Apparatus and a method for facilitatingsearching
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for presenting search results to a user to facilitate refinement of the search, the apparatus comprising:
- a receiver operable to receive from a search engine search results consisting of at least one search item associated with at least one context item relating to the search item;
a modifier operable to modify the search results by associating at least one context item with data for enabling the user to cause the search results to be filtered in accordance with that context item by selecting that context item; and
A supplier operable to supply the modified search results to the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A receiver (2b) receives from a search engine (3) search results consisting of at least one search item associated with at least one context item relating to the search item;
a modifier (2b) modifies the search results by associating at least one context item with data for enabling the user to cause the search results to be filtered in accordance with that context item by selecting that context item; and
a supplier (2b) supplies the modified search results to the user.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. Apparatus for presenting search results to a user to facilitate refinement of the search, the apparatus comprising:
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a receiver operable to receive from a search engine search results consisting of at least one search item associated with at least one context item relating to the search item;
a modifier operable to modify the search results by associating at least one context item with data for enabling the user to cause the search results to be filtered in accordance with that context item by selecting that context item; and
A supplier operable to supply the modified search results to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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15. Apparatus for presenting search results to a user, the apparatus comprising a processor operable to:
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receive from a search engine search results consisting of search items associated with context items relating to the search items;
associate context items with filter data for enabling a user to cause the search results to be filtered in accordance with a particular context when the corresponding context item is selected by the user;
supply display instructions to a display to cause the search results to be displayed to the user in accordance with the context items so that each context item is shown with the search item or items associated with that context item for enabling the user to instruct filtering of the search results in accordance with the filter data associated with a context item by selecting that context item.
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21. Search interface apparatus for providing an interface between a user and a search engine, which apparatus comprises:
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a search screen supplier operable to cause a display to display to a user a screen requesting input of a search word or words;
a search instructor operable to cause the search engine to carry out a search through at least one database to locate database items stored in the database including or associated with text corresponding to the search word or words;
a search receiver operable to receive from the search engine search results consisting of search items each comprising or related to a database item and each associated with at least one context item derived from the text included in or associated with the database item;
an associater operable to associate context items with filter instructions;
a search results supplier operable to cause the display to display the search results to the user such that each context item is associated with the search items including or associated with that context data;
a filter instruction determiner operable to determine filter instructions associated with a context item when that context item is selected by a user;
a search filter operable to cause the search results to be filtered in accordance with the filter instructions determined by the filter instruction determiner to produce modified search results; and
a modified search results supplier operable to cause the modified search results to be displayed on the display such that each search item in the modified search results is associated with any corresponding context item or items. - View Dependent Claims (22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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23. Search interface apparatus for providing an interface between a user'"'"'s computer and a search engine, which apparatus comprises a processor programmed by processor implementable instructions to:
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cause a display to display to a user a screen requesting input of a search word or words;
instruct the search engine to carry out a search through at least one database to locate database items stored in the database including or associated with text corresponding to the search word or words;
receive from the search engine search results consisting of search items each comprising or related to a database item and each associated with at least one context item derived from the text included in or associated with the database item;
associate a context item with filter data when at least one image associated with that context item is associated with at least one other context item;
provide the search results to the user'"'"'s computer such that each context item is associated with any corresponding filter data;
cause the display to display the search results to the user so that each context item and the search item or items associated with that context item can be displayed in association with one another;
determine the filter data associated with a context item when that context item is selected by a user;
cause the search results to be filtered in accordance with the determined filter data to produce modified search results including only those search items associated with the selected context item; and
cause the modified search results to be displayed on the display such that each search item in the modified search results is associated with any corresponding context item or items and the context item or items are associated with any corresponding filter data.
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30. In a processing apparatus, a method of presenting search results to a user to facilitate refinement of the search, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving from a search engine search results consisting of at least one search item associated with at least one context item relating to the search item;
modifying the search results by associating at least one context item with data for enabling the user to cause the search results to be filtered in accordance with that context item by selecting that context item; and
supplying the modified search results to the user. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 57, 58)
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42. In a computer processing apparatus, a method of presenting search results to a user, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving from a search engine search results consisting of search items associated with context items relating to the search items;
associating context items with filter data for enabling a user to cause the search results to be filtered in accordance with a particular context when the corresponding context item is selected by the user;
providing a signal for supplying display instructions to a display to cause the search results to be displayed to the user in accordance with the context items so that each context item is shown with the search item or items associated with that context item for enabling the user to instruct filtering of the search results in accordance with the filter data associated with a context item by selecting that context item. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 59, 60)
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48. In a computer processing apparatus, a method of providing an interface between a user and a search engine the method comprising the steps of:
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causing a display to display to a user a screen requesting input of a search word or words;
causing the search engine to carry out a search through at least one database to locate database items stored in the database including or associated with text corresponding to the search word or words;
receiving from the search engine search results consisting of search items each comprising or related to a database item and each associated with at least one context item derived from the text included in or associated with the database item;
associating context items with filter instructions;
cause the display to display the search results to the user such that each context item is associated with the search item or items including or associated with that context item;
determining filter instructions associated with a context item when that context item is selected by a user;
filtering the search results in accordance with the determined filter instructions to provide modified search results including only search items including or associated with the selected context item; and
providing a signal for causing the modified search results to be displayed on the display such that each search item in the modified search data is associated with any corresponding context item or items.
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50. A method of operating a processor to provide an interface between a user'"'"'s computer and a search engine, which method comprises causing the processor to carry out the steps of:
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causing a display to display to a user a screen requesting input of a search word or word;
instructing the search engine to carry out a search through at least one database to locate database items stored in the database including or associated with text corresponding to the search word or words input by the user;
receiving from the search engine search results consisting of search items each comprising or related to a database item and each associated with at least one context item derived from the text included in or associated with the database item;
associating a context item with filter data when at least one image associated with that context item is associated with at least one other context item;
providing the search results to the user'"'"'s computer such that each context item is associated with any corresponding filter data;
causing the display to display the search results to the user so that each context item and the search items associated with that context item can be displayed in association with one another;
determining the filter data associated with a context item when that context item is selected by a user;
causing the search results to be filtered in accordance with the determined filter data to produce modified search results including only those search items associated with the selected context item; and
providing a signal for causing the modified search results to be displayed on the display such that each search item in the modified search data is associated with any corresponding context item or items. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 61)
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62. Apparatus for presenting search results to a user to facilitate refinement of the search, the apparatus comprising:
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receiving means for receiving from a search engine search results consisting of at least one search item associated with at least one context item relating to the search item;
modifying means for modifying the search results by associating at least one context item with data for enabling the user to cause the search results to be filtered in accordance with that context item by selecting that context item; and
supplying means for supplying the modified search results to the user.
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63. Search interface apparatus for providing an interface between a user and a search engine, which apparatus comprises:
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search screen supply means for causing a display to display to a user a screen requesting input of a search word or words;
search instructing means for causing the search engine to carry out a search through at least one database to locate database items stored in the database including or associated with text corresponding to the search word or words;
search receiving means for receiving from the search engine search results consisting of search items each comprising or related to a database item and each associated with at least one context item derived from the text included in or associated with the database item;
associating means for associating context items with filter instructions;
search results supply means for causing the display to display the search results to the user such that each context item is associated with the search items including or associated with that context data;
filter instruction determining means for determining filter instructions associated with a context item when that context item is selected by a user;
search filtering means for causing the search results to be filtered in accordance with the filter instructions determined by the filter instruction determining means to produce modified search results; and
modified search results supplying means for causing the modified search results to be displayed on the display such that each search item in the modified search results is associated with any corresponding context item or items.
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Specification