Hierarchical data-driven navigation system and method for information retrieval

A computer-implemented method for enabling a user to browse information, the method comprising:

• storing a plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with a collection of materials, wherein each of a plurality of values has an association with at least one of a plurality of attributes characterizing the materials;
• displaying a free-text search box;
• accepting a search term entered in the free-text search box;
• determining the attribute-value pairs that match the search term;
• displaying a representation of the matching attribute-value pairs for the search term;
• accepting a selection of a selected set of one or more of the matching attribute-value pairs;
• and
• entering a first navigation state corresponding to a first set of attribute-value pairs including at least the selected set of matching attribute-value pairs and to a first particular subset of the materials, the first set of attribute-value pairs including at least two mutually incomparable attribute-value pairs, the first particular subset of the materials consisting of those materials in the collection of materials that are each described by every attribute-value pair in the first set of attribute-value pairs.

A computer program product, residing on a computer-readable medium, for use in browsing information associated with a collection of materials, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

• access a data structure containing a plurality of attribute-value pairs associated with the materials, wherein each of a plurality of values has an association with at least one of a plurality of attributes characterizing the materials;
• display a free-text search box;
• accept a search term entered in the free-text search box;
• determine the attribute-value pairs that match the search term;
• display a representation of the matching attribute-value pairs for the search term;
• accept a selection of a selected set of one or more of the matching attribute-value pairs;
• enter a first navigation state corresponding to a first set of attribute-value pairs including at least the selected set of one or more matching attribute-value pairs and to a particular subset of the materials, the particular subset of the materials consisting of those materials in the collection of materials that are each described by every attribute-value pair in the first set of attribute-value pairs;
• and
• enter a second navigation state in response to a user action, the second navigation state corresponding to a second set of attribute-value pairs and to a second particular subset of the materials, the second set including at least two mutually incomparable attribute-value pairs, the second particular subset of the materials consisting of those materials in the collection of materials that are each described by every attribute-value pair in the second set of attribute-value pairs.