Automatic disambiguation assistance for similar items in a set

One or more non-transitory computer readable media containing computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

• (a) receiving, via one or more input devices associated with an electronic device, input corresponding to a search string for a search query;
• (b) retrieving, based on the search string for the search query, a plurality of search results;
• (c) automatically determining, based on configuration settings, one or more default data fields to be displayed by default for each of the search results,
• (d) automatically determining a set of data fields to display for each of the search results, such determining including
• (i) automatically calculating, utilizing a first search result of the plurality of search results and a second search result of the plurality of search results, a first similarity value representing a likelihood of user confusion between the first search result and the second search result based on the display of the default data fields,
• (ii) automatically calculating, utilizing the first search result of the plurality of search results and a third search result of the plurality of search results, a second similarity value representing a likelihood of user confusion between the first search result and the third search result based on the display of the default data fields,
• (iii) automatically calculating, utilizing the second search result of the plurality of search results and the third search result of the plurality of search results, a third similarity value representing a likelihood of user confusion between the second search result and the third search result based on the display of the default data fields,
• (iv) automatically determining that the determined first similarity value exceeds a similarity value threshold,
• (v) in response to determining that the determined first similarity value exceeds a similarity value threshold, determining one or more additional data fields to display for the first and second results to avoid user confusion by
• (A) looking up, based on configuration settings, a next field to utilize in similarity value calculations,
• (B) automatically recalculating, utilizing the first search result of the plurality of search results and the second search result of the plurality of search results, a fourth similarity value representing a likelihood of user confusion between the first search result and the second search result based on the display of the default data fields and the next field, and
• (C) determining that the determined fourth similarity value does not exceed the similarity value threshold;
• (e) displaying, via a display associated with the electronic device, the plurality of search results, including
• (i) displaying, for the first search result, data for the default data fields and data for the next field,
• (ii) displaying, for the second search result, data for the default data fields and data for the next field,
• (iii) displaying, for the third search result, data for the default data fields but not data for the next field;
• (f) wherein, with the exception of the default fields, each displayed search result does not include display of extraneous data corresponding to fields that were not necessary to cause a recalculated similarity value to fall below a threshold similarity value.

A system including an electronic device and software loaded thereon configured to perform a method comprising:

• (a) receiving, via one or more input devices associated with the electronic device, input corresponding to a search string for a search query;
• (b) retrieving, based on the search string for the search query, a plurality of search results;
• (c) automatically determining, based on configuration settings, one or more default data fields to be displayed by default for each of the search results,
• (d) automatically determining a set of data fields to display for each of the search results, such determining including
• (i) automatically calculating, utilizing a first search result of the plurality of search results and a second search result of the plurality of search results, a first similarity value representing a likelihood of user confusion between the first search result and the second search result based on the display of the default data fields,
• (ii) automatically calculating, utilizing the first search result of the plurality of search results and a third search result of the plurality of search results, a second similarity value representing a likelihood of user confusion between the first search result and the third search result based on the display of the default data fields,
• (iii) automatically calculating, utilizing the second search result of the plurality of search results and the third search result of the plurality of search results, a third similarity value representing a likelihood of user confusion between the second search result and the third search result based on the display of the default data fields,
• (iv) automatically determining that the determined first similarity value exceeds a similarity value threshold,
• (v) in response to determining that the determined first similarity value exceeds a similarity value threshold, determining one or more additional data fields to display for the first and second results to avoid user confusion by
• (A) looking up, based on configuration settings, a next field to utilize in similarity value calculations,
• (B) automatically recalculating, utilizing the first search result of the plurality of search results and the second search result of the plurality of search results, a fourth similarity value representing a likelihood of user confusion between the first search result and the second search result based on the display of the default data fields and the next field, and
• (C) determining that the determined fourth similarity value does not exceed the similarity value threshold;
• (e) displaying, via a display associated with the electronic device, the plurality of search results, including
• (i) displaying, for the first search result, data for the default data fields and data for the next field,
• (ii) displaying, for the second search result, data for the default data fields and data for the next field,
• (iii) displaying, for the third search result, data for the default data fields but not data for the next field;
• (f) wherein, with the exception of the default fields, each displayed search result does not include display of extraneous data corresponding to fields that were not necessary to cause a recalculated similarity value to fall below a threshold similarity value.