Expanded Search Scope Interface for Software Data Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing search and find mechanisms in software applications are inefficient, as they typically search entire data storage areas, leading to slow results and irrelevant data, and users often lack the skills or patience to conduct advanced searches, especially when the desired item is stored in a different storage location.
Innovation Solution
An integrated search and find function with a data indexing engine that provides a simplified user interface for efficient and high-speed data retrieval, allowing users to search within specific storage folders and automatically expand the search scope if necessary, across multiple software modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing search mechanisms search across entire data storage areas, then comprehensive search coverage is achieved, but search speed decreases and results become less relevant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the search process into two distinct phases: a fast preliminary search within the currently viewed storage folder, and a subsequent expanded search across broader storage areas if the preliminary search yields no results. This segmentation allows the system to prioritize speed for common cases while maintaining comprehensive coverage when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The search scope is made dynamic rather than static. The system automatically adjusts the search boundaries based on the search results - starting narrow and expanding only when necessary. This dynamic approach optimizes the balance between search speed and comprehensiveness by adapting the search area to the actual needs of each query.
2Reliability
If existing search mechanisms search across entire data storage areas, then all possible results are found, but the amount of irrelevant data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The search process is divided into stages: first searching the local folder to provide quickly relevant results, then expanding to parent folders or other storage areas only if needed. This staged approach ensures that users receive high-quality relevant results first, maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio while still preserving the ability to find all possible results if necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs a partial search initially - only within the current storage folder - which is sufficient for many common cases. This partial action provides quick, relevant results without the overhead of searching entire storage areas. The full search is performed only when the partial search proves insufficient.
3Measurement precision
If users conduct advanced searches to locate desired items, then search precision improves, but user complexity and time investment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs the scope-expansion function that would otherwise require user knowledge and effort. When a search yields no results in the current folder, the system autonomously expands the search to parent folders or other relevant storage areas, eliminating the need for users to manually configure advanced search parameters or understand folder hierarchies.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares and executes the expanded search automatically following the initial search, without requiring user intervention. This preliminary automation of the scope-expansion process maintains search precision while preserving ease of operation, as users simply perform a simple search and the system handles the complexity in the background.
4Adaptability or versatility
If users manually change search scope to include other storage locations, then search coverage improves, but operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages search scope expansion without requiring user knowledge of folder hierarchies or search configuration. Users simply initiate a simple search, and the system self-manages the expansion to broader scopes when needed, providing adaptability while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures the scope expansion logic and automatically executes it when the initial search proves insufficient. This preliminary preparation of expansion paths and automatic execution eliminates the need for users to manually navigate folder structures or configure search parameters, providing scope flexibility without increasing user skill requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A search and find user interface is provided that is integrated with a data indexing engine to allow efficient and high-speed data search and retrieval across data storage folders associated with a given software module or associated with a number of disparate software modules. An expanded form of the search and find user interface is provided for advanced searching. Where searching is required beyond a present search scope, an automatic “upscoping” mechanism is provided for expanding a search to data storage folders outside a current data storage folder on which an initial search is executed.