Method of providing virtual reality based three-dimensional interface for web object searches and real-time metadata representations and web search system using the three-dimensional interface

• US 9,720,562 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Gupta, Apurva, Chang, Seongju
• Primary Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US14/327,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20150143302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 715849
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search

Abstract

A method of providing a virtual reality-based three-dimensional interface for a web object search and a real time metadata representations and a web search system using the three-dimensional interface thereof are provided. In this method, a plurality of nodes each in which a node identification label string to which an information page is linked is together written and a plurality of links connecting the plurality of nodes, respectively, are displayed in a three-dimensional form that is either static or spinning. Thereafter, by performing an action of reduction, enlargement, movement, rotation, expanding, hiding, removal, and addition in a three-dimensional object that is formed with the node and the link that are displayed in the three-dimensional form according to a user input, the three-dimensional object is displayed or an information page that is linked to a node that is selected by the user is displayed.

Claims

1. A web search system that provides a virtual reality-based three-dimensional web search interface, the web search system comprising:

an input and output interface unit that displays a three-dimensional object comprising a plurality of nodes each to which an information page is linked and a plurality of links that connect the plurality of nodes, respectively, in a three-dimensional form, either static or spinning, and that displays an information page that is linked to the node according to a user input;

a metadata processor that visually displays the node and the link based on metadata that are linked to visual attributes of the plurality of nodes and the plurality of links,

wherein the metadata comprises retained data, that is stored in connection with at least one of the plurality of nodes or at least one of the plurality of links; and

a web server comprising a controller that controls the input and output interface and the metadata processor to provide a virtual reality-based three-dimensional web search interface to a user and that obtains a corresponding information page according to a user selection through the input and output interface to provide the information page through the input and output interface unit,

wherein the input and output interface unit comprises;

a Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) or X3D browser that visualizes a file comprising the three-dimensional object that is constructed in a virtual reality form into a screen of an actual three-dimension based on a user manipulation;

a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) document output device that outputs an information page that is linked to a node in which a user selects on the three-dimensional web search interface on a screen; and

a web browser comprising a node filter requirement input device that receives information reading filter conditions in which a user selects to transfer the conditions to the VRML or X3D browser.

2. The web search system of claim 1, further comprising:

a search history database that stores information on a user basis comprising a user search history, a bookmark, or a preference node through the three-dimensional web search interface; and

a retention management unit that generates a three-dimensional object that is displayed in the input and output interface unit and that performs retention management of metadata for a visual attribute processing of nodes and links in the metadata processor.

3. The web search system of claim 2, wherein the retention management unit generates a corresponding VRML file and HTML file through modeling of the three-dimensional object and performs an HTML document edition that is linked to nodes and a VRML object edition for updating a visual attribute processing of nodes and links in the metadata processor in real time or in semi-real time to correspond to information attributes changing in real time on a web.

4. The web search system of claim 3, wherein the web server comprises:

the HTML file and a VRML file existing in an independent form or existing within the HTML file; and

wherein the controller is configured to provide the three-dimensional web search interface through the input and output interface unit using the VRML file and the HTML file and that performs a visual attribute control of nodes and links on the three-dimensional web search interface through the metadata processor and that manages a search history of users.

5. The web search system of claim 3, wherein the retention management unit comprises:

a three-dimensional object modeler that models a three-dimensional object;

a VRML file converter that converts the three-dimensional object that is modelled by the three-dimensional object modeler to a VRML file so as to convert to a virtual reality object;

a VRML object editor that maps reaction forms for converting a visual attribute of each node or links based on information that is input from the metadata processing unit and user manipulation actions comprising operation of reduction, enlargement, movement, rotation, expanding, hiding, removal, and addition of VRML objects that are included in a VRML file that is converted by the VRML file converter;

an HTML document editor that writes an HTML document that contains hypertext-based information that is linked to a node, when the node is selected by integrating a VRML file that is edited by the VRML file converter with an HTML file; and

a manager interface that provides an interface that enables to perform a retention management work by accessing to retention management related constituent elements of the web search system.

6. The web search system of claim 5, wherein the retention management unit performs a VRML object edition for making and providing a three-dimensional interface of a personalized version for a user, when a specific user is connected to perform visualization through color changes or blinking of nodes with the nodes which the user has visited or that has the high visit frequency or the nodes having a high interest on each user basis comprising a node in which the user directly selects as an interest node.

7. The web search system of claim 1, further comprising at least one subordinate node associated with a first node of the plurality of nodes, wherein the at least one subordinate node is configured to be hidden until a user selection of one of the first node.

8. The web search system of claim 7, wherein the first node is configured to blink when the at least one subordinate node is hidden.

9. The web search system of claim 1, wherein the input and output interface unit displays a three-dimensional object by performing an action of reduction, enlargement, movement, rotation, expanding, hiding, removal, and addition in the three-dimensional object that is formed with the node and the link that are displayed in the three-dimensional form according to a user input, or displays an information page that is linked to a node that is selected by a user.

10. The web search system of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional web search interface is displayed through a screen of a display, and the screen comprises a three-dimensional interface screen that displays the three-dimensional object and a keymap window that enables to know a location in which the three-dimensional object that is displayed on the three-dimensional interface screen belongs to an entire construction body while displaying the entire construction body.

11. The web search system of claim 10, the input and output interface unit selects a node that is displayed on the three-dimensional interface screen and enlarges or reduces the three-dimensional interface screen by displaying subordinate nodes of the selected node on the three-dimensional interface screen or by removing subordinate nodes of the selected node on the three-dimensional interface screen.

12. The web search system of claim 11, wherein subordinate nodes are displayed on the three-dimensional interface screen in a pop-up form by setting the specific node to a new root node, if a specific node or subordinate nodes of the specific node are displayed with a distinguished method of click or double click by distinguishing a movement to a web object or a web document that is interlocked with the specific node with a distinguished method of click or double click from a case in which a user selects, when the specific node is selected for extension on the three-dimensional interface screen, and

subordinate nodes that have been branched and extended from a corresponding node are removed and a screen before the specific node is extended is again displayed, when the specific node that is extended and displayed in a pop-up form on the three-dimensional interface screen is selected with a distinguished method of click or double click.

13. The web search system of claim 12, wherein extension of the three-dimensional interface screen comprises displaying nodes that are not displayed by being temporarily hidden or faded on the three-dimensional interface screen or that are displayed on the three-dimensional interface screen and that are displayed on the keymap window among nodes in which recognition is difficult in a viewing angle of a three-dimensional object or in a visual configuration form on the three-dimensional interface screen by selection on the keymap window and performing a web search based on the display.

14. The web search system of claim 12, wherein a ratio between an occupying area of the three-dimensional search interface in which the three-dimensional interface screen is formed with coupling of three-dimensional nodes and links about the specific node that is selected when a node is extended on the three-dimensional interface screen and an area that displays a linked information document when a user selects one of these nodes is dynamically converted and displayed.

15. The web search system of claim 10, wherein a three-dimensional object is displayed on the three-dimensional interface screen, and an entire shape thereof that is formed with coupling of nodes and links constituting the three-dimensional object is visualized through a three-dimensional connection body of one of a polyhedron, a spherical shape, 3D mesh or an irregular form.

16. The web search system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of nodes are displayed by an attribute of at least one of:

a size attribute that has user designation information that is linked to a node size such as a size corresponding to the accumulation number of users that have visited an information page that is linked to each node or an accumulated sales volume of a product that is linked to a corresponding node;

a color attribute that has user designation information that is linked to whether maleficence of a website that is linked to each node or a maleficence level, popularity of a corresponding website that is calculated based on the visit frequency of users in which a corresponding website has visited, or a node color such as a color according to a characteristic classification of contents in which a corresponding website contains; and

a blinking attribute that has user designation information that is linked to blinking of a node such as blinking so as to represent that a website that is linked to each node is updating or that a product that is linked to a corresponding website is on sale.

17. The web search system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of links are displayed by an attribute of at least one of:

a thickness attribute that displays user designation information that is linked to a thickness of a link such as strength of association between web objects that are represented with two nodes of both ends to which each link is connected;

a length attribute that displays user designation information that is linked to a link length such as a physical length between two nodes of both ends to which each link is connected;

a color attribute that represents user designation information that is linked to a color of a link such as a relationship of two nodes of both ends to which each link is connected; and

a blinking attribute that represents user designation information that is linked to blinking of a link such as whether a change of association of two nodes of both ends to which each link is connected.

18. The web search system of claim 9, wherein the each node displays simplified version information of a call out form that is linked to a corresponding node, when a user clicks or puts a cursor of a mouse on the corresponding node so as to assist a selection by the user, and

wherein the input and output interface unit displays an information page that is linked to the each node by directly selecting each node or by selecting each node through the call out by operations of the user.

19. The web search system of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional web search interface screen differently applies and displays a screen ratio of the three-dimensional interface screen and a selected information page screen according to whether selection of complexity and the number of nodes that are displayed on the screen, when one node of the three-dimensional object is selected and when an information page screen in which an information page that is linked thereto is displayed is simultaneously formed on the display screen.