Selective multi level expansion of data base via pivot point data

• US 7,167,866 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Turski, Andrzej, Farnham, Shelly D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US10/764,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20050165824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/9, 707/10, 707/103.R, 707/100, 709/206, 715/853
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are provided for data visualization, retrieval and management of a logically ordered list by a selective multi level expansion of pivot point data. Such pivot points can represent hierarchy expansion designators to a subsequent level, which can include user created groups/clusters of data. The present invention facilitates data management by advantageously combining; the logical order of data with relevance criteria that can indicate importance of the data to a user. The logical order of the data can be a user friendly order that is easily recognizable and independent of the relevance criteria.

Claims

1. A data management system comprising:

a designator that analyzes data and creates a plurality of hierarchy levels, each hierarchy level represents subsets of the data designated as pivot points, the pivot point(s) for respective levels are selected from the data based upon relevance criteria that indicate importance of the data to a user; and

a display component that can selectively display the pivot points to the user as a function of logical order and relevance to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, the data comprises a list of people.

3. The system of claim 1, the logical order is alphabetical order.

4. The system of claim 1, the logical order is at least one of a numerical order and a chronological order.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a priority system with a classifier that determines the relevance of data to the user.

6. The system of claim 1, each expanded hierarchy level employs a different color or shade from a collapsed state thereof.

7. The system of claim 5, the classifier is provided with at least one of an explicit and implicit training.

8. The system of claim 7, the relevance criteria are in part based on a number of electronic messages sent from a user to a recipient in a predetermined time span.

9. The system of claim 7, the relevance criteria are in part based on content of electronic messages sent from a user to a recipient.

10. The method of claim 9, the sent electronic messages assigned a priority and the relevance criteria determined therefrom.

11. The system of claim 7, the classifier is at least one of a Support Vector Machine, Bayesian, and decision tree model.

12. The system of claim 7, the explicit training comprises defining one or more training sets including one or more words respectively, the one or more training sets having a predetermined importance to the user.

13. The method of claim 1, the pivot point dynamically updated based upon a state of the user.

14. The method of claim 1, the command by the user comprising clicking a mouse on a designated area.

15. The system of claim 1, the relevance criteria are a function of content of the data.

16. The system of claim 1, the relevance criteria are a function of context of the data.

17. The system of claim 1, the relevance criteria are a function of volume of the data.

18. The system of claim 1, the data comprises e-mail.

19. The system of claim 1, the data comprises instant messages.

20. The system of claim 1, the data comprises documents.

21. The system of claim 1, the data comprises media.

22. The system of claim 21, the media comprises at least one of audio files and voice calls.

23. The system of claim 21, the media comprises video files.

24. The system of claim 23, the video files comprise digital movies.

25. The system of claim 1, the designator is part of a portable electronic unit.

26. The system of claim 25, the portable electronic unit is at least one of a PDA, cellular phone, portable computer, hand held terminal, watch and a programmable toy.

27. A computer readable medium comprising the computer executable components of claim 1.

28. A data packet that passes between at least two computer processes, comprising at least one of the computer executable components of claim 1.

29. A method for managing a data base system comprising:

arranging a data structure according to a logical order in an expandable hierarchy multiple level format;

displaying selected data from the data structure designated as pivot points to a user, the pivot points for each level are selected from the data structure based upon relevance criteria indicative of importance of the selected data to the user; and

selectively expanding a level to next level in response to a command by the user.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising collapsing a level to a previous level in response to a further command by the user.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising employing a classifier in connection with determining the relevance criteria.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising employing a classifier in connection with applying the relevance criteria.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising training the classifier according to one or more categories of priority or relevance to a user.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising training the classifier based upon context or content of electronic messages sent to recipients.

35. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 29.