Method and system for portable and desktop computing devices to allow searching, identification and display of items in a collection
First Claim
1. A field-useable guide in the form of a portable computer device for identifying natural items observed by a user from a collection of natural items, comprising:
- a housing for the portable computer device, the housing containing a programmed microprocessor, data storage, a display screen and a user input,means in the microprocessor and data storage for displaying to the user a series of selectable attributes which vary among natural items in the collection of natural items, each attribute having one or more data types in which a plurality of values for the attribute are stored in the data storage,the values for the series of selectable attributes being in a plurality of the following data types stored in the storage for presentation to the user in a search conducted by the user;
(a) descriptive text,(b) number values,(c) color images of natural items in the collection of natural items,(d) sounds produced by natural items, in the case of a group of animals as the collection of natural items,(e) moving pictures of natural items, in the case of animals as the natural items of the collection,(f) color samples for matching to a feature of an observed natural item of a collection of natural items,(g) silhouettes representative of groups of natural items within a collection of natural items, andsearch means associated with the microprocessor for enabling and prompting the user, on the display screen, to perform a step-by-step elimination search to identify a natural item observed in the field by selecting one of said attributes, reviewing the various values presented by the portable computer device as possible values under the subject selected attribute for the natural item observed in the field, then selecting one said value for the selected attribute, then selecting another of said attributes, reviewing the values presented as possible values for said another selected attribute and selecting one of the values, and continuing the stepwise elimination search to further reduce the number of possible natural items in the natural items of the collection, the search means progressively eliminating non-matches from a list of possible natural items in the natural items of the collection,and including elimination means associated with the microprocessor for eliminating further said attributes which become irrelevant or redundant after selection by a user of a particular value for a said attribute, and further including means associated with the microprocessor for eliminating certain of the values under particular said attributes which values become irrelevant or redundant as choices due to prior selection of particular aid values under one or more previously selected said attributes,whereby the elimination means, in the step-by-step elimination search, assures against a null result of the search.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A field guide for identifying objects, particularly natural objects, includes a database of a collection of related objects and provides for step-by-step searching to identify an observed object, eliminating all non-matching objects at each step of the search. One by one, attributes or characteristics are selected, and a value entered under a selected attribute, the value describing the observed object. Once a value is selected, any further attributes which become irrelevant or redundant are eliminated as choices in the continuing search. In addition, once a value is selected, all values under further attributes, which values become irrelevant or redundant as choices, are eliminated from further searching. These features make the search more efficient and ensure against a null result. Values are in a plurality of data types which may include text, number values, color images, sounds, moving pictures and/or silhouettes representative of groups of items. An advanced search mode can be selected if desired, whereby multiple attributes and values are selected in a single step.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A field-useable guide in the form of a portable computer device for identifying natural items observed by a user from a collection of natural items, comprising:
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a housing for the portable computer device, the housing containing a programmed microprocessor, data storage, a display screen and a user input, means in the microprocessor and data storage for displaying to the user a series of selectable attributes which vary among natural items in the collection of natural items, each attribute having one or more data types in which a plurality of values for the attribute are stored in the data storage, the values for the series of selectable attributes being in a plurality of the following data types stored in the storage for presentation to the user in a search conducted by the user; (a) descriptive text, (b) number values, (c) color images of natural items in the collection of natural items, (d) sounds produced by natural items, in the case of a group of animals as the collection of natural items, (e) moving pictures of natural items, in the case of animals as the natural items of the collection, (f) color samples for matching to a feature of an observed natural item of a collection of natural items, (g) silhouettes representative of groups of natural items within a collection of natural items, and search means associated with the microprocessor for enabling and prompting the user, on the display screen, to perform a step-by-step elimination search to identify a natural item observed in the field by selecting one of said attributes, reviewing the various values presented by the portable computer device as possible values under the subject selected attribute for the natural item observed in the field, then selecting one said value for the selected attribute, then selecting another of said attributes, reviewing the values presented as possible values for said another selected attribute and selecting one of the values, and continuing the stepwise elimination search to further reduce the number of possible natural items in the natural items of the collection, the search means progressively eliminating non-matches from a list of possible natural items in the natural items of the collection, and including elimination means associated with the microprocessor for eliminating further said attributes which become irrelevant or redundant after selection by a user of a particular value for a said attribute, and further including means associated with the microprocessor for eliminating certain of the values under particular said attributes which values become irrelevant or redundant as choices due to prior selection of particular aid values under one or more previously selected said attributes, whereby the elimination means, in the step-by-step elimination search, assures against a null result of the search. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method carried out by a field guide in the form of a portable computer device having a programmed microprocessor, data storage, a display screen and a user input, for facilitating a search to identify natural items observed by a user, from a collection of natural items, information about which is stored in the data storage with characteristics or attributes for the items comprising:
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displaying to the user a series of selectable attributes which vary among items in the collection of natural items, each attribute having one or more data types in which a plurality of values for such attributes are stored in the data storage, the values for the various attributes being in a plurality of the following data types stored in the database for presentation to the user during a search initiated by the user; (a) descriptive text, (b) number values, (c) numerical ranges, (d) color images of items in the collection of items, (e) sounds produced by items, in the case of a group of animals as the collection of items, (f) moving pictures of items, in the case of animals as the items of the collection, (g) color samples for matching to an observed item of a collection of items, (h) silhouettes representative of groups of items within a collection of items, receiving an input from the user of a particular selected first attribute from the series of attributes, displaying to the user all possible values under the selected attribute, in at least one of the data types (a) to (h), for the collection of natural items, receiving the user'"'"'s input selecting a value from among the series of possible values, reviewing the items in the data storage following the user'"'"'s selection of a value, and eliminating items precluded by such user selection and maintaining a list of remaining items, and eliminating further attributes which become irrelevant or redundant by the user'"'"'s selection of a particular value for the first attribute, and also eliminating certain values under particular attributes, which values become irrelevant or redundant as choices due to prior selection of the particular value under the first attribute, as the search progresses, continuing to review the remaining items in the data storage and continuing to narrow the number of choices for attributes that can be selected by elimination of those attributes that are no longer useful in narrowing the search because of values selected by the user, and continuing to narrow the number of values in remaining attributes as the search progresses by elimination of those values that are no longer useful in narrowing the search, thereby preventing a null result for the search, and displaying to the user a result in the form of an identified natural item from the collection of natural items. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification