Composite user interface and search system for internet and multimedia applications
OwnerAlexander James Burkeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A user interface provides historical and hierarchical search and navigation modes through previously selected and hierarchically linked multimedia applications, documents and directories. The system includes a database for use in identifying hierarchically linked information items and multimedia application information items. The system enables searching through a sequence of hierarchically linked Internet documents to identify an object associated with a user entered search information item in response to user initiation of a hierarchical search. The system also permits user selection of a logical operator from a plurality of displayed logical operators for linking first and said second information item search terms.
Claims20
A video processor user interface system permitting a search for information through a sequence of hierarchically linked documents accessible via the Internet in which an individual document contains a reference link to a succeeding document in said sequence, comprising:
- a display menu generator for generating a menu item permitting user entry of a search information item identifying an object associated with at least one of said sequence of hierarchically linked documents;
- an Internet processor
- for accessing a parent document and a successive child document and a successive grandchild document in said sequence using reference links in individual documents to identify succeeding documents in said sequence;
- and
- for searching through said sequence of hierarchically linked documents to identify an object associated with a user entered search information item excluding non-hierarchically associated documents in response to user initiation of a hierarchical search.
A video processor user interface system permitting a search for information through a sequence of hierarchically linked multimedia documents accessible via the Internet in which an individual document contains a reference link to a succeeding document in said sequence, comprising:
- a display menu generator for generating a menu item permitting user entry of a search information item, said search information item identifying an object associated with at least one of said sequence of hierarchically linked multimedia documents;
- an Internet processor for searching through information items associated with a parent document and a successive child document and a successive grandchild document in said sequence using reference links in individual documents to identify succeeding documents in said sequence to find an object identified by said search information item entered by a user excluding non-hierarchically associated documents;
- and
- a display processor for updating an on-screen display with an image display showing said identified object in response to user initiation of a search.
A user interface system permitting a search for information through a sequence of hierarchically linked documents accessible via the Internet, comprising:
- a display menu generator for generating a menu permitting user selection of a logical search item, said menu comprising,
- a first menu item permitting user entry of a first search term;
- a second menu item permitting user entry of a second search term;
- a third menu item permitting user selection of a logical operator linking said first and said second search terms to form said logical search item wherein said logical operator is selected from a plurality of displayed logical operators;
- a search processor for initiating a search of a parent document and a successive child document and a successive grandchild document in said sequence using reference links in individual documents to identify succeeding documents in said sequence to find information items matching said logical search term;
- and
- a display processor for updating an on-screen display with an image display showing results of said search.
A user interface method for permitting a search for information through a directory of documents, comprising the steps of:
- initiating generation of a menu permitting user entry of a search term;
- initiating selection of a directory to be searched;
- initiating a search in said selected directory of a parent document and a successive child document and a successive grandchild document in a sequence using reference links in individual documents to identify succeeding documents in said sequence excluding non-hierarchically associated documents to find information items matching said search term;
- and
- initiating update of an on-screen display with an image display showing results of said search.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.