Method of searching an audio/visual programming database using selected criterion having implicit logical operation
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsMichael Watts, Robert Nazarenus, Kathleen Lane, Fai-To Leung, Alan Steinhauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of searching a database uses a plurality of search criteria each having an implicit logical operation associated therewith. After one or more of the search criteria is selected, a computer system with appropriate software formulates the search including the implicit logical operation to search the database, all without the need for the user to input any logical operation connecting the one or more of the selected desired search criterion. An operation is performed on a portion of the search result.
Claims10
A method of searching an audio/visual programming database using criteria selected by a user, by the use of a computer having a display device and a pointing device for visually indicating a position on the display device through a cursor means, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) scrollably and consecutively displaying a plurality of scheduling search criteria followed by a plurality of subject search criteria in a first area on said display device, and implicitly associating each of said plurality of scheduling search criteria with an AND logical operation and each of said plurality of subject search criteria with an OR logical operation;
- b) moving the cursor means on the display device by the user;
- through the use of the pointing device to a desired one of said displayed search criteria;
- c) selecting one or more of said displayed search criteria by the user activating the pointing device and dragging desired ones of the displayed search criteria to a second area of said display device;
- d) scrollably and consecutively displaying the selected search criteria in the second area of said display device;
- e) searching said audio/visual programming database by the computer using the logical operations implicitly associated with the selected search criteria;
- and
- f) displaying in a third area of said display device the result of said search.
An apparatus comprising:
- a display device;
- a pointing device for controlling a cursor means on said display device;
- a storage medium having stored therein programming instructions implementing functions for
- a) scrollably and consecutively displaying a plurality of scheduling search criteria followed by a plurality of subject search criteria in a first area on said display device, and implicitly associating each of said plurality of scheduling search criteria with an AND logical operation and each of said plurality of subject search criteria with an OR logical operation,
- b) facilitating movement of the cursor means on the display device by a user;
- through the use of the pointing device to a desired one of said displayed search criteria,
- c) facilitating selection of one or more of said displayed search criteria by the user activating the pointing device and dragging desired ones of the displayed search criteria to a second area of said display device;
- d) scrollably and consecutively displaying the selected search criteria in the second area of said display device;
- e) searching an audio/visual programming database using the logical operations implicitly associated with the selected search criteria, and
- f) displaying in a third area of said display device the result of said search;
- and
- a processor coupled to the display device, the pointing device, and the storage medium for executing the programming instructions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.