Information retrieval system and method
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented information filtering method comprising:
- accepting, by a computer having a processor and a memory, a user selection or de-selection of at least one of a plurality of data groupings within a filter tree table, said data groupings being associated with a plurality of data items in an unfiltered data table, said selection or de-selection modifying which of the plurality of data groupings within the filter tree table are selected, wherein the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection include one or more data groupings of the plurality of data groupings not selected by the user selection or de-selection;
generating, by the computer, a filtering query, including at least one query operator, based on the selected data groupings from said plurality of data groupings as modified by the user-selection or de-selection;
running, by the computer, said filtering query against said unfiltered data table;
receiving, by the computer, a plurality of filtered data items from said unfiltered data table in response to said filtering query;
creating, by the computer, a filtered data table with said plurality of filtered data items;
generating, by the computer, a data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection; and
communicating said filtered data table and said filter tree table to one or more displays, wherein the filter tree table includes the generated data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection.
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Abstract
An information retrieval method, process, and apparatus are provided which includes iterative or parametric data set querying. The result of each query iteration is displayed in an easy to analyze fashion, enabling the user to interactively refine the query with additional iterations. Each field of data in a data set is represented by a filter in a filter tree table.
A user may graphically select and de-select filters using the filter tree table. The selections are converted into a filtering query that is run against the data set to produce filtered data.
A summary query is then run against the results of the filtering query. The filtered data is displayed, along with the selected filters of the filter tree table. The filter tree table may also include and display other information related to each filter, such as an associated data item count as generated by the summary query. Further user input is accepted, with the user input further selecting or de-selecting data groupings to be displayed.
The user input is fed back to generate another filtering iteration. In this manner, when the user makes a single selection or de-selection, all applicable filters are changed, and the user changes are propagated through all appropriate filters.
24 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented information filtering method comprising:
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accepting, by a computer having a processor and a memory, a user selection or de-selection of at least one of a plurality of data groupings within a filter tree table, said data groupings being associated with a plurality of data items in an unfiltered data table, said selection or de-selection modifying which of the plurality of data groupings within the filter tree table are selected, wherein the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection include one or more data groupings of the plurality of data groupings not selected by the user selection or de-selection; generating, by the computer, a filtering query, including at least one query operator, based on the selected data groupings from said plurality of data groupings as modified by the user-selection or de-selection; running, by the computer, said filtering query against said unfiltered data table; receiving, by the computer, a plurality of filtered data items from said unfiltered data table in response to said filtering query; creating, by the computer, a filtered data table with said plurality of filtered data items; generating, by the computer, a data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection; and communicating said filtered data table and said filter tree table to one or more displays, wherein the filter tree table includes the generated data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An information filtering apparatus comprising:
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a processor; a user interface, communicating with said processor, to interface with a user; an unfiltered data table, communicating with said processor, to store one or more data items; a filtered data table, communicating with said processor, to store one or more filtered data items; a filter tree table, communicating with said processor, to store one or more data groupings associated with said data items; wherein said processor is configured to; receive, from said user interface, a user selection or de-selection of at least one of said data groupings in said filter tree table, said selection or de-selection modifying which of the plurality of data groupings within the filter tree table are selected, wherein the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection include one or more data groupings of the plurality of data groupings not selected by the user selection or de-selection, generate at least one filtering query based on the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection, run said filtering query against said unfiltered data table, fill said filtered data table with filtered data items from said unfiltered data table, generate a data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection, and communicate said filtered data table and said filter tree table using said user interface to one or more displays, wherein the filter tree table includes the generated data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A computer-implemented information filtering method comprising:
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accepting, by a computer having a processor and a memory, a user selection or de-selection of at least one of a plurality of data groupings within a filter tree table, said data groupings being associated with a plurality of data items in an unfiltered data table, said selection or de-selection modifying which of the plurality of data groupings within the filter tree table are selected, wherein the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection include two or more data groupings of the plurality of data groupings; generating, by the computer, a filtering query, including at least one query operator, based on the selected data groupings from said plurality of data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection; running, by the computer, said filtering query against said unfiltered data table; receiving, by the computer, a plurality of filtered data items from said unfiltered data table in response to said filtering query; creating, by the computer, a filtered data table with said plurality of filtered data items; generating, by the computer, a data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection; and communicating said filtered data table and said filter tree table to one or more displays, wherein the filter tree table includes the generated data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. An information filtering apparatus comprising:
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a processor; a user interface, communicating with said processor, to interface with a user; an unfiltered data table, communicating with said processor, to store one or more data items; a filtered data table, communicating with said processor, to store one or more filtered data items; a filter tree table, communicating with said processor, to store one or more data groupings associated with said data items; wherein said processor is configured to; receive, from said user interface, a user selection or de-selection of at least one of said data groupings in said filter tree table, said selection or de-selection modifying which of the plurality of data groupings within the filter tree table are selected, wherein the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection include two or more data groupings of the plurality of data groupings, generate at least one filtering query based on the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection, run said filtering query against said unfiltered data table, fill said filtered data table with filtered data items from said unfiltered data table, generate a data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection, and communicate said filtered data table and said filter tree table using said user interface to one or more displays, wherein the filter tree table includes the generated data item count for each of the selected data groupings as modified by the user selection or de-selection. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification