Patent · US Expired

User interface system and method for browsing a hypertext database

US6067552A · kind A · utility

187Cited by
9References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 30, 1998
Grant dateMay 23, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 30, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99935
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for traversing a hypertext system is provided. A set of descriptive document index terms is provided for documents in the database. Means are provided for the user to specify both the set of relevant index term values and the weighted relative ranking of the set of index terms. Means are provided for comparing the set of index terms specified by the user with sets of document index terms. The comparisons result in a ranked list of the selectively linked electronic documents. In one aspect, the electronic documents are ranked in accordance with the relevancy of each document with respect to the user. In another aspect, each electronic document in that database is indirectly linked with the user's present position through intermediate, dynamically generated tree links. The intermediate tree links are generated in accordance with the relevancy of each document with respect to the user and the efficiency of each index term to differentiate between relevant documents.

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