Process and Apparatus for Selecting an Item from A Database

• US 20140143242A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kannuu Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kannuu Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Dinn, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for selecting database items from a database, where the database items are indexed by a list of item identifiers. The item identifiers may be in the form of text. An initial display is generated which includes one or more parts of the item identifiers. Selection of the one or more parts may be made and results in the generation of a display of a further one or more parts for selection. The further one or more parts may be selected in order to add to the selected one or more parts to build a larger part or whole of an item identifier. Selection from a large list of item identifiers may be carried out in a relatively short time period.

Claims

1-35. -35. (canceled)

36. A computer-implemented method of selecting an item from a plurality of items, the method comprising:

generating, by at least one computer processor, a first display, the first display comprising a part of an item identifier for at least a first set of items and a part of an item identifier for at least a second set of items in a database; and

enabling, by the at least one computer processor, selection of one of the two parts of the item identifiers by a user using a user interface;

generating, by the at least one computer processor, in response to the selection of the one of the two parts, a further display;

the further display comprising;

an additional part of an item identifier for at least a third set of items and an additional part of an item identifier for at least a fourth set of items; and

the previously selected part of the item identifier;

enabling, by the at least one computer processor, selection of one of the at least two additional parts of the item identifiers by the user using the user interface;

combining, by the at least one computer processor, the selected part of the item identifiers with the selected additional part of the item identifiers to create a larger part of the item identifiers; and

displaying, by the at least one computer processor, the larger part of the item identifiers;

wherein the parts of item identifiers and the additional parts of the item identifiers are text symbols and the additional parts of the item identifiers are shorter than complete item identifiers; and

wherein the first set of items identifiers and the second set of item identifiers are mutually exclusive of one another and the third set of item identifiers and the fourth set of item identifiers are mutually exclusive subsets of the first set of item identifiers or the second set of item identifiers.

37. The method in accordance with claim 36, comprising a further step of iterating the selections until the item identifiers are completed.

38. The method in accordance with claim 36, wherein the step of generating the first display includes selecting the one or more parts of the item identifiers to be displayed based on predetermined criteria.

39. The method in accordance with claim 38, wherein one of the predetermined criteria is a frequency of selection of database items associated within the item identifier parts.

40. The method in accordance with claim 38, wherein one of the predetermined criteria is a ranking of the one or more parts of item identifiers in relation to a tree hierarchy classification of the one or more parts of item identifiers.

41. The method in accordance with claim 36, wherein the item identifiers are text strings.

42. The method in accordance with claim 41, wherein the item identifiers are words.

43. The method in accordance with claim 36, wherein the database is stored in a memory of the computing device.

44. The method in accordance with claim 43, wherein the computing device is a mobile telephone.

45. The method in accordance with claim 43, wherein the computing device is a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

46. The method in accordance with claim 43, wherein the step of enabling selection allows selection of the one or more parts of the item identifiers by way of a joystick.

47. An apparatus for selecting items, the apparatus comprising:

an output display;

an input; and

a computer processor configured to execute a method comprising;

associating the items with a corresponding item identifier;

generating a first display on the output display, the first display comprising;

a part of an item identifier for at least a first set of items and a part of an item identifier for at least a second set of items in a database;

enabling selection of one of the at least two parts of the item identifiers by a user using the input;

generating, in response to the selection of the one of the two parts of item identifiers, a further display on the output display, the further display comprising;

an additional part of an item identifier for at least a third set of items and an additional part of an item identifier for at least a fourth set of items; and

the selected part of the item identifier;

enabling selection of one of the two additional parts of the item identifiers by the user using the input;

combining the selected part of the item identifiers with the selected additional part of the item identifiers to create a larger part of the item identifiers; and

displaying the larger part of the item identifiers on the output display;

wherein the parts of item identifiers and the additional parts of the item identifiers are text symbols and the additional parts of the item identifiers are shorter than complete item identifiers; and

wherein the first set of item identifiers and the second set of item identifiers are mutually exclusive of one another and the third set of item identifiers and the fourth set of item identifiers are mutually exclusive subsets of the first set of item identifiers or the second set of item identifiers.

48. The apparatus in accordance with claim 47, wherein the processor is arranged to select the one or more parts of the item identifiers to be displayed based on a predetermined criterion.

49. The apparatus in accordance with claim 48, wherein the predetermined criterion is a frequency of selection of database items associated with the item identifier parts.

50. The apparatus in accordance with claim 48, wherein the predetermined criterion is a ranking of the one or more parts of the item identifiers in relation to a tree hierarchy classification of the one or more parts of item identifiers.

51. The apparatus in accordance with claim 50, including a memory storing the tree hierarchy.

52. The apparatus in accordance with claim 47, wherein the item identifiers are text strings.

53. The apparatus in accordance with claim 52, wherein the item identifiers are words.

54. The apparatus in accordance with claim 47, including a memory storing the database.

55. The apparatus in accordance with claim 54, wherein the apparatus is a mobile telephone.

56. The apparatus in accordance with claim 53, wherein the apparatus is a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

57. The apparatus in accordance with claim 55, wherein the input is a joystick.