Portable browsing interface for information retrieval
First Claim
1. An information retrieval system, comprising:
- a plurality of files stored in memory, each defining a different hierarchical relationship of terms describing an organizational framework for information;
a user interface that permits a user to select a level within each of at least two of the different hierarchical relationships;
a search query generator responsive to the selection of the level within each of the at least two different hierarchical relationships to construct a search query that is based upon terms associated with each of the selected levels, and to provide the query to a search engine to locate documents in a source of information which correspond to the search query; and
a display that displays information about the located documents to the user.
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Abstract
An integrated searching/browsing mechanism employs user-constructed information hierarchies that represent a cognitive framework for the organization of information. The hierarchies are independent of the information itself. This feature permits them to be shared among multiple users, and applied to any of a variety of different sources of information. The hierarchical organization that is provided by the framework gives the user the ability to browse around any available document database in a manner that is intuitive to the user. Two or more hierarchies can be combined to locate documents which match the criteria of both hierarchies, and thereby refine search results to an appropriate level. A relevance feedback mechanism further enhances the browsing experience, by concentrating the search results in areas that are most relevant to documents selected as being of particular interest.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An information retrieval system, comprising:
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a plurality of files stored in memory, each defining a different hierarchical relationship of terms describing an organizational framework for information; a user interface that permits a user to select a level within each of at least two of the different hierarchical relationships; a search query generator responsive to the selection of the level within each of the at least two different hierarchical relationships to construct a search query that is based upon terms associated with each of the selected levels, and to provide the query to a search engine to locate documents in a source of information which correspond to the search query; and a display that displays information about the located documents to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for locating documents within a source of information, comprising the steps of:
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selecting, in a user interface of a computer, a level within each of at least two hierarchical relationships that define different respective organizational frameworks for information; constructing, in a search query generator responsive to the selection of the level within each of the at least two hierarchical relationships, a search query that is based upon terms associated with each of the selected levels; providing the search query to a search engine; and displaying, on a display, information about the documents located by the search engine that correspond to the search query. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification