Virtual bookshelf

Details Virtual bookshelf Virtual bookshelf

1999-05-28

2001-05-29

Amsbury, Wayne (Department: 2171)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C707S793000, C707S793000, C706S045000, C704SE21020

Reexamination Certificate

active

06240410

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of user interfaces, and more particularly to a visual paradigm for browsing and locating information.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
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contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of these Figures as they appear in the United States Patent and Trademark patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A general purpose search and retrieval system includes a database or repository of source information. For example, the repository may include documents, such as books, magazines, journals, etc. In general, the user accesses the repository to retrieve selected portions of information. Computer systems have increased the use of search and retrieval systems because a computer may access a database or repository from a remote location. The utility of such a search and retrieval system is to permit a user to access one or more sources of information in a large repository. For example, a search and retrieval system may permit a user to view documents available in a large repository equivalent to a library of books.
These search and retrieval systems require ways for the user to search the information contained within the source repository to access the desired information. For example, in a document based search and retrieval system, a user searches the repository of documents to retrieve one or more documents on a selected topic. In order to narrow the selection of documents, some search and retrieval systems partition the source repository into libraries or files. If the user selects a particular library or file, then the user is permitted to access the information contained within that library or file. Typically, the libraries or files are organized into general topics. However, each library or file may still contain thousands of documents. Therefore, to locate subtopics within a more general topic, the user must search through thousands of documents.
Search and retrieval systems include a search mechanism in order to locate information in the source repository. To search for documents within the source repository, a user enters a term that most resembles the source or topic desired by the user. The proper generation of the search term is absolutely crucial to locate the most relevant documents. Typically, in such a search system, the user enters the search term, and the system displays a list of documents that contains the specific search term. If the search term is too narrow, then the user runs the risk of missing the most relevant information in the source repository. The use of a broad search term covers a wider range of topics than the narrow search term, but typically identifies too many documents. Therefore, such search systems require that the user be able to construct a search term that covers the topic adequately, without encompassing too much material. Consequently, these search systems do not provide a good way for a user to locate documents in large source repositories.
In addition to being difficult to use, search and retrieval systems are non-intuitive. A user of the system does not typically think in terms of these specific search terms that are required to produce the best search results. When a search has been conducted, a user does not know whether the search has located all the documents covering the topic desired. In addition, search and retrieval systems do not provide a user with any indication as to the classification of a document, and the location of the document within the classification structure. The retrieval of only the documents containing the specific search term leads to tunnel vision in that the user is not permitted to see other issues, known as peripheral issues, that relate to the topics desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A virtual bookshelf system provides a user a way to browse and locate information associated with a plurality of documents. The virtual bookshelf system contains classification information to classify the documents in a hierarchical structure that includes a plurality of hierarchical levels based on pre-defined categories. The virtual bookshelf system displays a portion of the hierarchical structure including a representation of the categories. A user of the virtual bookshelf system may browse through the categories in the hierarchical levels to learn the general topics of the available documents. The user is permitted to select a particular category, and in response, the virtual bookshelf system displays document information for documents classified in the category selected. In one embodiment, categories are displayed in a history section to define a current path for the hierarchical structure from the highest hierarchical level to a currently selected hierarchical level. In addition, categories for the currently selected hierarchical level are displayed in a navigational section.
The virtual bookshelf system is cataloged to include the classification information. The classification information includes, in addition to the categories arranged in the hierarchical structure, cross references among the categories to further classify the documents. By cross referencing the categories, a detailed and accurate classification of the documents is achieved. The classification information further includes index heads and index context entries that are related to the index heads. The index heads are content carrying words from the documents but the words are not pre-defined categories. The index context entries are terms from the documents that are used in the context of the index heads. The hierarchical structure is expanded through mapping of the index heads into the pre-defined categories.
In one embodiment, the virtual bookshelf system includes functions for selected categories and index heads. A list function displays the list of documents classified for a selected category. A view function displays themes from the documents that are classified for the category selected. The virtual bookshelf system also includes action functions that operate on selected documents. An expand function displays the full text of the selected document. Also, an abstract function displays a brief synopsis of a selected document, and a speed read function displays full text of the selected document with major content bearing words highlighted. Furthermore, a summary function displays a summary of the document including main ideas of the document, and a theme function displays theme data identifying major themes for the document.
The virtual bookshelf system also includes a virtual clerk for locating documents of interest. The virtual clerk receives a locate term for locating information from the documents. In response, the virtual bookshelf system locates, if possible, one or more match categories in the hierarchical structure that relates to the locate term, and it displays a portion of the hierarchical structure that includes the match category such that a path is defined from the highest hierarchical levels to the hierarchical level of the match category. The locate term may be a natural language term, a category from the hierarchical structure, a concept, or an example of text from a document.
The virtual bookshelf system further includes a natural way to disambiguate locate terms that relate to more than one category. When the locate term is entered, the virtual bookshelf system determines whether the locate term identifies more than one category in the classification system. If the locate term relates to more than one category, then all match categories identified by the locate term are displayed. The virtual bookshelf system receives input from a user to identify a unique sense from the several match categories. In response, the proper sense for the match category is displayed.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be ap

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