User interface system and method for traversing a database

A method for retrieval of documents from a database, said database comprised of a plurality of electronic documents, each of said plurality of electronic documents capable of being selectively linked with other of said electronic documents, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) defining a set of descriptive index terms for said plurality of electronic documents;
• b) indexing said database by assigning a unique first subset of descriptive index terms to each of said electronic documents;
• c) receiving input that indicates selection of a second subset of said descriptive index terms from a plurality of unique second subsets of said descriptive index terms;
• d) comparing said first subset of descriptive index terms of said electronic documents with said second subset of said descriptive index terms;
• e) generating a list of said electronic documents based on comparisons of step d), said list including a present position document;
• f) receiving input that indicates selection of a desired electronic document in said list of said electronic documents;
• g) retrieving said desired electronic document, said desired electronic document becoming the present position document.

A method for a user of a computer system to traverse a hypertext-type database, said hypertext-type database including a plurality of hypertext-type nodes, said plurality of hypertext-type nodes corresponding to a plurality of electronic documents, wherein said plurality of hypertext-type nodes are linked to each other by a plurality of links, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) indexing said hypertext-type database by assigning to each electronic document of said plurality of electronic documents a subset of descriptive index terms from a set of descriptive index terms;
• b) receiving user input that selects a selected subset of descriptive index terms of said set of descriptive index terms by performing the steps of
• b1) generating a plurality of subsets of descriptive index terms of said set of descriptive index terms;
• b2) displaying a plurality of selectable user interface objects, wherein each of said plurality of selectable user interface objects corresponds to one of said plurality of subsets;
• and
• b3) receiving user input that selects one of said plurality of selectable user interface objects;
• c) receiving user input that selects a selected electronic document of said plurality of electronic documents as a current document;
• d) traversing the hypertext-type database by performing the steps of
• d1) generating a list of documents that contains only those documents that are directly linked to said current document through said plurality of links;
• d2) generating a ranking for each document in said list of documents by comparing the subset of descriptive index terms that are assigned to each electronic document in said list of documents with said selected subset of descriptive index terms;
• d3) generating a ranked list of documents based upon rankings generated in step d2;
• d3) receiving input selecting an electronic document from said ranked list of documents;
• and
• d4) establishing said electronic document that was selected from said ranked list of documents as said current document.

A method for retrieval of documents from a database, said database comprised of a plurality of electronic documents, each of said plurality of electronic documents capable of being selectively linked with other of said electronic documents, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) defining a set of descriptive index terms for said plurality of electronic documents;
• b) indexing said database by assigning a first subset of descriptive index terms to each of said electronic documents;
• c) generating a plurality of second subsets of descriptive index terms of said set of descriptive index terms;
• d) displaying a plurality of selectable user interface objects, wherein each of said plurality of selectable user interface objects corresponds to one of said plurality of second subsets;
• e) receiving user input that selects a selected user interface object of said plurality of selectable user interface objects;
• f) establishing said second subset of descriptive index terms that corresponds to said selected user interface object as a selected subset of descriptive index terms;
• g) comparing said first subset of descriptive index terms of said electronic documents with said selected subset of descriptive index terms;
• h) generating a list of said electronic documents based on comparisons of step g);
• i) receiving input that indicates selection of a desired electronic document in said list of said electronic documents;
• and
• j) retrieving said desired electronic document.