Enhanced Search Results

• US 20080082512A1
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Renner, W., Hogan, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A search tool graphical user interface comprises search criteria selected by an operator of the search tool. One, or more search results that correspond to the search criteria are displayed on the search tool graphical user interface, and an indication of characteristics is displayed for one or more of the search results. The characteristics displayed may include the availability ,or maturity of content associated with the search results. The search results may be sorted or filtered based on the characteristics of content associated with the search results. The characteristics may be determined before or after the search results are identified and displayed on the search tool graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method of creating a graphical user interface for search results, the method comprising:

accessing search results identified for a query submitted by a user, the search results including a first search result associated with a first link to first content and a second search result associated with a second link to second content;

determining, for the first search result, a first property associated with an ability to access the first content using the first link;

determining, for the second search result, a second property associated with an ability to access the second content using the second link, the second property being different than the first property and indicating that the ability to access the second content using the second link is different than the ability to access the first content using the first link; and

creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication that the ability to access the second content using the second link is different than the ability to access the first content using the first link.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

determining, for the first search result, the first property associated with the ability to access the first content using the first link comprises determining that the first content is currently available through invocation of the first link;

determining, for the second search result, the second property associated with the ability to access the second content using the second link comprises determining that the second content is currently unavailable through invocation of the second link; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing the perceivable indication that the ability to access the second content using the second link is different than the ability to access the first content using the first link comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication that the second content is currently unavailable through invocation of the second link.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

determining, for the first search result , the first property associated with the ability to access the first content using the first link comprises determining that accessing the first content using the first link occurs at a first rate;

determining for the second search result, the second property associated with the ability to access the second content using the second link comprises determining that accessing the second content using the second link occurs at a second rate that is different than the first rate; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing the perceivable indication that the ability to access the first content using the first link comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication that accessing the second content using the second link occurs at the second rate.

4. A method of creating a graphical user interface for search results, the method comprising:

accessing search results identified for a query submitted by a user, the search results including a first search result associated with a first link to first content and a second search result associated with a second link to second content;

accessing, for the first search result, data related to a first characteristic determined for the first search result through analysis of the first content;

accessing, for the second search result, data related to a second characteristic determined for the second search result through analysis of the second content, the second characteristic of the second search result being different than the first characteristic of the first search result;

determining display information for the search results based on the first characteristic of the first search result and the second characteristic of the second search result; and

treating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

accessing, for the first search result, data related to the first characteristic determined for the first search result through analysis of the first content comprises accessing, for the first search result, data indicating that the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result does not include advertisements;

accessing, for the second search result, data related to the second characteristic;

determined for the second search result through analysis of the second content comprises accessing, for the second search result, data indicating that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result includes advertisements; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication, other than the second content, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result includes advertisements.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein:

accessing, for the first search result, data related to the first characteristic determined for the first search result through analysis of the first content comprise accessing, for the first search result, data indicating that the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result does not include multimedia content;

accessing, for the second search result, data related to the second characteristic determined for the second search result through analysis of the second content comprises accessing, for the second search result, data indicating that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result includes multimedia content; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication, other than the second content, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result includes multimedia content.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein:

accessing, for the first search result, data related to the first characteristic determined for the first search result through analysis of the first content comprises accessing, for the first search result, data indicating that the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result includes content provided, by a first type of source;

accessing, for the second search result, data related to the second characteristic determined for the second search result through analysis of the second content comprises accessing for the second search result, data indicating that the second content includes content provided by a second type of source that is different than the first type of source; and

.

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface providing, a perceivable indication, other than the second content and the second link, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result includes content provided by the second type of source.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein:

accessing for the first search result, data related to the first characteristic determined for the first search result through analysis of the first content comprises accessing, for the first search result, data indicating that the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result is appropriate for a first age group;

accessing, for the second search result, data related to the second characteristic determined for the second search result through analysis of the second content comprises accessing for the second search result, data indicating that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result is inappropriate for the first age group; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication, other than the second content, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result is inappropriate for the first age group.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining display information for the search results based on the first characteristic of the first search result and the second characteristic of the second search result comprises determining an order with which to display the first search result and the second search result based on the first characteristic of the first search result and the second characteristic of the second search result; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface, enabling display of the first search result and the second search result in the determined order.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining display information for the search results based on the first characteristic of the first search result and the second characteristic of the second search result comprises determining to display the first search result, but not to display the second search result based on the first characteristic of the first search result and the second characteristic of the second search result; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results including the first search result, but not the second search result.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining display information for the search results based on the first characteristic of the first search result and the second characteristic of the second search result comprises determining display information that includes a graphical icon representing the second characteristic of the second search result; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user, the graphical user interface including the graphical icon representing the second characteristic of the second search result.

12. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

analyzing the first content associated with the first search result;

determining the first characteristic of the first search result based on the analysis of the first content associated with the first search result;

analyzing the second content associated with the second search result; and

determining the second characteristic of the second search result based on the analysis of the second content associated with the second search result.

13. A method of creating a graphical user interface for search results, the method comprising:

accessing search results identified for a query submitted by a user, the search results including a first search result associated with a first link to first content and a second search result associated with a second link to second content;

determining, for the first search result, a first statistic that is based on people, that have viewed the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result;

determining for the second search result, a second statistic that is based on people that have viewed the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result, the second statistic being different than the first statistic;

determining display information for the search results based on the first statistic and the second statistic; and

creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

determining, for the first search result, a first statistic that is based on people that have viewed the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result comprises determining, for the first search result, a first statistic that is based on people whose user identities are affiliated with a user identity of the user and have viewed the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result; and

determining, for the second search result, a second statistic that is based on people that have viewed the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result comprises determining, for the second search result, a second statistic that is based on people whose user identities are affiliated with a user identity of the user and have viewed the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result, the second statistic being different than the first statistic.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein:

determining for the first search result, a first statistic that is based on people whose user identities are affiliated with a user identity of the user and have viewed the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result comprises determining, for the first search result, a first percentage of people whose user identities are affiliated with a user identity of the user and have viewed the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result; and

determining, for the second search result, a second statistic that is based on people whose user identities are affiliated with a user identity of the user and have viewed the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result comprises determining, for the second search result, a second percentage of people whose user identities are affiliated with a user identity of the user and have viewed the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

determining display information for the search results based on the first statistic and the second statistic comprises;

determining display information that includes the first percentage associated with the first search result, and

determining display information that includes the second percentage associated with the second search result, the second percentage being different than the first percentage; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface including a display of the first percentage associated with the first search result and a display of the second percentage associated with the second search result.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein:

determining display information for the search results based on the first statistic and the second statistic comprises determining an order with which to display the first search result and the second search result based on the first statistic and the second statistic; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the first search result and the second search result in the determined order.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein:

determining display information for the search results based on the first statistic and the second statistic comprises determining to display the first search result but not to display the second search result; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results including the first result, but not the second search result.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein:

determining display information for the search results based on the first statistic and the second statistic comprises;

determining display information that includes a first graphical representation associated with the first search result based on the first statistic, and

determining display information that includes a second graphical representation associated with the second search result based on the second statistic, the second graphical representation being different than the first graphical representation, and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface including the first graphical representation associated with the first search result and the second graphical representation associated with the second search result.

20. The method of claim 13:

wherein determining, for the first search result, the first statistic that is based on people that have viewed the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result comprises determining, for the first search result, a first number of people that have viewed the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first search result;

wherein determining, for the second search result, the second statistic that is based on people that have viewed the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result comprises determining, for the first search result a second number of people that have viewed the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result, the second number of people being different than the first number of people;

wherein determining display information for the search results based on the first statistic and the second statistic comprises;

determining display information that includes the first number of people associated with the first search result, and

determining display information that includes the second number of people associated with the second search result, the second number of people being different than the first number of people; and

wherein creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user, interface enabling display of the search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface including a display of the first number of people associated with the first search result and a display of the second number of people associated with the second search result.