Method and Apparatus to Facilitate Altering a Presentation Order for Search Results

• US 20080016441A1
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Prismastar LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Prismastar LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Tabin, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US11/774,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20080016441A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A plurality of search results and a plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements are provided simultaneously (101) via a display (200). These search results correspond to a general search conducted using a plurality of search criteria. The aforementioned user interface elements, in turn, each correspond to at least one of these search criteria. So configured and arranged, the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements serve to illustrate current weighting values as correspond to the search criteria as are applied when determining a presentation order for the search results. Upon detecting (104) direct user alteration of a given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements, which alteration causes a change in the weighting value that corresponds to a given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements, one can then automatically alter (105) the presentation order for the search results.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing simultaneously and via a display;

a plurality of search results as correspond to a general search conducted using a plurality of search criteria;

a plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements, wherein each of the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements corresponds to at least one of the plurality of search criteria, such that the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements serve to illustrate current weighting values as correspond to the search criteria as are applied when determining a presentation order for the search results;

detecting direct user alteration of a given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements, which alteration causes a change in the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements;

automatically altering the presentation order for the search results as a function of detecting the direct user alteration of the given one of the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of search criteria comprise words.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the words comprise words that are entered by a user who seeks to conduct the general search.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements comprises a graphic depiction of at least one of:

a slider tool;

a rotating knob;

a push, hold, and drag button;

a touch screen element;

a select, drag, and drop value.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing, via the display, the current weighting values as correspond to at least some of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting direct user alteration of a given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements, which alteration causes a change in the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements, further comprises automatically altering other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein automatically altering other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element further comprises automatically altering other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element to ensure that an aggregate sum of the current weighting values as correspond to all of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements continues to comprise a particular value.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein automatically altering other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element to ensure that an aggregate sum of the current weighting values as correspond to all of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements continues to comprise a particular value further comprises automatically altering other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element to ensure that an aggregate sum of the current weighting values as correspond to all of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements continues to comprise a particular value while further ensuring, to an extent reasonably possible, that the current weighting values for each non-user-adjusted user-alterable graphic user interface elements continue to maintain their relative values vis-à

-vis one another.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

storing relative value information regarding present relative weighting values of non-user-adjusted user-alterable graphic user interface elements to provide stored relative value information, such that the method will remember and attempt to persist relative differences between automatically adjusted current weight values for non-user-adjusted user-alterable graphic user interface elements notwithstanding previous automatic adjustment of current weighting values to a point of equality.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein providing simultaneously and via a display a plurality of search results as correspond to a general search conducted using a plurality of search criteria further comprises providing a display of a plurality of search results as correspond to a general search conducted using the plurality of search criteria with a plurality of independent general search engines.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein providing simultaneously and via a display a plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements further comprises providing a display of a second plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements wherein each of the second plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements corresponds to a given one of the independent general search engines, such that the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements serve to illustrate current weighting values as correspond to the independent general search engines as are applied when determining a presentation order for the search results.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a user input interface;

a processor operably coupled to the display and the user input interface and being configured and arranged to;

provide simultaneously and via the display;

a plurality of search results as correspond to a general search conducted using a plurality of search criteria;

a plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements, wherein each of the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements corresponds to at least one of the plurality of search criteria, such that the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements serve to illustrate current weighting values as correspond to the search criteria as are applied when determining a presentation order for the search results;

detect direct user alteration via the user input interface of a given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements, which alteration causes a change in the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements;

automatically alter the presentation order for the search results as a function of detecting the direct user alteration of the given one of the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the plurality of search criteria comprise words.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the words comprise words that are entered by a user who seeks to conduct the general search.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least one of the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements comprises a graphic depiction of at least one of:

a slider tool;

a rotating knob;

a push, hold, and drag button;

a touch screen element;

a select, drag, and drop value.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured and arranged to:

provide, via the display, the current weighting values as correspond to at least some of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured and arranged to detect direct user alteration of a given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements, which alteration causes a change in the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements, by automatically altering other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured and arranged to automatically alter other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element by automatically altering other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element to ensure that an aggregate sum of the current weighting values as correspond to all of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements continues to comprise a particular value.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured and arranged to automatically alter other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element to ensure that an aggregate sum of the current weighting values as correspond to all of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements continues to comprise a particular value by automatically altering other of the weighting values as correspond to other of the user-alterable graphic user interface values as a function of the change to the weighting value that corresponds to the given one of the user-alterable graphic user interface element to ensure that an aggregate sum of the current weighting values as correspond to all of the user-alterable graphic user interface elements continues to comprise a particular value while further ensuring, to an extent reasonably possible, that the current weighting values for each non-user-adjusted user-alterable graphic user interface elements continue to maintain their relative values vis-à

-vis one another.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the processor is further configured and arranged to:

store relative value information regarding present relative weighting values of non-user-adjusted user-alterable graphic user interface elements to provide stored relative value information, such that the apparatus will remember and attempt to persist relative differences between automatically adjusted current weight values for non-user-adjusted user-alterable graphic user interface elements notwithstanding previous automatic adjustment of current weighting values to a point of equality.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured and arranged to provide simultaneously and via the display a plurality of search results as correspond to a general search conducted using a plurality of search criteria by providing a display of a plurality of search results as correspond to a general search conducted using the plurality of search criteria with a plurality of independent general search engines.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the processor is further configured and arranged to provide simultaneously and via the display a plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements by providing a display of a second plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements wherein each of the second plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements corresponds to a given one of the independent general search engines, such that the plurality of user-alterable graphic user interface elements serve to illustrate current weighting values as correspond to the independent general search engines as are applied when determining a presentation order for the search results.