Patent · US Expired

Method for displaying on a screen of a computer system images representing search results

US5982369A · kind A · utility

232Cited by
7References
12Claims
0Family size

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Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 21, 1997
Grant dateNov 9, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 21, 2017

Classification

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

Abstract

Images representing search results are displayed on a screen of a computer system. The search results are responsive to a search in a database initiated by a user by entering a keyword or keywords via an input device. The images are displayed in such a way that an image corresponding to the highest match value is the largest in size, while remaining matches are represented by images which are smaller in size, in direct proportion to their relevance to the keyword. In addition, the relevance of an image is indicated by its proximity to the keyword displayed on the screen: the closer the displayed image to the keyword, the more relevant the match represented by that image is to that keyword. This display operation is equivalent to two simultaneous searches with boolean operators "OR" and "AND", such as "keyword1 OR keyword2" and "keyword1 AND keyword2".

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