System and method for providing graphical representations of search results in multiple related histograms

• US 20060041521A1
• Filed: 08/04/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wattenberg, Martin M., Newbold, David L., Bolin, Michael, Oral, Tolga
• Granted Patent: US 7,395,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A system and method 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 computer implemented method of providing a histogram displaying one or more documents that a user has previously accessed comprising:

receiving an input to perform a search query of an index, said search query including one or more keywords, and said index including said one or more documents the user has previously accessed; and

presenting a histogram characterizing one or more documents matching said search query wherein said chronological histogram includes;

a first axis providing a timeline for displaying a date when said one or more matching documents were accessed; and

a second axis providing more than one variable characterizing said one or more matching documents.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting a histogram further comprises:

providing a first bar indicating each document the user has accessed; and

providing a second bar for each one or more document matching said search query, wherein said second vertical bar overlaps said first vertical bar and is displayed visually different than said first vertical bar.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said second axis provides two variables characterizing said one or more matching documents.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said two variables are a relevance variable and a duration variable, and wherein the method further comprises:

calculating a relevance factor for each of said matching documents based on at least one of a number of said one or more keywords found in sad matching documents, a number of times said matching documents was accessed, and a duration for which said matching documents were used by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said histogram displays a date and a time for each one or more documents said user has previously accessed and a duration for which each of said one or more documents was used by the user.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said histogram displays a date and a time for each one or more documents said user has previously accessed and a duration for which each of said one or more documents was used by the user.

6. A computer implemented system of providing a histogram displaying one or more documents that a user has previously accessed comprising:

means for receiving an input to perform a search query of an index, said search query including one or more keywords, and said index including said one or more documents the user has previously accessed; and

means for presenting a histogram characterizing one or more documents matching said search query wherein said chronological histogram includes;

a first axis providing a timeline for displaying a date when said one or more matching documents were accessed; and

a second axis providing more than one variable characterizing said one or more matching documents.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said means for presenting a histogram further comprises:

means for providing a first bar indicating each document the user has accessed; and

means for providing a second bar for each one or more document matching said search query, wherein said second vertical bar overlaps said first vertical bar and is displayed visually different than said first vertical bar.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said second axis provides two variables characterizing said one or more matching documents.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said two variables are a relevance variable and a duration variable, and wherein the method further comprises:

means for calculating a relevance factor for each of said matching documents based on at least one of a number of said one or more keywords found in sad matching documents, a number of times said matching documents was accessed, and a duration for which said matching documents were used by the user.