Document Search Visualization via Aggregated Query Annotations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Document authors and users lack visibility into search query relevance and usage patterns of document portions, making it difficult to assess the significance and usefulness of documents and their components.

Innovation Solution

A facility that aggregates and visually represents search transaction data by displaying colored rectangles, charts, and graphs alongside document portions, indicating query frequency, user interactions, and other metrics, to provide insights into document popularity and relevance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If search engines return only a list of links to relevant documents, then the search system remains simple and fast, but users and document authors lack visibility into document significance and query relevance patterns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility into document significanceVSAvoidsearch system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary visualization layer that sits between the search engine and the user. This intermediary component aggregates search transaction data and presents it as visual annotations on document portions, allowing users to see query relevance patterns without complicating the underlying search engine architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates visual copies or representations of search transaction data by displaying colored rectangles and charts that replicate search relevance information in a visual format. These visual copies allow users to perceive document significance without requiring changes to the actual search system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Loss of information

If visual annotations aggregating search transaction information are displayed on document portions, then document significance and query relevance become visible, but the display system becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation about search query relevanceVSAvoiddisplay system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the document into distinct portions (such as paragraphs, sentences, or specific text blocks) and applies visual annotations to individual segments. Each segment can have its own colored rectangles or charts representing search relevance, allowing detailed information display without overwhelming the entire document at once.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a visual dimension to the traditional text-based document display by overlaying colored rectangles, charts, and graphs on top of document portions. This dimensional addition provides search relevance information without requiring changes to the fundamental document structure or text content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Loss of information

If aggregated search transaction information is presented for each document portion, then understanding of document usefulness is enhanced, but processing and display time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveunderstanding of document usefulnessVSAvoidprocessing and display time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary aggregation of search transaction data during or after the search process, so that when documents are displayed to users, the aggregated relevance information is already prepared and ready for immediate visualization. This eliminates the need for real-time computation during document display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex real-time computational analysis with pre-computed visual indicators. Instead of calculating search relevance metrics in real-time during document display, the system uses pre-aggregated data represented through visual metaphors like colored rectangles and charts, significantly reducing processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11030259B2Document searching visualized within a document
Publication Date: 2021.06.08 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US11030259B2 patent drawing
  • US11030259B2 patent drawing
  • US11030259B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A facility for annotating a visual representation of a document is described. The facility presents on a display device visual representations of two or more portions of a document. The facility further present on the display on the display, in connection with each of one or more of the presented document portion visual representations, an annotation conveying a result of aggregating information describing two or more search transactions in whose results the represented document portion is included.