Multifaceted search with facet hierarchy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020201848-A1
Application number	US-201816230763-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A search system configured to determine, according to a facet hierarchy definition, a facet hierarchy for a set of search results, the facet hierarchy comprising a plurality of facet topics represented by a set of search results. The search is further configured to generate a search user interface comprising a facet hierarchy interface configured to display a representation of the facet hierarchy in conjunction with results from a set of results, update the search results display to display faceted search results and update the facet hierarchy interface to display, in conjunction with the faceted search results, a control to allow a user to select a search facet topic where the search facet topic is a facet topic from the facet hierarchy that is not represented in the faceted search results.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A multifaceted search system comprising:
a memory configured with a facet configuration, the facet configuration comprising a facet hierarchy definition; a processor coupled the memory; a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions executable by the processor, the set of instructions comprising instructions executable to:
determine a facet hierarchy for a set of search results from a first search, the facet hierarchy determined according to the facet hierarchy definition and comprising a plurality of facet topics represented by the set of search results;
generate a search user interface comprising a search results display configured to display results from the set of search results and a facet hierarchy interface configured to display a representation of the facet hierarchy in conjunction with the results from the set of results, the facet hierarchy interface comprising controls to allow a user to multi-select facet topics from the plurality of facet topics, the search user interface configured to:
receive a user input comprising a facet topic selection, the facet topic selection including an indication of a facet topic selected from the facet hierarchy interface;
generate a faceted query based on the facet topic selection;

update the search results display to display faceted search results, wherein the faceted search results comprise a subset of the set of search results from the first search that match the faceted query; and
update the facet hierarchy interface to display, in conjunction with the faceted search results, a control to allow a user to select a search facet topic, wherein the search facet topic is a facet topic from the facet hierarchy that is not represented in the faceted search results.

2 . The multifaceted search system of claim 1 , wherein the search facet topic is a facet topic of a same facet as the selected facet topic.

3 . The multifaceted search system of claim 1 , wherein the selected facet is a facet topic of a parent facet in the facet hierarchy and the search facet topic is a facet topic of a child facet of the parent facet.

4 . The multifaceted search system of claim 1 , wherein the updated facet hierarchy interface is configured to display a representation of the selected facet topic and a representation of the search facet topic in a hierarchical arrangement according to the facet hierarchy.

5 . The multifaceted search system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured with a likeliness data structure specifying paths between facets.

6 . The multifaceted search system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions executable to update the facet hierarchy interface comprise instructions executable to limit a set of facet topics represented by the facet hierarchy interface based on the likeliness data structure.

7 . The multifaceted search system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions executable to update the facet hierarchy interface comprise instructions executable to:
determine from the likeliness data structure if there is a path from a selected facet a second facet; and based on a determination that there is a path from the selected facet to the second facet, update the facet hierarchy interface to display a representation of the search facet topic, wherein the search facet topic is a facet topic of the second facet.

8 . The multifaceted system of claim 5 , wherein the likeliness data structure comprises a trie representing paths between facets.

9 . The multifaceted search system of claim 1 , wherein the faceted query comprises a faceted query expression to OR facet topics selected from within a facet group and facet topics selected across facet topic groups.

10 . The multifaceted search system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the faceted query comprise instructions executable to:
for a facet group from which at least one facet topic is selected in the facet topic selection:
determine a set of leaf node facet topic expressions comprising:
a non-child leaf node facet topic expression for each non-child leaf node facet topic selected from the facet group, each non-child leaf node facet topic expression comprising an EQUAL expression generated for a respective non-child leaf node facet topic; and
a child leaf node facet topic expression for each child leaf node facet topic selected from the facet group, each child leaf node facet topic expression comprising an AND expression adapted to AND EQUAL expressions for each facet topic from a respective child leaf node facet topic to a respective top level ancestor facet topic; and

generate a facet group expression, the facet group expression comprising an OR expression adapted to OR leaf node facet topic expressions from the set of leaf node facet topic expressions.

11 . The multifaceted search system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions executable to generate the faceted query comprise instructions executable to:
generate a faceted query expression, the faceted query expression comprising an AND expression adapted to AND a plurality of facet group expressions, wherein the faceted query includes the faceted query expression.

12 . The multifaceted search system of claim 1 , wherein the facet topic selection indicates the selection of a plurality of facet topics.

13 . A computer program product for a multifaceted search system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions executable by a processor, the set of instructions comprising instructions executable to:
access a facet hierarchy definition; determine a facet hierarchy for a set of search results from a first search, the facet hierarchy determined according to the facet hierarchy definition and comprising a plurality of facet topics represented by the set of search results; generate a search user interface comprising a search results display to display results from the set of search results and a facet hierarchy interface to display a representation of the facet hierarchy in conjunction with the results from the set of results, the facet hierarchy interface comprising controls to allow a user to multi-select facet topics from the plurality of facet topics, the search user interface configured to:
receive a user input comprising a facet topic selection, the facet topic selection including an indication of a facet topic selected from the facet hierarchy interface; and
generate a faceted query based on the facet topic selection;
update the search results display to display faceted search results, wherein the faceted search results comprise a subset of the set of search results from the first search that match the faceted query; and update the facet hierarchy interface to display, in conjunction with the faceted search results, a control to allow a user to select a search facet topic, wherein the search facet topic is a facet topic from the facet hierarchy that is not represented in the faceted search results.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the search facet topic is a facet topic of a same facet as the selected facet topic.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the selected facet is a facet topic of a parent facet in the facet hierarchy and the search facet topic is a facet topic of a child facet of the parent facet.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the updated facet hierarchy interface is configured to display a representation of the selected facet topic and a representation of the search facet topic in a

Assignees

• Open Text Corp

Inventors

• Srinivasan Preetha
• Jenks Brian J

Classifications

• G06F8/38

  for implementing user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title

• G06F16/904 Primary

  Browsing; Visualisation therefor (for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957) · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F16/248 Primary

  Presentation of query results · CPC title