Going back and forth between Object Search and Visual Data Browser

Fig.1. Linking between Object Search and Visual Data Browser

In NaverLab Semantic Movie Search, user goes back and forth between Object Search and Visual Data Browser. Search for the object of interest using Object Search and explore related information of the object using Visual Data Browser.

User initiates the search from Object Search and find the object of his/her interest with the keyword search. Then he/she expands the object to further explore. In order to expand the object there are two ways. One is to click the [expand + more] button (Refer to the arrow of No. 1 in Fig. 1). Another is to click the object itself and popup the property menus, then click one of the properties of the object. (Refer to the arrow of No. 2 in Fig. 1)

While browsing the data space, user decides to search for new object. He type in keywords in the search box and click the search button. (Refer to the arrow of No. 3 in Fig. 1) This brings him back to Object Search. Another method for coming back to Object Search is to click the object itself and popup the property menus, then click the small magnifier icon inside the thumbnail image. (Refer to the arrow of No. 4 in Fig. 1)

From keywords to objects

Fig. 1. Three meanings of the query "Ben Hur"

In NaverLab Semantic Movie Search, user always initiates search from the keyword interface. This is for the disambiguation of the meaning of the keyword query. If the meaning of the query is ambiguous, in other words there are more than two meanings, all the search results of the possible meanings are displayed. Then user decide which meaning to further explore.

If there remains only one meaning after the disambiguation, it is possible to launch directly the visual data browser. But in NaverLab Semantic Movie Search, the keyword interface (Object Search) is chosen to launch anyway. This is just the problem of policy. We thought this way is more intuitive and usable for users to use.

Let's run the query "Ben Hur". There are three multiple meanings and three movies that have the same title "Ben Hur" are returned. (Fig. 1) Let's see another query that have only one meaning. The search result of "shawshank redemption" is in Fig. 2. Only one movie is returned but other expanded query results (director, leading actors, etc) follow after. This is just for user's convenience.

Fig. 2. In the case of single meaning, the results of the expanded queries are shown together for user's convenience

Composing Complex Queries in the Visual Data Browser

Fig. 1. Avatar - Director - Movie directed - Cast

There is a very powerful search capability in the visual data browser of NaverLab Semantic Movie Search. User may compose complex queries and run them instantly in the visual data browser. The complex querying is mainly made possible by the capability of displaying the 4 most recent nodes of the browsing history path.

It is not difficult to add various complex query composing capabilities to the visual interface. What is very difficult is to make the complex query interface easy for general users to understand and use. What can't be used would be of no use at all.

Let's see a complex query composing scenario. Start browsing with Avatar and follow the director link. Next follow the cast link. The result is in Fig. 1. The third column shows all the movies James Cameron have directed. The fourth column shows all the castings of all the Cameron's movies. Select the Leonardo DiCaprio then the objects in the 3rd column changes. Only Titanic remained. (Fig. 2) The 3rd column is the search result of the query "Movies that James Cameron directed and Leonardo DiCaprio appeared"

You may deselect Leonardo DiCaprio by clicking the x-button and reselect another object. So you can easily change the actor to see what Cameron's movies he appeared in. Select Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the 3rd column, True lies, Terminator 2, Terminator are remained. (Fig. 3)

Fig. 2. Selecting Leonardo DiCaprio restricts the objects in the 3rd column to the movies that Cameron directed and DiCaprio appeared.

Fig. 3. Selecting Arnold Schwarzenegger restricts the objects in the 3rd column to the movies that Cameron directed and Schwarzenegger appeared.

Set-based Browsing

Fig 1. Start browsing with "Christopher Nolan"

The set-based data browsing demonstrated in Parallax data browser is also possible in our visual data browser. Differently with following from a single entity to a single entity of the web browsing, the set-based browsing is following from a set of entities to a set of entities. The set-based browsing is one of the fundamental characteristics of data browsing.

You start with Christopher Nolan. (Fig 1) Then follow the link labeled movies he directed. Now you have all the movies he directed. (Fig 2) Next from the set of the movies you follow the link labeled cast of the movies. This time you have all the actors or actresses who appeared in the Christopher Nolan's movie. (Fig 3) You can keep going like this.

The set-based browsing is very powerful and useful search capability. Without the set-based capability the aggregation of data would be very tedious and laborious.

Fig 2. After following the movies he directed, the 2nd column shows all the Nolan's movies.

Fig 3. After following the cast of the movies. The 3rd column shows all the actors who appeared in all the Nolan's movie.

Visual Data Browser

Figure 1. Start browsing with "Gladiator"

One of the main motivation of NaverLab Semantic Movie Search is to provide a convenient vehicle for the ceaseless navigation through the movie data space. During navigation one may come across a lot of unexpected discoveries. The visual browsing interface of NaverLab Semantic Movie Search is a really excellent vehicle for the fast and easy navigation. Just a mouse click leads to a new search and instantly bring new results.

The following is a simple browsing scenario initiating from “Gladiator”. There are six properties to select: director, country, crew, award, actor, role. (Fig. 1)

1. Select “actor”, then in 2nd column all the actors in Gladiator are displayed. (Fig. 2)
2. Click “Russell Crowe”. This means a specific object is selected. (Fig. 3) You may deselect the object by clicking the x-button and reselect another object.
3. Select “movie” that Russell Crowe appears. Then all the Russell Crowe’s movies are displayed in the 3rd column. (Fig. 4)
4. Select “actor” then all the actors who appear in all the Russel Crowe’s movies are displayed in the 4th column. (Fig. 5)
5. Click “Leonardo DiCaprio”. Then very interesting change happens. The movies in the 3rd column disappear except only the movies that both Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe appear. (Fig. 6) This is one of the very powerful querying capabilities of our visual browser.

Maximum 4 columns are displayed. But you may keep going to navigate in the right direction. If a new column comes in, then automatically the left-most column disappear to the left. The most 10 recent columns are kept and the 4-column window may slide left or right within the 10-column range. So you may backtrack to a certain past column and take other path.

Figure 2. All the actors appearing in Gladiator, in the 2nd column.

Figure 3. Selecting Russll Crowe

Figure 4. All the movies that Russell Crowe appear in, in the 3rd column.

Figure 5. All the actors who appear in all the Russel Crowe’s movies, in the 4th column.

Figure 6. Selecting Leonardo DiCaprio which results to displaying only the movies that both Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio appear in.