GUI for subject matter navigation using maps and search terms

• US 7,970,764 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dranias Development LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ershov, Alexander V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus; Jean M
• Application Number:
  US12/435,050
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 706/12, 706/20, 715/853, 715/854, 707/736, 707/737, 707/741, 707/769, 707/777, 707/778
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for navigating categorized information, including (a) a two-dimensional map displayed to a user on a screen, the map showing search terms relating to a subject matter, where the display of the search terms corresponds to relationship between the terms, and wherein a manner of display of the terms corresponds to their relative importance to the subject matter; and (b) a neural network underlying the map, wherein the manner of display and a selection of the search terms is derived from the neural network. The manner of display includes font color, font size, font transparency, distance between search terms and positioning of the search terms within the map. Positioning of a cursor over one of the search terms rearranges the search terms on the map to correspond to an increased relevance of the one of the search terms, while the cursor is over the one of the search terms. Clicking on the one of the search terms corresponds to navigating into a sub-subject matter of the one of the search terms.

Claims

1. A system for navigating categorized information comprising:

a computer configured to;

display a two-dimensional map comprising a plurality of search terms relating to a subject matter, wherein the plurality of search terms are associated with a plurality of positions;

modify the plurality of positions based on a new search term;

display additional related search terms based on the new search term; and

display a plurality of hyperlinks corresponding to a plurality of search results; and

a neural network configured to determine the plurality of positions and the plurality of search results based on the new search term and at least one selected search term of the plurality of search terms.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the neural network is a bidirectional neural network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected search term is adapted to be selected by an input device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the additional related search terms comprise a sub-subject matter associated with new search term.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein modifying the plurality of positions based on a new search term comprises increasing the importance of the new search term in the neural network.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein modifying the plurality of positions based on a new search term comprises decreasing the importance of the new search term in the neural network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of search terms is associated with an icon.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of search terms each comprise a font color, a font size, and a degree of transparency associated with a relevance of each of the plurality of search terms, and the plurality of positions comprise a distance between each of the plurality of search terms associated with the relevance of each of the plurality of search terms.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of search terms correspond to different nodes of the neural network.

10. A method for navigating categorized information comprising:

displaying a two-dimensional map comprising a plurality of search terms relating to a subject matter, wherein the plurality of search terms are associated with a plurality of positions;

determining, at a neural network, the plurality of positions and a plurality of search results based on a new search term and at least one selected search term of the plurality of search terms,

modifying the plurality of positions based on the new search term;

displaying additional related search terms based on the new search term; and

displaying a plurality of hyperlinks corresponding to the plurality of search results.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the neural network is a bidirectional neural network.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein modifying the plurality of positions based on a new search term comprises increasing the importance of the new search term in the neural network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the additional related search terms comprise a sub-subject matter associated with new search term.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting at least one of the plurality of search terms.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying the plurality of positions based on a new search term comprises decreasing the importance of the new search term in the neural network.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of search terms is associated with an icon.

17. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

displaying a two-dimensional map comprising a plurality of search terms relating to a subject matter, wherein the plurality of search terms are associated with a plurality of positions;

determining the plurality of positions and a plurality of search results based on a new search term and at least one selected search term of the plurality of search terms;

modifying the plurality of positions based on the new search term;

displaying additional related search terms based on the new search term; and

displaying a plurality of hyperlinks corresponding to the plurality of search results.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the plurality of search terms correspond to a neural network and determining the plurality of positions and the plurality of search results comprises exciting the neural network.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the neural network is a bidirectional neural network.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein modifying the plurality of positions based on a new search term comprises increasing the importance of the new search term in the neural network.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein modifying the plurality of positions based on a new search term comprises decreasing the importance of the new search term in the neural network.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the additional related search terms comprise a sub-subject matter associated with new search term.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising selecting at least one of the plurality of search terms.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of search terms is associated with an icon.