User interface and method to facilitate hierarchical specification of queries using an information taxonomy

• US 7,644,371 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Olson, Timothy K., Drucker, Steven, Robbins, Daniel C., Robertson, George G., Cameron, Kim
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAO H
• Application Number:
  US12/165,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/853, 715762-765, 715/805, 715/854, 715/740
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3328 using graphical result space presentation or visualisation

Abstract

A user interface, system, and method are disclosed to facilitate specification of queries and displaying corresponding results. The user interface presents the user with dimensions that contain one or more headings arranged according to an information taxonomy, which can vary based on the intended implementation for the system and user interface. A corresponding filter or query is constructed based on the user selecting of one or more headings. The filter is applied to one or more databases to return results that satisfy the filter. The results are presented in the user interface and can include interactive items based on a particular query as well as can correspond to a fully specified task.

Claims

1. A system to facilitate specification of queries or commands, comprising:

a user input module that receives a user input;

a graphical user interface responsive to the user input, the graphical user interface including a taxonomically organized visualization of a plurality of dimensions that form at least a subset of a taxonomy for an associated information space, the dimensions including headings derived from metadata for data items in the information space;

a filter generator that generates a filter based on metadata associated with each heading selected in the visualization; and

a results component that presents results items that substantially satisfy the filter.

2. The system of claim 1, at least some of the headings including subheadings arranged according to the information taxonomy to represent hierarchal relationships between at least some of the headings and associated subheadings.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a language engine operative to derive a phrase as a function of the filter, the phrase being visualized to the user as feedback to indicate current filter criteria.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a natural language engine that converts language-based user inputs into corresponding headings that are supplied to the filter generator, the corresponding headings being visualized in the graphical user interface to indicated current filter criteria.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a language engine that generates synonyms as a function of a selected heading.

6. The system of claim 1, the filter generator generating at least one of an information filter and a command filter to sort data or task items based on metadata associated with the selected headings.

7. The system of claim 6, at least one of the results items corresponding to a specified task.

8. The system of claim 1, the filter generator being programmed to generate an expression as a function of selected headings by applying a first operator to headings selected within a given dimension and by applying a second operator between headings selected in different dimensions.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 8, the expression further comprising a Boolean expression in which the first operator is an OR operator and the second operator is an AND operator.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 8, the dimensions are visualized as respective columns of headings.

11. The system of claim 1, the results component visualizing at least one relationship between results items based on the metadata of results items indicating the at least one relationship.

12. The system of claim 1, the headings further comprising different headings representing redundant metadata at different locations in the taxonomy.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface manager programmed to enable the user to modify or remove assignable metadata for at least one selected data item in the information/command space.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 13, the assignable metadata including a heading in at least one dimension of the taxonomy.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 14, the interface manager programmed to add a heading to at least one dimension of the taxonomy corresponding to a user-defined filter constructed based on at least one selected heading.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 13, further comprising an analysis component programmed to monitor changes relating to the assignable metadata and to adjust metadata for the taxonomy and the visualization of at least one of the dimensions that represent the taxonomy in response to a plurality of similar changes being made relating to the assignable metadata.

17. The system of claim 1, the information/command space adding or modifying associated metadata for implicitly related data items in the information space based on other metadata of the implicitly related data items indicating an implicit relationship between the respective data items.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a feedback component programmed to implement visual feedback relative to the graphical user interface based on the user input.

19. The system of claim 18, the feedback component implementing predictive feedback to visually represent at least one possible consequence associated with at least one respective heading if the respective heading were employed to modify the filter.

20. The system of claim 1, the results items being organized into at least two different categories to indicate different degrees of relevancy of the results items to the filter.