Patent Document ID: 5408655
Application ID: 07900538
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for a user of a computer system to traverse a database to retrieve an electronic document stored in said database, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a hypertext-type database, said hypertext-type database including a plurality of hypertext-type nodes, each of said hypertext nodes corresponding to an electronic document, wherein each of said hypertext-type nodes may be selectively linked to other of said hypertext-type nodes; b) providing a set of descriptive index terms; c) indexing said hypertext-type database by assigning a unique first subset of said descriptive index terms to each of said electronic documents; d) providing a plurality of first command options on a computer control display system (CCDS), said CCDS coupled to said hypertext-type database, each first command option representing a second subset of said descriptive index terms; e) said user selecting a first command option on said CCDS; f) comparing said first subset of descriptive index terms of said electronic documents with said second subset of said descriptive index terms of said selected first command option; g) producing a ranked list of electronic documents based on said comparing step f), said ranked list of electronic documents having a highest ranked document, and remaining electronic documents selectively linked to said highest ranked document, said highest ranked document representing a user's position, within the hypertext-type database; h) providing a plurality of second command options on said CCDS; i) said user selecting one of said second command options on said CCDS, said one of said second command options representing a desired electronic document in said ranked list; and j) changing said user's position to correspond with said desired electronic document corresponding to said one of said second command options.