Systems and methods for facilitating user thinking about an arbitrary problem with archetype enabled search

• US 7,962,433 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zxibix Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mountain View (276229) (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Heidenreich, James Ralph, Higgins, Linda Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLMES, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US11/985,264
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

System and method for facilitating user thinking about an arbitrary problem with improved search capabilities. Some embodiments provide improved search capabilities through the application of archetypes for problem solving and other factors at a number of points throughout the total search process.

Claims

1. A processor implemented system for providing enhanced research and search capabilities, said system comprising:

processor executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium, computer readable device, or memory, or a combination thereof, said instructions comprising;

instructions to receive at least one inquiry from at least one user;

instructions to evaluate the at least one inquiry relative to an archetype structure or archetype process or both;

instructions to determine at least one of at least one suggested inquiry area or at least one suggested inquiry construct, or both, related to the at least one inquiry;

instructions to generate at least one search argument related to at least one suggested inquiry area, at least one suggested inquiry construct, or at least one inquiry, or any combination thereof;

instructions to provide in display or output or both, at least one suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, or search argument, or any combination thereof.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

instructions to evaluate at least one related user model relative to an archetype structure, an archetype process or the inquiry, or a combination thereof;

instructions to generate or modify, or both, at least one of a suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, or search argument, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to provide user controls to allow for keeping, deleting, or editing, or a combination thereof, at least one suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, or search argument, or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to provide user controls to prioritize, rank, or sequence, or a combination thereof, suggested inquiry areas, suggested inquiry constructs or search arguments, or a combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to provide controls to relate at least one of at least one suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, inquiry or search argument to at least one other suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, inquiry or search argument, or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the user is a group or team of people.

7. The system of claim 1 in which the user is an electronic system, resource or other electronic source.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions that at least one suggested inquiry area or suggested inquiry construct or search argument, or a combination thereof, replaces the inquiry.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to map at least one inquiry area, inquiry construct, inquiry, or search argument, or a combination thereof, into at least one related search structure.

10. A processor implemented system for providing enhanced research and search results, said system comprising:

processor executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium, computer readable device, or memory, or a combination thereof, said instructions comprising;

instructions to receive at least one inquiry;

instructions to evaluate the at least one inquiry relative to an archetype structure or archetype process or both;

instructions to determine at least one of a suggested inquiry area or a suggested inquiry construct, or both, related to the at least one inquiry;

instructions to generate at least one search argument;

instructions to cause at least one search associated with at least one suggested inquiry area, at least one suggested inquiry construct, an inquiry, or at least one search argument, or a combination thereof, to produce search results.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

instructions to evaluate at least one related user model relative to an archetype structure, an archetype process or the inquiry or any combination thereof;

instructions to generate or modify, or both, at least one of a suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, or search argument, or a combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising instructions to filter results from at least one processed search by evaluating or mapping search results relative to an archetype structure or an archetype process, or both.

13. The system of claim 10 further comprising instructions to filter search results by evaluating or mapping search results relative to at least one user model.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising instructions to rank, prioritize, or sequence, or a combination thereof, search results by evaluating or mapping search results relative to an archetype structure or archetype process or both.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising instructions to rank, prioritize, or sequence, or a combination thereof, search results by evaluating or mapping search results relative to at least one user model.

16. The system of claim 10 further comprising instructions to utilize a search engine or other agent, or both.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising that the results of conducting the at least one search include a list of hits representing documents.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising that the results of conducting the at least one search include data or content items.

19. The method of claim 10 further comprising that the results of conducting the at least one search include at least one constructed inquiry construct.

20. A processor implemented system for providing enhanced search results based on problem solving and research approaches of expert problem solvers, said system comprising:

processor executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium, computer readable device, or memory, or a combination thereof, said instructions comprising;

instructions to receive at least one set of search results;

instructions to evaluate at least one set of search results relative to at least one of an archetype structure, an archetype process, or a user model, or a combination thereof;

instructions to cause a ranking, prioritizing, filtering, reordering or sub-setting, or a combination thereof, of the search results based on said evaluation;

instructions to provide at least a subset of search results in output or display.

21. A processor implemented system for providing enhanced search results based on problem solving and research approaches of expert problem solvers, said system comprising:

processor executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium, computer readable device, or memory, or a combination thereof, said instructions comprising;

instructions to receive at least one set of search results;

instructions to evaluate at least one set of search results relative to at least one of an archetype structure, an archetype process, or a user model, or any combination thereof;

instructions to generate at least one constructed inquiry construct.

22. A processor implemented system for enhanced searching, comprising:

an interface;

an archetype enabled search system operable to execute on one or more processors and operable to execute activities comprising;

receiving at least one inquiry;

evaluating the at least one inquiry relative to an archetype structure or archetype process or both;

determining at least one of a suggested inquiry area or a suggested inquiry construct, or both, related to the at least one inquiry;

causing at least one search associated with at least one of an at least one suggested inquiry area, an at least one suggested inquiry construct, an inquiry, and at least one search argument, or any combination thereof, to produce search results;

providing in display or output or both, at least one suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, or at least a subset of search results, or a combination thereof.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising activities comprising the utilization of a search engine or agent, or both.

24. A processor implemented system for providing enhanced research and search capabilities based on problem solving and research approaches of expert problem solvers, said system comprising:

an archetype enabled search system executable on one or more client or server processors, or a combination thereof, comprising;

an inquiry processor operable to receive at least one inquiry;

a process manager system operable to execute activities comprising;

evaluating the at least one inquiry relative to an archetype structure or archetype process or both;

determining at least one of a related at least one suggested inquiry area, at least one suggested inquiry construct, or at least one search argument, or any combination thereof;

providing in display or output or both, at least one suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, or search argument, or any combination thereof.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising activities comprising:

evaluating at least one related user model relative to an archetype structure, an archetype process or the inquiry, or a combination thereof;

generating or modifying, or both, at least one of a suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, or search argument, or a combination thereof.

26. The system of claim 24 further comprising activities comprising providing user controls to allow for keeping, deleting, or editing, or a combination thereof, at least one suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, inquiry, or search argument, or a combination thereof.

27. The system of claim 24 further comprising activities comprising providing controls to prioritize, rank, or sequence, or a combination thereof, suggested inquiry areas, suggested inquiry constructs or search arguments, or a combination thereof.

28. The system of claim 24 further comprising activities comprising relating at least one of at least one suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, inquiry or search argument to at least one other suggested inquiry area, suggestion inquiry construct, inquiry or search argument, or a combination thereof.

29. The system of claim 24 in which the user is a group or team of people.

30. The system of claim 24 in which the user is an electronic system, resource or other electronic source.

31. The system of claim 24 further comprising activities to map at least one inquiry area, inquiry construct, inquiry, or search argument, or a combination thereof, into at least one related search structure.

32. A processor implemented system for providing enhanced researching and searching results based on problem solving and research approaches of expert problem solvers, said system comprising:

an archetype enabled search system executable on one or more client or server processors, or a combination thereof, comprising;

an inquiry processor operable to receive at least one inquiry;

a process manager operable to execute activities comprising;

evaluating at least one inquiry relative to an archetype structure or archetype process or both;

determining at least one of a related suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, search argument, or combination thereof;

causing at least one search associated with at least one suggested inquiry area, at least one suggested inquiry construct or at least one search argument, or a combination thereof, to be produce search results.

33. The system of claim 32 further comprising activities comprising:

evaluating at least one related user model relative to an archetype structure, an archetype process or the inquiry or any combination thereof;

generating or modifying, or both, at least one of a suggested inquiry area, suggested inquiry construct, or search argument, or a combination thereof.

34. The system of claim 32 further comprising activities comprising filtering, ranking, prioritizing, or sequencing results, or a combination thereof, from at least one processed search by evaluating or mapping search results relative to an archetype structure or an archetype process, or both.

35. The system of claim 32 further comprising activities comprising filtering, ranking, prioritizing, or sequencing search results, or a combination thereof, by evaluating or mapping search results relative to at least one user model.

36. The system of claim 32 further comprising activities comprising utilizing a search engine or agent, or both.

37. The method of claim 32 further comprising that the results of conducting the at least one search include documents, data, content items, a list of hits representing documents or a combination thereof.

38. The method of claim 32 further comprising that the results of conducting the at least one search include at least one constructed inquiry construct.

39. A processor implemented system for providing enhanced search results based on problem solving and research approaches of expert problem solvers, said system comprising:

an archetype enabled search system executable on one or more client or server processors, or a combination thereof, comprising;

an archetype enabled search results processor operable to execute activities comprising;

receiving at least one set of search results;

evaluating at least one set of search results relative to at least one of an archetype structure, an archetype process, or a user model, or a combination thereof;

causing a ranking, prioritizing, filtering, reordering or sub-setting, or a combination thereof, of the search results based on said evaluation;

providing at least a subset of search results in output or display.

40. A processor implemented system for providing enhanced search results based on problem solving and research approaches of expert problem solvers, said system comprising:

an archetype enabled search system executable on one or more client or server processors, or a combination thereof, comprising;

an archetype enabled search results processor operable to execute activities comprising;

receive at least one set of search results;

evaluate at least one set of search results relative to at least one of an archetype structure, an archetype process, or a user model, or any combination thereof;

generate at least one constructed inquiry construct.