Abstract: Real-time query expansion (RTQE) is a process of supplementing an original query with additional terms or expansion choices that are ranked according to some figure of merit and presented while users are still formulating their queries. As disclosed herein, individual terms may be combined and submitted as a phrase into a query. By building the phase term-by-term, users can compositionally formulate queries while maintaining the same benefits that other RTQE interfaces offer. To promote greater flexibility in its working environment, the number of terms that are presented on a display may be reduced. In place of some terms, placeholders may be used and expanded by the user when necessary. This allows phrases to be readily presented on small displays (e.g., hand-held devices).

Abstract: Real-time query expansion (RTQE) is a process of supplementing an original query with additional terms or expansion choices that are ranked according to some figure of merit and presented while users are still formulating their queries. As disclosed herein, individual terms may be combined and submitted as a phrase into a query. By building the phase term-by-term, users can compositionally formulate queries while maintaining the same benefits that other RTQE interfaces offer. The benefits include, reducing the number of keystrokes and improving retrieval performance. To promote greater flexibility in its working environment, the number of terms that are presented on a display may be reduced. In place of some terms, placeholders may be used and expanded by the user when necessary. This allows phrases to be readily presented on small displays (e.g., hand-held devices).

Abstract: A multi-modal search query refinement system (and corresponding methodology) is provided. In accordance with the innovation, query suggestion results represent a word palette which can be used to select strings for inclusion or exclusion from a refined set of results. The system employs text, speech, touch and gesture input to refine a set of search query results. Wildcards can be employed in the search either prompted by the user or inferred by the system. Additionally, partial knowledge supplemented by speech can be employed to refine search results.

Abstract: A multi-modal search system (and corresponding methodology) is provided. The system employs text, speech, touch and gesture input to establish a search query. Additionally, a subset of the modalities can be used to obtain search results based upon exact or approximate matches to a search result. For example, wildcards, which can either be triggered by the user or inferred by the system, can be employed in the search.

Abstract: A multi-modal search system (and corresponding methodology) that employs wildcards is provided. Wildcards can be employed in the search query either initiated by the user or inferred by the system. These wildcards can represent uncertainty conveyed by a user in a multi-modal search query input. In examples, the words “something” or “whatchamacallit” can be used to convey uncertainty and partial knowledge about portions of the query and to dynamically trigger wildcard generation.

Abstract: A system described herein includes a receiver component that receives a dataset and defined relationships amongst data in the dataset, wherein the relationships are indicative of identities of a plurality of facets in the dataset, wherein each facet includes an item, and wherein items in a facet have a common attribute. The system further includes a renderer component that renders a first facet in the plurality of facets on a graphical user interface, wherein the first facet is rendered as a selectable graphical icon. Concurrently with rendering the first facet, the renderer component renders a second facet in the plurality of facets on the graphical user interface, wherein the second facet is rendered with respect to a linear attribute.

Abstract: A system described herein includes a receiver component that receives multiple data elements, wherein each of the data elements has a common attribute, and wherein the several data elements are hierarchically related. The system may further include an assignor component that independently assigns each of the multiple data elements to one of a plurality of layers, wherein a data element is assigned to a layer based at least in part upon a value of the common attribute that corresponds to the data element. The system may also include a renderer component that receives assignments made by the assignor component and graphically renders a tree structure based at least in part upon the assignments. Furthermore, a color bar can be generated that includes one or more rows based at least in part upon content of the tree structure.

Abstract: An adaptive tree visualization system and method for adaptively deforming a traditional bracket tree to visualize information about competitors in a linear manner. A one-dimensional result line emanates from the name of each competitor such that the progress of each competitor can be immediately determined by examining the length of the competitor's result line. The result line typically is composed of multiple result line segments. Each line segment spans a particular time period column to indicate that the competitor is matched up with another competitor during that time period. A pending result line segment spans the adjacent time period to indicate that the results of the match-up are unknown. Once the result of the match-up is known, the pending result line is added to the result line segment of the winning competitor. This extends the winner's result line into the next time period while the loser's result line remains unchanged.

Abstract: A system and method for processing a set of information in a screen display are provided. A set of information is obtained that includes a subset of information corresponding to search criteria. A central focus display section is defined that includes at least one element in the subset of information. One or more context sections including information not included in the central focus display are defined such that the information in the context sections is scaled to allow a substantial portion of the information to be displayed. The information in the central focus display section and context section can be dynamically updated.

Abstract: A graph layout technique that creates a layered graph layout with a given aspect ratio. The present layered graph layout technique better utilizes the available space and, at the same time, creates an aesthetically pleasing drawing of a directed graph. In one embodiment it determines the layout of the new graph based on a modified Sugiyama technique combined with a modified Coffman-Graham scheduling algorithm. Given a directed graph and a desired aspect ratio, it uses a binary search and the Coffman-Graham scheduling algorithm to find a layout of the graph that has an aspect ratio that matches the given aspect ratio of the available space.

Abstract: When searching for academic or research publications, a user can be presented, not only with a linear listing of publications that may be relevant to the user's search terms, but the user can also be presented with a citation map representing a visual presentation of the interrelationships between a selected publication and the publications which cite to it, and the publications which are cited to by the selected publication. An initial amount of information associated with such a citation map can be provided concurrently with each search result. Additional information can be provided, and presented to the user, through user interaction with the visualization derived from the already provided metadata.

Abstract: A hierarchy differences visualization system and method for visualizing differences between two hierarchical structures based on similarity metrics. The two hierarchical structures are merged into a merged hierarchical structure and differences between the two hierarchical structures are computed and displayed in a user interface using node visualization metrics. In addition, at least one path is computed to a root of the merged hierarchical structure from a selected node and displayed in the user interface. The user interface uses various node visualization metrics including color, shapes, size, underlining, strikethrough, and text transparency. In some embodiments the hierarchical structures are tree structures and the similarity metric is structural uncertainty including location uncertainty and sub-tree structure uncertainty. The location uncertainty of a node is indicated by a color of the node label and sub-tree structure uncertainty of a node is shown by various levels of transparency of node labels.

Abstract: A system and method for processing a set of information in a screen display are provided. A set of information is obtained that includes a subset of information corresponding to search criteria. A central focus display section is defined that includes at least one element in the subset of information. One or more context sections including information not included in the central focus display are defined such that the information in the context sections is scaled to allow a substantial portion of the information to be displayed. The information in the central focus display section and context section can be dynamically updated.