Interface including graphic representation of relationships between search results
A multi-dimensional graphic user interface displays selected types of information regarding items included in one or more databases or returned by a search in accordance with locations on a two-dimensional display area or projection of a three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional area and provides for selective display of information about respective items in a database (e.g. metadata) as additional dimensions of the display which may be suppressed and/or selectively introduced to avoid user distraction or obscuring information or for comparison between screens which may indicate to a user the degree to which a particular item may or may not be germane to an issue or particular subject matter of interest. The graphic user interface thus provides an effective tool for evaluating search results and organizing detailed review thereof.
1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions operative to cause the machine to perform a method of displaying different types of information about a set of items, the method corresponding to the instructions comprising:
selecting at least two dimensions to be displayed;
displaying, on a graphical user interface, an image comprising the different types of information about the set of items in the at least two dimensions based on at least the selected at least two dimensions;
depicting, as a first dimension of the image, a first axis representing time;
depicting, as a second dimension of the image, a second axis representing one of a ranking and a jurisdiction;
depicting indicia representing individual ones from the set of items at respective locations on a two-dimensional display area, wherein each item represents either a physical object or data representing a physical object;
depicting a plurality of types of information associated with the individual items and which are reflective of content of, or relationships between, the individual items, the types of information being displayed as a plurality of visual attributes of the indicia; and
receiving a designation of one amongst the indicia.
2. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein:
members of the set of items represent published legal decisions.
3. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
arranging remaining ones of the indicia within the two-dimensional display area based on a location of the designated indicium.
4. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 3 , wherein the arranging remaining ones of the indicia further comprises:
arranging, in terms of the first dimension, those amongst the remaining ones of the indicia regarded as earlier in time relative to the designated indicium within a first area of the two-dimensional display area; and
arranging, in terms of the first dimension, those amongst the remaining ones of the indicia regarded as later in time relative to the designated indicium within a second area of the two-dimensional display area.
5. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein the arranging remaining ones of the indicia further comprises:
arranging, in terms of the second dimension, those amongst the remaining ones of the indicia regarded as lesser in ranking or jurisdiction relative to the designated indicium within a first area of the two-dimensional display area; and
arranging, in terms of the second dimension, those amongst the remaining ones of the indicia regarded as greater in ranking or jurisdiction relative to the designated indicium within a second area of the two-dimensional display area.
6. A method of displaying different types of information about a set of items, the method comprising:
generating an image based on a plurality of dimensions for displaying the image;
displaying the image and the plurality of dimensions, wherein the displaying further comprises:
depicting a plurality of axes, wherein each of the plurality of axes corresponds to one of the plurality of dimensions, and wherein each of the plurality of axes represent one or more types of information associated with the individual items and which are reflective of content of, or relationships between, the individual items, the one or more types of information being selected by a user; and
selectively suppressing display of at least one of the one or more types of information.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein displaying the image further comprises:
depicting, on at least one of the plurality of dimensions, indicia representing individual ones from the set of items, wherein each item represents either a physical object or data representing a physical object.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the indicia comprise one or more concentric shapes.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more concentric shapes are reflective of content of, or relationships between, the individual ones from the set of items.