System and process for presenting search results in a tree format
First Claim
1. In a computer system having a user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a process for graphically displaying the results of an electronic search to a user on said display via an interactive search results window in which the user views and refines search results items displayed, comprising process actions for:
- displaying a multi-leveled tree in a graphic data presentation sector of the search results window, comprising, displaying a top level of the tree comprising a plurality of categories representing how the search results can be grouped, and displaying, in response to a user command to do so, a second level of the tree for one or more of the top level categories, wherein the second level comprises one or more subsets representing the search results grouped via the top level category divided into smaller groups; and
displaying a list sector in the search results window which displays a listing of all the search results items included in a user-selected category or subset of the tree which will fit into the space allotted to the list sector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and process for graphically displaying the results of a standard electronic search to a user on a display device via an interactive search results window in which the user views and refines search results items using a tree format. In general, the tree has a first level that indicates how the search results may be refined. The second level of the tree shows what subsets (what) are available for a particular refining method. The third level shows how the already refined (by the second level) results may be refined further. This is repeatedly applied with odd-numbered levels of the tree indicating how the results may be refined, and even-numbered levels indicating what subsets are available. In addition to the tree, the search results window also includes a listing of the search results items associated with a user-selected portion of the tree.
111 Citations
42 Claims
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1. In a computer system having a user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a process for graphically displaying the results of an electronic search to a user on said display via an interactive search results window in which the user views and refines search results items displayed, comprising process actions for:
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displaying a multi-leveled tree in a graphic data presentation sector of the search results window, comprising, displaying a top level of the tree comprising a plurality of categories representing how the search results can be grouped, and displaying, in response to a user command to do so, a second level of the tree for one or more of the top level categories, wherein the second level comprises one or more subsets representing the search results grouped via the top level category divided into smaller groups; and
displaying a list sector in the search results window which displays a listing of all the search results items included in a user-selected category or subset of the tree which will fit into the space allotted to the list sector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An interactive search results presentation system, comprising:
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a general purpose computing device comprising a display and a user interface selection device; and
a computer program comprising program modules executable by the computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to graphically display the results of an electronic search to a user on said display via a search results window, said search results window comprising, a multi-leveled tree displayed in a graphic data presentation sector of the search results window, said tree comprising, a top level comprising a plurality of categories representing how the search results can be grouped, and a second level of one or more of the top level categories, wherein the second level comprises one or more subsets representing the search results grouped via the top level category divided into ranges, and wherein each second level is displayed in response to a separate user command to do so. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for graphically displaying the results of a search to a user on a display device via a search results window, said computer-executable instructions comprising:
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displaying a multi-leveled tree in the search results window comprising alternating hierarchical levels, the odd numbers of which comprise ways in which all or a selected portion of the search results can be grouped, and the even numbers of which comprise one or more subsets representing the search results under consideration in the immediately preceding level divided into smaller groups; and
displaying a listing of search results items of all or the selected portion of the search results in the search results window.
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Specification