Patent · US Expired

User interface system and method for traversing a database

US5408655A · kind A · utility

224Cited by
13References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 18, 1992
Grant dateApr 18, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 18, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S715/968
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A user interface system and method for traversing a database. In one aspect the present invention includes providing a plurality of command options, each of the command options represented by a set of descriptive option index terms characterizing that command option. The set of descriptive option index terms characterizing the command options selected by a user, are compared with sets of document index terms. Each set of document index terms being compared characterizes an electronic document in a hypertext-type database which is selectively linked in that database with the user's present position. The comparisons result in a ranked list of the selectively linked electronic documents. The electronic documents are ranked in accordance with the relevancy of each document with respect to the selected command option. In another aspect of the invention, a plurality of command options are generated and displayed on a computer controlled display system (CCDS), each command option being represented by a portrayed character or personality associable to the user as being biased toward a particular type of information. Each of the command options represent a set of option index terms which ch…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.