User interface for search method and system

Abstract

A user interface for searching records in a database is provided. Each record may contain information regarding one or more categories. The user interface may receive search criteria of one or more categories and provide search results comprising exact and/or inexact matching records. An inexact matching record may have a relevance value representing the relevance of the record to the search query, and inexact matching records may be displayed in an ordering based on the relevance values. The user interface may provide slider tools for receiving changes in a weight value or search criterion of an associated category. A new ordering of the inexact matching records may be displayed in real-time based on newly received weight values or search criterion. The user interface may also provide a mapping tool, a search-result selection function, and/or one or more drill down tools. The user interface may provide any tool or function alone or in any combination.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 presenting a map that depicts a geographic location;   receiving input that graphically defines a perimeter for a search location within the geographic location of the map;   receiving a search query comprising a plurality of search criteria associated with a plurality of categories for searching a database that comprises a plurality of records arranged in the categories,   wherein at least one of said categories comprises the search location within the geographic location;   receiving a weight value for a first category to ascribe an importance of the first category as more or less important than a second category to a search result;   comparing the search criteria of the search query with information in the records of the database for each category;   identifying, in response to the search query, one or more inexact matching records that comprises records with information that does not exactly match the search criteria of one or more of the categories;   generating a relevance value for each of the inexact matching records to represent a degree of relevance of the inexact matching record to the search query based, in part, on weight values associated with the categories;   displaying the inexact matching records within the geographic location based on the relevance values of the inexact matching records.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: displaying the inexact matching records comprises determining one or more characteristics for displaying the inexact matching records. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: for one of the inexact matching records, the one or more characteristics include information regarding at least one of the plurality of search criteria of which the one inexact matching record is not an exact match. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: displaying the inexact matching records comprises displaying the inexact matching records in response to the search query in an order based on the relevance values. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: displaying the inexact matching records comprises displaying a subset of the inexact matching records in response to the search query in an order based on the relevance values. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a second weight value for at least one of the categories;   generating a new relevance value for each of the inexact matching records based on the second weight value.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: receiving a weight value comprises:
 displaying a stack of a plurality of geometric objects, one for each category;   receiving input to order the geometric objects in the stack so as to ascribe a weight to the categories corresponding to the order of the stack.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein each geometric object in the stack comprises a user-definable weight. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein receiving input to order the geometric objects in the stack comprises receiving input that specifies a drag and drop operation to move and order the geometric objects in the stack. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein displaying a stack of a plurality of geometric objects comprises displaying, either vertically or horizontally, the stack of geometric objects. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: receiving a weight value comprises:
 displaying a plurality of layers of a chart, wherein each layer corresponds to one of the categories;   receiving input to select a layer and effect a change to the thickness of the layer so as to ascribe a weight to one or more categories based on the thickness of a corresponding layer.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: receiving a weight value comprises:
 displaying a plurality of pieces of a pie, wherein each piece corresponds to one of the categories;   receiving input to change an area of one or more pieces of the pie so as to ascribe a weight to one or more categories based on the area of the corresponding piece.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 12 ,
 wherein: each piece of the pie comprises two radii originating from an inner point and terminating in an arc,   wherein receiving input to change an area of one or more pieces of the pie comprises allowing graphically manipulating the chart by selecting a slice and effecting a change to the length of the arc.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 13 , further comprising in response to receiving input to change the length of the arc of the selected slice, causing an equal and opposite change in the length of the arc of a neighboring slice. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 13 , further comprising in response to receiving input to change the length of the arc of the selected slice, causing an equal and opposite change divided among any other slice. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising
 receiving a definition of an extended perimeter for the search location,   wherein comparing the search criteria of the search query with information in the records of the database for the search location comprises treating one of the records that indicates a location between the perimeter and the extended perimeter as an inexact match of the search criteria of the search location.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the definition specifies a radius from a point on the perimeter. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying each of exact matching records in response to the search query on the map using a first symbol;   displaying each of the inexact matching records in response to the search query on the map using a second symbol that is different from the first symbol.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:
 receiving a search query comprising a plurality of search criteria associated with a plurality of categories for searching a database that comprises a plurality of records arranged in the categories;   receiving through a graphical user interface, a weight value for a first category to ascribe an importance of the first category as more or less important than a second category to a search result;   comparing the search criteria of the search query with information in the records of the database for each category;   identifying, in response to the search query, one or more inexact matching records that comprises records with information that does not exactly match the search criteria of one or more of the categories;   generating a relevance value for each of the inexact matching records to represent a degree of relevance of the inexact matching record to the search query based, in part, on weight values associated with the categories;   determining one or more characteristics for displaying the inexact matching records based on the relevance values of the inexact matching records.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:
 displaying a map that depicts a geographic location;   receiving input that graphically defines a perimeter for a search location within the geographic location of the map;   receiving a search query comprising a plurality of search criteria associated with a plurality of categories for searching a database that comprises a plurality of records arranged in the categories,   wherein at least one of said categories comprises the search location within the geographic location;   receiving a weight value for a first category to ascribe an importance of the first category as more or less important than a second category to a search result;   comparing the search criteria of the search query with information in the records of the database for each category;   identifying, in response to the search query, one or more inexact matching records that comprises records with information that does not exactly match the search criteria of one or more of the categories;   generating a relevance value for each of the inexact matching records to represent a degree of relevance of the inexact matching record to the search query based, in part, on weight values associated with the categories; and   displaying the inexact matching records within the geographic location based on the relevance values of the inexact matching records.