Information retrieval and display systems

Details Information retrieval and display systems Information retrieval and display systems

1999-04-05

2001-11-06

Choules, Jack (Department: 2177)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C707S793000, C345S161000, C345S156000, C345S167000, C345S163000, C345S182000, C345S182000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06314426

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to information retrieval and display systems, and to the control thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Information retrieval and display systems are known having browsing facilities whereby, for example, lists of items, such as news articles, available from a data storage apparatus may be browsed through and a particular item on the list selected and displayed.
Conventional browsing systems are based on a “point and click” approach. That is, the user must move a cursor on the display, for example by moving a mouse, to position the cursor at a predefined point on the display, and then generate a control signal by “clicking” with the mouse to cause a predefined operation to occur. More particularly, the conventional system involves the display on a screen of a list of items which are available, and browsing through that list is achieved by moving a mouse so as to cause a cursor displayed on the screen to move to a predefined icon on the screen, and then clicking on the icon so that a different part of the list is displayed on the screen. To view a desired article, the user must again move the mouse so as to cause the cursor to move to the title of the desired article, and then click on the article so that the article itself is displayed on the screen.
This approach is both cumbersome to use and relatively slow. In particular, the technique requires the user to perform at least two actions to change the information displayed—firstly an action to move the cursor to the required point on the screen, which can typically require the user to move the cursor across the whole length of the screen, and secondly an action to “click” at the point on the screen to cause a predetermined operation to be performed. Further, the technique requires accurate hand-eye co-ordination, since it requires the user to accurately manipulate the mouse to move the cursor to the exact position required on the screen before the clicking operation can be performed. A further problem lies in the fact that the user must know where to point and click in order to perform the required command. For example, the user must know which icon to click on in order to scroll forwards in a display, and which different icon to click on to scroll backwards in the display, and must also know where to click once an article is being viewed in order to return to the main list of articles so that a further article can be selected. In addition, many repeated user actions can be required to scroll through a lengthy source of information.
In other conventional systems, the point and click environment is not provided, and instead the user is required to type in commands in order to control the displayed information. This compounds the problems above, in particular in that a plurality of operator actions are required to perform a command, and the user must know what commands to type.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of one aspect of the invention is to address one or more of these problems and to provide an improved technique for selecting and browsing information. For example, in one aspect, the invention may simplify and speed up the selection and browsing of information by reducing the number of actions and/or the number of muscle movements that need to be performed by the user. This may be achieved by providing a selecting device having first and second degrees of freedom, one of which, for example a forward and backward movement, causes scrolling, and the other of which, for example a left and right movement, causes switching between information displayed. The device could be a mouse, a joystick or alternatively could be four buttons, for example namely an up-button, a down-button, a right-button and a left-button. Other devices are possible within the scope of the invention.
In another aspect the invention comprises a method or apparatus for controlling outputted information such that:
in response to a first control signal generated by a first operator action of a single type, information is scrolled through in a first direction at a speed related to the first operator action;
in response to a second control signal generated by a second operator action of the single type, information is scrolled through in the opposite direction at a speed related to a value set by the second operator action;
in response to a third control signal generated by a third operator action of the single type, the information displayed is changed; and
in response to a fourth control signal generated by the fourth operator action of the single type, the information displayed is changed.
Another aspect of the invention concerns an improved display protocol involving displays in different levels of detail, particularly within a given document (for example a newspaper). For example, a high-level of detail may comprise a list of categories of information with each category name being followed by a list of titles within that category, the next lower level of detail may comprise a list of titles from a selected category with an extract of the article or other item under each title, and the next lower level of detail may comprise a complete article.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a novel controller for controlling information output from an information output device. The novel controller is a hand-held device having orientation sensing means so that changes in orientation produce control signals. The changes in orientation may be from the horizontal angle or from the vertical angle or from any other datum position. Operator actuated means are preferably provided for establishing the datum or reference position. For example, a push button may be provided which, when pressed causes the device to sense its current orientation for use as a reference. Preferably is the device is elongated so that small movements (changes in angle) may generate control signals. The device may be connected by wire or cable to the system to be controlled or alternatively may transmit control signals for example using infra-red or low power radio.
In another aspect, the invention relates to an improved protocol for the transfer of information from a data storage apparatus to memory associated with a display or other output apparatus in which, in order to provide rapid availability of information of a next lower level of detail, at least part of the information from the next lower level of detail is stored in memory associated with the display or other output device while a current level of display or other output device is being generated and, for example, being browsed through.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a novel file structure for the storage of information to facilitate selection of information for output by a display or other output device. In the novel file structure, for example, a first file may contain a list of categories of information within a particular type together with titles or names of each item of information within that category preferably also together with a summary or extract from each item within that category, arranged so that the whole file may be transferred to memory associated with a display or other output device.
In another aspect of the invention, a novel file structure for the storage of information comprises a first set of files containing the titles or names together with the first section or first page or portion of each item of information and a further set of files each one of which contains the remainder of a respective different one of said item.
A further aspect of the invention relates to a monitoring system for monitoring user access to an information supply system in order to indicate the type of information accessed by, and therefore of probable interest to, the user. Preferably the monitoring system is used in conjunction with the browsing arrangement and a user profile is built up in which values are assigned to different information types accessed and weight given to the value dependent upon factors such as frequency of access to that type of information, time spent

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