System for providing multi-variable dynamic search results visualizations

• US 8,032,513 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wattenberg, Martin M, Newbold, David L., Bolin, Michael, Oral, Tolga, Schirmer, Andrew Lewis
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Wilson
• Application Number:
  US12/166,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 707711-723, 707741-750, 707780-782
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A system are provided for enabling a user to search for documents that the user has previously viewed on its local machine. The system includes three main components: the desktop integration module, the index module, and the graphical user interface module. The desktop integration module is an application which monitors documents with which the user interacts for predetermined events, and obtains content data and metadata from the monitored documents. The index module indexes the content data and metadata received from the desktop integration module. The graphical user interface module then permits a user to utilize the desktop integration module and index module by allowing a user to search for a document.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a searchable index for only a plurality of documents that a user has previously accessed, wherein the searchable index is created based on monitoring of the plurality of documents being accessed by the user; and

a display device which is configured to display a graphical user interface being generated from computer-implemented instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-implemented instructions operable when executed by the processor to enable the user to search the index for documents within the plurality of documents that the user has previously accessed, the graphical user interface comprising;

a search entry field for accepting one or more keywords that specify a search criteria to be used for searching the index;

a calendar that enables a user to select one or more dates that specify a time period within which said plurality of documents were accessed by the user;

a search results portion that provides a list of matching documents to the user, wherein the matching documents are documents previously accessed by the user during the specified time period and which correspond to the search criteria, wherein each document listing includes a document name and one or more of a date said document was accessed, and a location where said document is stored; and

a histogram of said matching documents and all documents previously accessed by the user, wherein said matching documents are displayed in a different graphical format.

2. The system comprising the graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein said calendar includes indicia highlighting a day on which said matching documents were first accessed.

3. The system comprising the graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein said calendar includes indicia highlighting each one or more days on which said matching documents were accessed.

4. The system comprising the graphical user interface of claim 1 further comprising one or more search filters wherein said search filters restrict searching to documents of one or more selected document types.

5. The system comprising the graphical user interface of claim 1 further comprising a sorting menu enabling said matching documents to be sorted and displayed according to one or more predetermined categories.

6. The system comprising the graphical user interface of claim 5 wherein said one or more predetermined categories include at least one of a document name, document relevance, date of last access, and document type.