System and method for searching through a graphic user interface

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for constructing and manipulating a Graphic User Interface (GUI), comprising retrieving from a data repository first GUI data representing at least (i) an entity, (ii) attributes of an entity, (iii) a manipulatable scale associated with a respective attribute; constructing on a screen the GUI including converting the first GUI data into displayable GUI data which include at least the entity, its attributes and for at least one of the attributes a manipulatable scale and displaying the displayable GUI data; enabling a user to perform on the GUI a manipulation of at least one manipulatable scale of a respective attribute giving rise to manipulated displayable GUI data; converting the manipulated displayable GUI data into second GUI data representing at least one data record; and using the at least one data record or portion thereof for operations in the data repository.

1 . A computer-implemented method for constructing and manipulating a Graphic User Interface (GUI), comprising:
 a) retrieving from a data repository first GUI data representing at least (i) an entity, (ii) attributes of an entity, (iii) a manipulatable scale associated with a respective attribute and signifying a level of significance of the attribute;   b) constructing on a screen said GUI including converting said first GUI data into displayable GUI data which include at least said entity, its attributes and for at least one of said attributes a manipulatable scale and displaying said displayable GUI data;   c) enabling a user to perform on said GUI a manipulation of at least one manipulatable scale of a respective attribute giving rise to manipulated displayable GUI data;   d) converting said manipulated displayable GUI data into second GUI data representing at least one data record that includes attribute data corresponding to said attributes and scale data corresponding to scales associated with respective said attributes; and   e) using said at least one data record or portion thereof for operations in said data repository.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said operations in said data repository is selected from a group comprising storing said at least one data record or portion thereof in said data repository; and searching said data repository for data matching said at least one data record or portion thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said a) includes retrieving from a data repository first GUI data representing at least one data record that includes at least attribute data and scale data, each data record representing an entity, the attribute data associated with said entity representing attributes of said entity, each scale data representing a scale associated with a respective attribute and signifying a level of significance of the attribute;
 and wherein said d) includes converting at least the manipulated scales of said manipulated displayable GUI data into second GUI data representing a portion of a data record that includes scale data corresponding to said manipulated scales, wherein said data record includes attribute data corresponding to said attributes and scale data corresponding to scales associated with respective said attributes,   and wherein said e) includes using at least said portion of said data record for operations in said data repository.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said a) includes retrieving from a data repository first GUI data representing at least one set of templates that include at least attribute data and manipulatable scale data, each set of templates representing an entity, the attribute data associated with said entity representing attributes of said entity, each manipulatable scale data representing a manipulatable scale associated with a respective attribute and signifying a level of significance of the attribute. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said b) includes displaying said displayable GUI data including depicting said entity as a predefined shape and said attributes on said predefined shape and said manipulatable scales as sliders extending substantially from the center of said shape towards the periphery of said shape wherein said sliders comprise respective indicators indicative of said manipulatable scales that correspond to the significance of the respective attributes of said entity; and wherein c) further comprises enabling a user to perform on said GUI a manipulation of at least one manipulatable scale of respective attribute by moving said indicators along said sliders, giving rise to manipulated displayable GUI data. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said attributes of said entity is a rateing attribute for users to express their satisfaction and feedback with regard to said entity, said method further comprising:
 f) calculating overall rating of said entity by aggregating scales of said rating attributes of at least one user.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein said attributes of said entity are expression and emotion attributes for users to express their opinions and feelings with regard to said entity. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein said entity can be one of the following: merchandise, business, person, service, media, hobby, activity, place, topic or website. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the value of said scales is numeric or Boolean. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5  wherein said manipulation triggers an automatic manipulation of at least one other scale. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5  wherein clicking on at least one of said attributes on said predefined shape affects at least one other scale of another attribute according to an adjustment logic. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10  wherein said attributes are classified into a plurality of groups and wherein said automatic manipulation affects scales associated with attributes within the group to which the attribute associated with the manipulated scale belongs. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10  wherein said attributes are classified into a plurality of groups and wherein said automatic manipulation affects at least one scale associated with an attribute not within the group to which the attribute associated with the manipulated scales belongs. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein said groups are assigned different weights based on a user's preferences. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12  wherein said attributes are assigned different weights based on a user's preferences. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12  wherein said automatic manipulation is defined by a manipulation mode and the first GUI data further representing (iv) group behavior which includes said manipulation mode. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16  wherein the manipulation mode is a full trade-off mode wherein the sum of the scales within at least one of said groups is fixed and remains fixed while at least one scale of an attribute within said group is being adjusted. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17  wherein said sum of the scales within at least one of said groups is fixed and the value of said sum is set by following equation: sum=(maximum value of said scales+minimum value of said scales)/2*the number of attributes within said group. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16  wherein the manipulation mode is partial trade-off mode wherein the sum of the scales within at least one of said groups is between an upper threshold and a lower threshold, while at least one scale of an attribute within said group is adjusted. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16  wherein the manipulation mode is opposite trade-off mode wherein at least one scale of an attribute within at least one of said groups correlates positively with at least one other scale of another attribute within the same group. 
     
     
         21 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12  wherein said attributes are hierarchical and can be drilled down to sub-attributes associated with their respective scales by displaying to said user sub-attributes of one of said attributes on a shape in response to said user's selection of said one attribute. 
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein said drilling down can be performed repeatedly on said sub-attributes for further layers of sub-attributes displayed on respective shapes until said user's needs to define said entity are fulfilled. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22  wherein each shape representing a layer of sub-attributes is assigned with a weight based on a user's preferences. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16  wherein the value of said scales is Boolean and the manipulation mode being a pick mode wherein the scale of an attribute within a group is set to 1 when said attribute is picked, and is set to 0 when said attribute is not picked, and wherein there is an upper limit of the maximum number of picked attributes within said group. 
     
     
         25 . A computer-implemented method for searching through a Graphic User Interface (GUI) an entity of interest that includes a plurality of attributes, comprising:
 a) retrieving from a data repository GUI data representing at least (i) an entity, (ii) attributes of an entity, and (iii) a manipulatable scale associated with a respective attribute and signifying a level of significance of the attribute;   b) constructing on a screen said GUI including converting said GUI data into displayable GUI data which include at least said entity, its attributes and for at least one of said attributes a manipulatable scale and displaying said displayable GUI data;   c) enabling a user to perform on said GUI a manipulation of at least one manipulatable scale of a respective attribute, giving rise to a search query representing said entity of interest, its attributes and scales associated with respective said attributes;   d) converting said search query into GUI data of interest representing at least one data record of interest that includes attribute data corresponding to said attributes and scale data corresponding to scales associated with respective said attributes;   e) searching in said data repository for at least one candidate data record which includes at least attribute data and scale data that matches said data record of interest, including comparing similarity of the attribute data and scale data of the data record of interest with corresponding attribute data and scale data of the candidate data record, giving rise to a first comparison indication, and providing similarity indication based on at least said first comparison indication.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 25 , wherein said a) includes retrieving from a data repository GUI data representing at least one data record that includes at least attribute data and scale data, each data record representing an entity, the attribute data associated with said entity representing attributes of said entity, each scale data representing a scale associated with a respective attribute and signifying a level of significance of the attribute;
 and wherein said (d) includes converting at least the manipulated scales of said search query into GUI data of interest representing a portion of a data record of interest that includes scale data corresponding to said manipulated scales, wherein said data record of interest includes attribute data corresponding to said attributes and scale data corresponding to scales associated with respective said attributes.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 25 , wherein said a) includes retrieving from a data repository GUI data representing at least one set of templates that include at least attribute data and manipulatable scale data, each set of templates representing an entity, the attribute data associated with said entity representing attributes of said entity, each manipulatable scale data representing a manipulatable scale associated with a respective attribute and signifying a level of significance of the attribute. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 25  further comprising:
 f) classifying at least one candidate data record as a respective resulting data record if said similarity indication meets a given criterion; 
 g) repeating said comparison until all candidate records are compared with the data record of interest; 
 h) converting each one of said resulting data records and its associated attribute data with their respective scale data into a corresponding resulting displayable GUI data and displaying said resulting displayable GUI data on said GUI of said screen. 
 
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 25  wherein said GUI data further represent at least (i) an entity of a user, (ii) profile attributes of said user, and (iii) a manipulatable profile scale associated with a respective profile attribute and signifying a level of significance of the profile attribute;
 and wherein c) further comprises enabling a user to perform on said GUI a manipulation of at least one manipulatable profile scale of respective profile attribute, said search query further representing said entity of said user, its profile attributes and their profile scales associated with respective said profile attributes; 
 and wherein said GUI data of interest represent at least one data record of interest further including profile attribute data corresponding to said profile attributes and profile scale data corresponding to profile scales associated with respective said profile attributes; 
 and wherein the searching further comprises comparing said profile attribute data and profile scale data of said user with corresponding attribute data and scale data of the candidate data record, giving rise to a second comparison indication, and providing said similarity indication based on at least said first and second comparison indication. 
 
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 25 , wherein said attributes are hierarchical and can be drilled down to sub-attributes associated with their respective scales, said drilling down can be performed repeatedly on said sub-attributes, and wherein e) further comprises:
 searching in said data repository for at least one candidate data record which includes at least attribute data and scale data that matches said data record of interest, including comparing similarity of the attribute data associated with their respective scale data, and the sub-attribute data associated with their respective scale data of the data record of interest with corresponding attribute data associated with their respective scale data, and the sub-attribute data associated with their respective scale data of the candidate data record, giving rise to first comparison indication, and providing similarity indication based on at least said first comparison indication.   
     
     
         31 . A computer-implemented method for displaying and manipulating a Graphic User Interface (GUI), comprising:
 a) retrieving from a data repository first GUI data representing at least (i) an entity, (ii) attributes of an entity, and (iii) a manipulatable scale associated with a respective attribute and signifying a level of significance of the attribute;   b) constructing on a screen said GUI including converting said first GUI data into displayable GUI data which include at least said entity, its attributes and for at least one of said attributes a manipulatable scale and displaying said displayable GUI data including depicting said entity as a predefined shape and said attributes on said predefined shape and said manipulatable scale as sliders extending substantially from the center of said shape towards the periphery of said shape wherein said sliders comprise respective indicators indicative of said manipulatable scales that correspond to the significance of the respective attributes of said entity, enabling a user to perform on said GUI a manipulation of at least one manipulatable scale of respective attribute by moving said indicators along said sliders, giving rise to manipulated displayable GUI data;   c) converting said manipulated displayable GUI data into second GUI data representing at least one data record that includes attribute data corresponding to said attributes and scale data corresponding to scales associated with respective said attributes, and   d) using said at least one data record or portion thereof for operations in said data repository.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31 , wherein at least one of said operations in said data repository is selected from a group comprising storing said at least one data record or portion thereof in said data repository; and searching said data repository for data matching said at least one data record or portion thereof. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31 , wherein said a) includes retrieving from a data repository first GUI data representing at least one data record that at least includes attribute data and scale data, each data record representing an entity, the attribute data associated with said entity representing attributes of said entity, each scale data representing a scale associated with a respective attribute and signifying a level of significance of the attribute;
 and wherein said c) includes converting at least the manipulated scales of said manipulated displayable GUI data into second GUI data representing a portion of a data record that includes scale data corresponding to said manipulated scales, wherein said data record includes attribute data corresponding to said attributes and scale data corresponding to scales associated with respective said attributes;   and wherein said d) includes using at least said portion of said data record for operations in said data repository.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31 , wherein said (a) includes retrieving from a data repository first GUI data representing at least one set of templates that include at least attribute data and manipulatable scale data, each set of templates representing an entity, the attribute data associated with said entity representing attributes of said entity, each manipulatable scale data representing a manipulatable scale associated with a respective attribute and signifying a level of significance of the attribute. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31  wherein said shape is a round. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31  wherein said moving of said indicators is performed by dragging said indicators along said sliders or by clicking at a point of said sliders and moving said indicators to the position of said point. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31 , wherein said attributes of said entity can further be displayed with respective shapes of their own characterized by sub-attributes of said attributes and scales of said sub-attributes, thereby forming layers of said shapes to represent said entity. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31  further comprising connecting said indicators next to each other with lines thereby creating an amorphic shape representing an overall preference of said user for said entity.