Graphical Icon Search Interface for Weighted Query Construction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional text-based search interfaces struggle to search for amorphous concepts, combine separate concepts into a single search result, and allow users to emphasize individual search terms effectively, limiting their ability to provide prioritized results based on user preferences.
Innovation Solution
A system that provides a search creation interface using graphical icons, allowing users to select and weight these icons, which are then used to generate a ranked list of search items based on user-defined preferences, incorporating metadata and ranking algorithms to prioritize search results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional text-based search interface is used, then users can search for specific keywords, but users cannot easily search for amorphous concepts or combine separate concepts into a single search result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces graphical icons as an intermediary between the user's conceptual ideas and the search query. Users select icons that represent amorphous concepts or combinations of concepts, and the system translates these visual selections into weighted search queries. This intermediary layer enables users to express complex conceptual relationships without needing to manually construct text-based queries, thereby improving both adaptability to amorphous concepts and ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional text-based search interface is used, then users can enter keywords, but users cannot place increased emphasis or weight on individual elements used to form the search terms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing users to assign different weights to different graphical icons in the search interface. Each icon can be individually weighted by the user through interaction with the interface, enabling emphasis on specific concepts or terms. This weighted approach is locally applied to each icon rather than requiring complex global query construction, thereby improving adaptability while managing complexity through intuitive local controls.
3Ease of operation
If graphical search tools like Google's Image Search are used, then users can search visually, but the tools return images similar to a searched image rather than using an abstract concept represented by the image
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses graphical icons as an intermediary that represents abstract concepts rather than concrete images. When users select these conceptual icons, the system translates them into weighted search queries that search for concepts and ideas, not just visual similarities. This intermediary layer enables visual search ease while achieving conceptual adaptability, distinguishing it from image-based search tools that return visually similar images.
4Productivity
If users manually construct text-based search queries, then users have control over search terms, but the process is time-consuming and less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining a set of graphical icons that represent common concepts, terms, and combinations. Users can quickly select from these pre-prepared icons rather than manually constructing queries from scratch. This preliminary preparation of search elements significantly speeds up query construction while maintaining ease of operation, as users simply need to select rather than create.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method allow a user to define a search request by selecting and weighting graphical icons provided on a search creation interface. The graphical icons may be selected by using an icon selection feature provided on the search creation interface. The graphical icons may further be assigned relative search weights using an icon weighting feature provided on the search creation interface. The system and method generate search results based on metadata associated with the selected ones of the graphical icons and the search weights assigned to each of the selected ones of the graphical icons. The search results may comprise a ranked list of items, such as products listed for sale on an e-commerce server.