Dynamic search criteria on a search graph

• US 20060085395A1
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cradick, Ryan Kirk, Garbow, Zachary Adam, Cradick, Connie M., Sanomi-Fleming, Emuejevoke Jane-Frances
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that, in an embodiment, display icons representing search terms on a search graph, having at least one axis. The axis represents a search criteria. The position of the icon specifies a value (such as an importance or weight) of the search criteria. A search engine uses the search terms, the search criteria, and the value to conduct the search. The results of the search are displayed in a results pane, and the search results are updated as the positions of the icons on the search graph change. The search criteria associated with the axes of the search graph may also change. In this way, the user interface for the search is made easier for the user to control.

Claims

1. A method for creating a page, wherein the page when interpreted comprises:

displaying a search graph, wherein the search graph comprises an axis, and wherein the axis represents a search criteria; and

displaying an icon representing a search term at a position on the search graph, wherein the position specifies a value of the search criteria for the search term.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

submitting the search term and the value of the search criteria to a search engine; and

displaying search results from the search engine.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

updating the search results in response to a change in the position on the search graph.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the search criteria on the axis.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying the search results in a results pane, wherein the results pane is concurrently visible with the search graph.

6. An apparatus comprising:

means for displaying a search graph, wherein the search graph comprises a plurality of axes, wherein each of the plurality of axes represents a search criteria; and

means for displaying a plurality of icons representing a plurality of respective search terms at a plurality of respective positions on the search graph, wherein the plurality of positions specify a respective plurality of values of the respective plurality of search criteria for the plurality of search terms.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means for creating search results based on the plurality of the search terms and the plurality of values of the search criteria.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for updating the search results in response to a change in the position on the search graph.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means for changing the search criteria on the plurality of axes.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means for displaying the search results in a results pane, wherein the results pane is concurrently visible with the search graph.

11. A signal-bearing medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:

displaying a plurality of icons representing a plurality of respective search terms at a plurality of respective positions on a search graph, wherein the search graph comprises a plurality of axes, wherein each of the plurality of axes represents a search criteria, and wherein each of the plurality of positions specifies a respective plurality of values of the respective search criteria for the plurality of search terms; and

submitting the plurality of search terms and the plurality values of the search criteria to a search engine.

12. The signal-bearing medium of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying search results in a results pane, wherein the results pane is concurrently visible with the search graph.

13. The signal-bearing medium of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying search results in a results pane, wherein the results pane is separately visible from the search graph.

14. The signal-bearing medium of claim 11, further comprising:

changing the values in response to changes of the positions; and

resubmitting the values to the search engine.

15. The signal-bearing medium of claim 11, further comprising:

changing from a first criteria of the plurality of search criteria on one of the plurality of axes to a second criteria of the plurality search criteria on the one of the plurality of axes.

16. The signal-bearing medium of claim 15, wherein the submitting further comprises:

submitting both the first criteria and the second criteria to the search engine in response to the changing.

17. The signal-bearing medium of claim 15, wherein the submitting further comprises:

submitting the second criteria but not the first criteria to the search engine in response to the changing.

18. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a main memory encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed on the processor comprise;

displaying a plurality of icons representing a plurality of respective search terms at a plurality of respective positions on a search graph, wherein the search graph comprises a plurality of axes, wherein each of the plurality of axes represents a search criteria, and wherein each of the plurality of positions specifies a respective plurality of values of the respective search criteria for the plurality of search terms,

submitting the plurality of search terms and the plurality values of the plurality of search criteria to a search engine, and

displaying search results in a results pane, wherein the results pane is concurrently visible with the search graph.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise:

moving one of the plurality of icons off of the search graph.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein instructions further comprise:

refraining from submitting the term associated with the one of the plurality of icons to the search engine in response to the moving.

21. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of search criteria are selected from a group consisting of:

word frequency, location, anchor text, back links, link popularity, phrase density, authoritativeness, frequency in nested pages, currently updated, and current users.

22. A method for configuring a computer, comprising:

configuring the computer to create a page, wherein the page when interpreted displays a search graph, wherein the search graph comprises an axis, and wherein the axis represents a search criteria; and

configuring the computer to create the page, wherein the page when interpreted displays an icon representing a search term at a position on the search graph, wherein the position specifies a value of the search criteria for the search term.