Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-01
2004-06-29
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2171)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
active
06757673
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a method and system for accessing hierarchically arranged data, and more specifically, to a method and system that enables this type of data to be selectively accessed and viewed in a plurality of different ways on the display screen of a portable computing device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Efficient, quick access to data is one of the driving forces behind the rapid increase in popularity of the World Wide Web and the Internet. However, until access to the Internet via portable devices such as cell phones or personal data assistants (PDAs) becomes more available, more reliable, and sufficiently low in cost, it will generally be preferable to provide access to needed data that are simply stored in the electronic memory of a PDA or other such portable computing device. A relatively large amount of data of interest to an individual can be stored in a few megabytes of memory in such devices. Indeed, so much data can be loaded into memory that accessing a desired portion of the data can be somewhat difficult using conventional browsing techniques or using an indexed data search.
The most logical way to organize data to facilitate rapid and efficient retrieval of desired facts is to first arrange the data in a rational hierarchical structure that is organized along the lines in which people typically think when “zeroing in” on a desired piece of information. It will generally be easier for a user to view a limited number of subjects at the highest level of the hierarchy, select one of the subjects that seems most relevant to the desired information, and then select a category under the selected subject that seems most relevant. These steps can then be repeated one or more times, enabling the access of successively lower levels of the hierarchy, and ultimately should yield the specific information being sought by the user.
While it is possible to organize data in such a logical hierarchical structure so that it can be readily located in the above-described manner, it can sometimes be more efficient to employ an alphabetically ordered subcategory index to locate the desired information. However, a topic that is selected from such an ordered index may be closely related to the desired information, but not include the actual data of interest. Also, note that a subcategory list displayed as a result of an index search may include subcategories that differ from a subcategory list displayed as a result of a hierarchical search.
An example can help to clarify the preceding point. In this example, the data in a database are arranged in a hierarchical relationship and stored in the memory of the portable device. These data include information relating to points of interest, travel, businesses, services, restaurants, etc, for a specific metropolitan city or region. Included under a top level is the subject “Business and Government.” Under that subject are second level categories that include the following: “Associations;” “Banks & Brokerages;” “Chambers of Commerce;” “Convention Info;” “Government Information;” “Legal and Courts;” “Major Employers;” and “Shipping and Supplies.” A person searching for a financial institution at which to apply for a loan might initially choose the category “Banks and Brokerages,” and then choose the next level subcategory “Banks” from a list of subcategories that also includes: “ATM's;” “Brokerages;” “Credit Card Companies;” “Credit Unions;” “Currency Exchange;” and “Travelers Checks.” From the list of banks displayed when this subcategory is selected, the user could then choose a desired bank, causing the display of an address, telephone number, and other pertinent information, or the user could move back to the display of subcategories and choose the subcategory “Credit Unions” to list the available credit unions in the region. Thus, the hierarchical categorization of data enables the user to search through the available categories and find the desired data relatively efficiently, but more importantly, it enables the user to choose from among related subcategories so as to ensure that the desired information is readily displayed.
Alternatively, a user may prefer to search for information using an index that lists subcategories alphabetically. In the prior art, selecting a topic such as “Banks” would only result in a list of the banks included in the data being displayed. The hierarchical relationship of the subcategory “Banks,” relative to the categories and subjects in the example set forth above, would not be evident from such a list. Clearly, it would be preferable to display the hierarchical category and subject above the subcategory “Banks,” since a user would then more readily be able to expand a search into a related subcategory, such as “Credit Unions,” to find useful information related to the original index subcategory that was selected. However, since a typical prior art index search does not display the hierarchical levels above a selected index subcategory, the benefits of the hierarchical categorization of the data would be lost by making an index search.
The need to retain and display the hierarchical relationship of data being accessed through an indexed search is particularly relevant to data accessed with a portable device such as a PDA, since such devices have relatively small display screens and can only display a few lines of information at one time. By enabling a user to access hierarchical data through either a hierarchical search or an index search, while retaining and displaying the hierarchical relationships of the data accessed via the index search on the display screen, a user will be able to readily determine if other related subcategories should be viewed to best identify information of interest to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method for enabling a user to search for a desired data element in a database, using either a hierarchical-based search or an index-based search. A database having a plurality of data elements is stored in a device capable of both accepting a user input, and displaying a result to a user. The user is able to search the database for the desired data element by a hierarchical-based search or an index-based search. In response to a user's selection, a desired data element is displayed to a user, such that a hierarchical relationship of the desired data element to other data elements in the database is also displayed to the a user. Particularly when a user has employed an index-based search, the simultaneous display of the selected data element and hierarchical relationship of the data element to other data elements in the database offers the user the ability to determine, based on the hierarchical relationships displayed, if a different, yet related data element more closely matches a result a user desired. In at least one embodiment, the device is a handheld device, such as a cell phone, a pager, a personal digital assistant, or other compact computing device.
The hierarchical relationship that is displayed is at least a title of hierarchical level that is at a higher level than that to which the desired data element belongs. Preferably, if space on the display permits, all higher hierarchical levels are displayed. If it is not possible to display all higher hierarchical levels, then at least the next two higher levels (relative to that of the desired data element) are preferably displayed. In at least one embodiment, the bottom level of the hierarchy represents database records, a top level of the hierarchy represents a subject level, a second from the top level of the hierarchy represents a category level, and a second from the bottom level of the hierarchy represents a subcategory level.
Preferably, when a data element from the index is displayed, both the subject level and category level are also displayed. When the data element displayed is a database record, the related subject level, the category level, and the subcategory level are also preferably displayed.
In at least one embod
Johnson Wayne L.
Makus Eric J.
Thorne, III Edwin
Usibelli Robert L.
Usibelli Sean M.
Al-hashemi Sana
Anderson Ronald M.
Metjahic Safet
Town Compass LLC
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