Patent ID: 6961731

Claim:
A method, for use in a user computer system including a pointing device and a visual display unit, for providing a graphical user interface to a computer program for displaying search results from a search conducted in a hierarchical data set, the method comprising: receiving search results from a search query of a hierarchical data set; displaying on a user screen, a graphical representation of search results and parent categories for such search results, wherein individually graphically displayed search results appear in distinct groups within their respective individually graphically displayed parent categories; and from the user screen, selecting a distinct group of displayed search results and displaying on the user screen the search results displayed in the selected group in the context of such search results' respective first uncommon level of subcategories, each such subcategory being individually graphically represented, wherein such search results are individually graphically displayed within their respective individually graphically displayed first uncommon level of subcategories.