a trigger defined in terms of a third attribute-value pair and an action for manipulating the content of a response to the query by providing a first alternate subset of materials;

determining whether the trigger is satisfied by the current navigation state;

performing the action by substituting the first alternate subset of materials instead of the current particular subset of materials if the trigger is satisfied; and

displaying a response to the query, the response to the query including a representation of the current particular subset of materials if the trigger is not satisfied by the current navigation state and including a representation of the first alternate subset of materials if the trigger is satisfied by the current navigation state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third attribute-value pair used to define the trigger is included in an expression of one or more attribute-value pairs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the expression of one or more attribute-value pairs identifies a navigation state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the trigger is defined to include descendants of the navigation state.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the trigger is defined to include ancestors of the navigation state.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the trigger is defined using a function that measures a distance between navigation states.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the third attribute-value pair is included in a Boolean combination of navigation states.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger includes an explicitly identified set of navigation states.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger includes an implicitly identified set of navigation states.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger is further defined with a keyword.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger incorporates randomization.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a script that provides logic for processing the rule.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the script includes randomized logic in the logic for processing the rule.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the script includes sequential logic in the logic for processing the rule.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the script includes conditional logic in the logic for processing the rule.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the conditional logic is designed to avoid duplication in the response.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the action uses the query in substituting the first alternate subset of materials.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the action does not use the query in substituting the first alternate subset of materials.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes identifying supplemental materials to be added to the current particular subset of materials to derive the first alternate subset of materials.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes identifying a supplemental navigation state to be included in the response.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes generating a suggested query to be included in the response.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes grouping desired content.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes sorting desired content.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes filtering desired content.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes rendering desired content in a particular format.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the response by integrating the first alternate subset of materials with the current particular subset of materials.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the response includes providing previews of navigation states.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule specifies one or more variables that are populated by the determination of whether the trigger is satisfied and that are used in performing the action.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule specifies one or more variables that are populated by the determination of whether the trigger is satisfied.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule specifies one or more variables that are used in performing the action.

31. The method of claim 1, further including using the current expression of attribute-value pairs for determining whether the trigger is satisfied.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the query includes refinement options selected by the user.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the query includes text entered by a user.

34. The method of claim 1, further including the step of defining the rule.

35. The method of claim 1, further including the step of generating a script to process the rule.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action includes using one or more variables that have been set.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the variables were set by the rule that includes the action being performed.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the variables were set by one or more rules other than the rule that includes the action being performed.

39. The method of claim 1, further including the step of populating one or more variables associated with the rule based on the query.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action includes generating a supplemental query.

41. A computer-implemented method for specifying a rule for a computer-implemented search and navigation system for a set of materials, comprising:

storing a plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the materials, wherein each of a plurality of values has an association with at least one of a plurality of attributes characterizing the materials;

computing a plurality of navigation states, each navigation state corresponding to a particular expression of attribute-value pairs and to a particular subset of the materials, wherein for each navigation state the particular subset of the materials corresponding to the navigation state consists of those materials that are each described in accordance with the particular expression by every attribute-value pair in the particular expression of attribute-value pairs corresponding to that navigation state, wherein within the plurality of navigation states, at least a first navigation state includes a first attribute-value pair having a first attribute, in which the first attribute-value pair does not describe all the materials that the first attribute characterizes and a second navigation state includes at least the first attribute-value pair and a second attribute-value pair having a second attribute, which is not the same as the first attribute, in which the second attribute-value pair does not describe all the materials that second attribute characterizes;

specifying a trigger for the rule in terms of a third attribute-value pair such that the rule is activated in a rules engine for executing the rule if a current navigation state satisfies the trigger;

specifying an action for the rule to manipulate content provided for display if the rule is activated by substituting a first alternate subset of materials for the particular subset of materials corresponding to the current navigation state; and

storing the rule.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein specifying a trigger includes identifying an attribute-value pair and specifying a relationship between the attribute-value pair and a query.

43. A computer-implemented method for specifying a rule for a computer-implemented search and navigation system for a set of materials, comprising:

storing a plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the materials, wherein each of a plurality of values has an association with at least one of the attributes characterizing the materials;

computing a plurality of navigation states, each navigation state corresponding to a particular expression of attribute-value pairs and to a particular subset of the materials, wherein for each navigation state the particular subset of the materials corresponding to the navigation state consists of those materials that are each described in accordance with the particular expression by every attribute-value pair in the particular expression of attribute-value pairs corresponding to that navigation state,

wherein within the plurality of navigation states, at least a first navigation state includes a first attribute-value pair having a first attribute, in which the first attribute-value pair does not describe all the materials that the first attribute characterizes and a second navigation state includes at least the first attribute-value pair and a second attribute-value pair having a second attribute, which is not the same as the first attribute, in which the second attribute-value pair does not describe all the materials that second attribute characterizes;

specifying a trigger for the rule to be evaluated in relation to a current query; and

specifying an action for the rule to manipulate content provided for display if the rule is activated by the query by substituting a first alternate navigation state for a current navigation state associated with the current query; and

storing the rule.