Visual Icon Hierarchical Search System for Information Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Internet search methods face challenges in accurately retrieving relevant information due to language ambiguity, the sheer volume of data, and the inability to exclude unrelated results, leading to user frustration and inefficiency, especially for users without advanced vocabulary or technical skills.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for information retrieval using visual comprehension, where users navigate through a hierarchical structure of representational images to generate a specific code, which is matched to corresponding hypermedia content codes in a database, providing targeted and relevant search results without the need for textual input or advanced vocabulary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If text-based search queries are used, then search capability is provided, but language ambiguity causes irrelevant results to be returned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the textual/language-based search mechanism with a visual icon-based selection mechanism. Instead of requiring users to type text queries that suffer from language ambiguity, the system presents hierarchical categories represented by visual icons that users can select through mouse clicks or other pointing device interactions. This substitution eliminates the ambiguity of natural language while maintaining search functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces visual icons as an intermediary between the user's search intent and the actual search query. The icons serve as a mediating layer that translates user selections into structured search parameters, avoiding the direct use of ambiguous text words while still enabling precise information retrieval through the hierarchical category structure.
2Quantity of substance
If comprehensive search results are returned, then more information is available, but users must sort through excessive unrelated content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the vast information space into hierarchical categories represented by visual icons. Instead of presenting users with a flat list of millions of search results, the system organizes information into nested categories (e.g., Science → Biology → Animals → Mammals), allowing users to navigate through progressively refined segments to reach their target information quickly without sifting through unrelated content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary organization of information into hierarchical categories before the user conducts the search. The visual icon hierarchy is pre-structured to represent the logical organization of information, so users don't need to sort through results during the search process itself. The categorization work is done in advance, enabling direct navigation to relevant information.
3Ease of operation
If text-based search is used, then search functionality is provided, but users need advanced vocabulary and technical skills
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the text-input mechanism with a visual icon-selection mechanism. Instead of requiring users to type words and understand search syntax, the system presents clickable visual icons representing categories and concepts. Users can navigate the hierarchy by simply clicking icons with a mouse or other pointing device, eliminating the need for vocabulary knowledge or technical search skills.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-explanatory visual icons that convey their meaning through imagery rather than text labels. The icons serve as self-documenting interface elements that users can understand intuitively without needing to know specialized vocabulary or search terminology, making the system accessible to users of all educational backgrounds.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for information retrieval from a collection of hypermedia data over a distributed network is presented. The system includes a data storage system that is a collection of hypermedia data. The collection of hypermedia data also has a number of hyperlinks to items of hypermedia content, and the hyperlinks are each respectively associated with at least one code value generated based on the content of the respective hypermedia content. The system also includes an application that receives progressive user input and iteratively build a user search code value according to the user input. It matches the user search code value to at least a portion of the hypermedia content code value for the hyperlinks in the data storage to identify each such associated hyperlink to a particular information retrieval data set.