Graphic user interface for database system

Abstract

A graphic user interface method for representing a search of a database, providing a plurality of stylized Venn diagrams each representing an intersection of at least two sets; receiving from the user, for each generic graphic icon, a selection of at least one region, defining an output data set; presenting the generic graphic icons on the graphic user interface as modified graphic icons, each having graphic indication of the selections; and receiving linkage information from the user for the modified graphic icons to represent a composite set inclusion property, based on the output data sets and the linkage information. Once a search is defined, it may be translated, as necessary, for execution by a typical database search engine. Retrieved results may be quautified and ranked by the interface system fur optimal presentation to the user.

1. A graphic user interface method for defining a database query definition and output representation operation parameters of a database parameter, the method comprising the steps of:
 graphically representing a query definition or an output representation operation of a database operation on the a data set, said graphic representation having a graded representation portion; 
 receiving from the user a signal representing a user manipulation of the a grade of the graded representation portion; and 
 translating the manipulation of the graded representation into a database query definition or output representation operation parameter for the database; and 
 receiving the an output database set from the database in accordance with the database query definition of output representation operation parameter, an arrangement of members of the output database set being responsive to manipulation of said graded representation portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said data set comprises free form text. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said database operation parameters comprise further comprising receiving a database query comprising Boolean search parameters. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said graphic representation comprises a bulls'-eye. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said graphic representation comprises a pyramid. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said manipulation comprises a gesture. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said manipulation comprises selecting a start position within the graded representation portion and subsequently displacing a graphic cursor with respect thereto. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said further comprising receiving a database operation parameters comprise parameter comprising at least one numerical operator defining an expansiveness of a set inclusion property. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said database operation parameter comprises a statistical parameter. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said database operation parameter modifies a presentation of results of a Boolean search expression. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said further comprising receiving a database operation parameter through manipulation of a graded representation portion, which modifies a set inclusion property of a Boolean search expression. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said further comprising receiving a database operation parameter comprises through manipulation of a graded representation portion, which modifies a non-Boolean search parameter of the database. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the user manipulation comprises a gesture for affecting a relative size, shape or position of the graded representation portion. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the database operation parameter comprises an output ranking. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of receiving a further database operation parameter from the user through user manipulation of a graded representation portion, the database operation parameter and further database operation parameter being selected from one or more of the group consisting of a set inclusion property and a set ranking property, which together determine and arrange the output set. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a set inclusion criterion resulting from evaluation of the database operation parameter of the output database set is based on an intrinsic characteristic of the elements of the database, and a ranking of members included elements in an the output set is based on a characteristic extrinsic to the elements members of the database output database set. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 evaluating thereceiving a database operation parameter to produce andefine the output database set; 
 representing the output database set as a second graphic representation having a graded representation portion; 
 receiving from the user a user manipulation of a graded of the graded representation portion of the second graphic representation; and 
 translating the manipulation of the graded representation of the second graphic representation into a second database operation parameter for the output database set. 
 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said graphically representing step is adaptive to a style of the user activity regarding the graphic representation. 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of altering the functioning of the graphic user interface based on preferences of the user, the preference being derived from monitoring the past activities of the user. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of transmitting the database operation parameter through a computer network to a remote database server. 
     
     
       21. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said graded representation portion comprises at least one graphic control having a liner linear depiction; and 
 said manipulation comprises a movement of a graphic element along the liner linear depiction. 
 
     
     
       22. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said graded representation portion comprises a plurality of graphic controls, arranged in an array and each individual ones of the plurality of graphic controls having a liner linear depiction; and 
 said manipulation comprises a movement of a graphic element along the liner linear depictions. 
 
     
     
       23. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the database contains comprises a set of referential data records, each individual ones of the referential data records having an identifier, and content information relating to the content of the database and identifiers of a subset of the referential data records, at least a portion of said set of referential data records being referenced by other data records, further comprising the steps of sorting identifiers of the subset data records included as members of the output database set based on a primary search criterion and an analysis of a relation of references of the database. 
     
     
       24. A non-transitory computer readable medium having therein computer instructions for controlling a computer to perform the method of claim 1. 
     
     
       25. A method comprising:
 providing data for display of at least one graded representation portion representing application of an output criterion to a data set;   receiving a signal representing at least one of a graphic manipulation of the graded representation portion or a query defined based on a graphic manipulation of the graded representation;   determining a query defined based on a graphic manipulation of the graded representation in response to receiving a signal representing the graphic manipulation of the graded representation;   transmitting electronic data representing a query defined based on a graphic manipulation of the graded representation portion to an automated query response system; and   receiving a query response set from the automated query response system, the query response set comprising a plurality of items in dependence on the query and having an arrangement varying in dependence on a second output criterion derived from the graphic manipulation of the at least one graded representation portion of the output criterion.   
     
     
       26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the at least one graded representation portion comprises a plurality of quantitative graphic representations, individual ones of the plurality of quantitative graphic representations configured to be separately graphically manipulated. 
     
     
       27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the graded representation portion comprises a scale, wherein a desired quantitative value is selected based on a manipulation of the scale. 
     
     
       28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the automated query response system comprises a search engine. 
     
     
       29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the electronic data is transmitted over the Internet. 
     
     
       30. The method according to claim 25, wherein the output criterion comprises a sort criterion. 
     
     
       31. The method according to claim 25, wherein the output criterion comprises a ranking criterion. 
     
     
       32. The method according to claim 25, wherein the graded representation portion comprises the output criterion and a quantitative modifier for a semantic query. 
     
     
       33. The method according to claim 25, wherein the automated query response system operates on data records comprising records having links to other data records or records which are linked to by other data records, a ranking of data records represented in the query response set being dependent on the links to or from other data records. 
     
     
       34. A non-transitory computer readable physical medium having stored therein computer instructions for controlling a computer to perform the method of claim 25. 
     
     
       35. A graphic user interface method comprising:
 providing signals for graphically representing a predefined icon of the graphic user interface for defining an output representation operation on the database, said icon having a graded representation portion;   receiving a signal representing a user manipulation of the grade of the graded representation portion; and   receiving an output database set in accordance with a database output representation operation parameter derived from the user manipulation of the graded representation portion, wherein   the output database set is received in accordance with the database output representation operation parameter, and   an arrangement of members of the output database set is dependent on said database output representation operation parameter.   
     
     
       36. The method according to claim 35 further comprising translating the manipulation of the graded representation portion into the database output representation operation parameter for the database. 
     
     
       37. The graphic user interface method according to claim 35, further comprising:
 providing signals for display a plurality of predefined icons representing respective output representation operations on the database;   receiving signals representing user manipulation of grades of a plurality of graded representation portions;   translating the manipulation of the grades into a plurality of database output representation operation parameters for the database;   receiving the output database set in accordance with the plurality of database output representation operation parameters, and   wherein an arrangement of members of the output database set is dependent on said plurality of database output representation operation parameters.   
     
     
       38. A graphic user interface method comprising:
 providing data for display of a graphic representation of an output from the database, said graphic representation having at least a graded representation portion;   receiving a signal representing a manipulation of a grade of the graded representation portion of the graphic representation of the output from the database;   translating the manipulation of the grade into a database output representation operation parameter for the database;   determining an output database set in accordance with the database output representation operation parameter; and   providing data for display representing arranged members of the output database set in dependence on the database output representation operation parameter.   
     
     
       39. A method comprising:
 receiving through a pointing device of a graphic user interface at least one signal relating to a manipulation of a grade of at least one graded representation portion of a desired output arrangement, the at least one graded representation portion comprising a representation of an output criterion as applied to a data set;   transmitting electronic data representing at least one of a defined query based at least in part on the at least one signal or the manipulation of the grade of the at least one graded representation portion to an automated query response system; and   receiving a response from the automated query response system, the response comprising data representing a plurality of items arranged in dependence on the manipulation of the grade of the at least one graded representation portion.   
     
     
       40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the graded representation portion comprises a plurality of multivalued graphic representations, individual ones of the plurality of multivalued graphic representations configured to be separately manipulated through the pointing device. 
     
     
       41. A method comprising:
 receiving at a server a signal relating to a user manipulation of a grade value represented by at least one graded representation portion having at least three states, the at least one graded representation portion comprising a representation of an output criterion as applied to a data set;   defining a query based at least in part on the signal;   transmitting electronic data representing at least one of the query or the user manipulation of the grade value to an automated query response system; and   receiving a response from the automated query response system, the response comprising data representing a plurality of items responsive to the query or the user manipulation of the grade value;   making the response from the automated query response system available for display in an arrangement in dependence on the user manipulation of the grade value.   
     
     
       42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the signal received through the graphic user interface relates to a separate manipulation of a grade value represented by a plurality of graded representation portions. 
     
     
       43. A non-transitory computer readable medium having therein computer instructions configured to control a computing device to perform operations comprising:
 providing data for display of a graphic representation of an output from a database, said graphic representation having at least a graded representation portion;   receiving a signal representing a manipulation of a grade of the graded representation portion of the graphic representation of the output from the database;   translating the manipulation of the grade into a database output representation operation parameter for the database;   determining an output database set in accordance with the database output representation operation parameter; and   providing data for display representing arranged members of the output database set in dependence on the database output representation operation parameter.   
     
     
       44. A non-transitory computer readable medium having therein computer instructions configured to control a computing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving through a pointing device of a graphic user interface at least one signal relating to a manipulation of a grade of at least one graded representation portion of a desired output arrangement, the at least one graded representation portion comprising a representation of an output criterion as applied to a data set;   transmitting electronic data representing at least one of a defined query based at least in part on the at least one signal or the manipulation of the grade of the at least one graded representation portion to an automated query response system; and   receiving a response from the automated query response system, the response comprising data representing a plurality of items in dependence on the manipulation of the grade of the at least one graded representation portion.   
     
     
       45. A non-transitory computer readable medium having therein computer instructions configured to control a computing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a signal relating to a user manipulation of a grade value represented by at least one graded representation portion having at least three states, the at least one graded representation portion comprising a representation of an output criterion as applied to a data set;   defining a query based at least in part on the signal;   transmitting electronic data representing at least one of the query or the user manipulation of the grade value to an automated query response system; and   receiving a response from the automated query response system, the response comprising data representing a plurality of items responsive to the query or the user manipulation of the grade value;   making the response from the automated query response system available for display in an arrangement in dependence on the user manipulation of the grade value.   
     
     
       46. An apparatus comprising:
 a server configured to provide an applet executing in conjunction with a graphic user interface, the applet configured to receive through a pointing device of the graphic user interface a manipulation of a grade of at least one graded representation portion of a desired output arrangement, the at least one graded representation portion comprising a representation of an output criterion as applied to a data set and to transmit electronic data representing at least one of a defined query based at least in part on the at least one signal or the manipulation of the grade of the at least one graded representation portion to the server; and   wherein the server is configured to receive the electronic data from the applet and to send a response comprising data representing a plurality of items in dependence on the manipulation of the grade of the at least one graded representation portion to the applet for presentation in the graphic user interface in an arrangement in dependence on the manipulation of the grade value.