Compact focused search interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9495480-B2
Application number	US-85724207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2007
Priority date	Sep 18, 2007
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A graphical user interface for searching information related to business objects includes a search interface having one or more user input fields for receiving data from a user related to one or more attributes associated with business objects. The search interface presents the one or more user input fields in response to a user context. A first tab displays information related to a set of business objects in response to a search based on the data provided to the one or more user input fields. A second tab displays information related to a business object in the set of business objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
displaying, with one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, information about a first business object in a main working area of a graphical user interface, the first business object being one of a plurality of business objects having attributes stored as data in a database;
displaying, with the one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, a compact search interface within the main working area of the graphical user interface together with the information about the first business object where the compact search interface does not overlap the information about the first business object, the compact search interface having a plurality of input fields corresponding to a subset of attributes of business objects stored in the database, the subset of attributes determined based on a context associated with a user interacting with the main working area of the graphical user interface;
receiving, at the one or more computer systems, one or more search terms provided via at least one of the input fields of the search interface;
determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a set of search results by searching the database using a query plan constructed with at least the one or more search terms;
displaying, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, two or more search results from the set of search results;
receiving, at the one or more computer systems, a selection of a second business object within the two or more search results; and
in response to receiving the selection of the second business object within the two or more search results, generating and displaying, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a graphical representation of a second tab in the main working area of the graphical user interface together with a graphical representation of a first tab, the first tab providing information about the first business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the first tab is selected, the second tab providing information about the second business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the second tab is selected.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a selection of the graphical representation of the second tab; and
switching in the main working area of the graphical user interface between the displayed two or more search results and the information about the second business object.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating a stored search based on the one or more search terms; and
storing the stored search in the database.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
retrieving the stored search from the database in response to one or more user interactions made within the search interface; and
executing a search based on the stored search.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining the context based on a task or type of task being performed by the user in the main working area.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code executable by a processor of a computer system, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
code for displaying information about a first business object in a main working area of a graphical user interface, the first business object being one of a plurality of business objects having attributes stored as data in a database;
code for displaying a compact search interface within the main working area of the graphical user interface together with the information about the first business object where the compact search interface does not overlap the information about the first business object, the compact search interface having a plurality of input fields corresponding to a subset of attributes of business objects stored in the database, the subset of attributes determined based on a context associated with a user interacting with the main working area of the graphical user interface;
code for receiving one or more search terms provided via at least one of the input fields of the search interface;
code for determining a set of search results by searching the database using a query plan constructed with at least the one or more search terms;
code for displaying two or more search results from the set of search results;
code for receiving a selection of a second business object within the two or more search results; and
code for generating and displaying, in response to receiving the selection of the second business object within the two or more search results, a graphical representation of a second tab in the main working area of the graphical user interface together with a graphical representation of a first tab, the first tab providing information about the first business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the first tab is selected, the second tab providing information about the second business object in the main working area of the graphical user interface when the graphical representation of the second tab is selected.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 further comprising:
code for receiving a selection of the graphical representation of the second tab; and
code for switching in the main working area of the graphical user interface between the displayed two or more search results and the information about the second business object.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 further comprising:
code for generating a stored search based on the one or more search terms; and
code for storing the stored search in the database.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 further comprising:
code for retrieving the stored search from the database in response to one or more user interactions made with the search interface; and
code for executing a search based on the stored search.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 further comprising:
code for determining the context based on a task or type of task being performed by the user in the main working area.

11. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing a set of instructions which when executed by the processor configured the processor to:
display information about a first business object in a graphical representation of a first tab in a main working area of a graphical user interface, the first business object being one of a plurality of business objects having attributes stored as data in a database;
display a compact search interface within the main working of the graphical user interface together with the information about the first business object where the compact search interface does not overlap the information about the first business object, the compact search interface having a plurality of input fields corresponding to a subset of attributes of business objects stored in the database, the subset of attributes determined based on a context associated with a user interacting with the main working area of the graphical user interface;
receive one or more search terms provided via at least one of the input fields of the search interface;
determine a set of search results by searching the database using a query plan constructed with at least the one or more search terms;
display two or more search results from the set of search results;
receive a selection of a second business object within the two or more search results; and

Assignees

• White Brent-Kaan William
• Mead Sherry
• Shadian Ritchard
• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• White Brent-Kaan William
• Mead Sherry
• Shadian Ritchard

Classifications

• G06F16/90328 Primary

  using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection · CPC title

• G06F16/2428

  Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms (G06F16/2423 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0483

  Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor · CPC title

• G06F17/30973 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30398

  Physics · mapped topic