Search-centric hierarchichal browser history

• US 20090100021A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Morris, Daniel S., Venolia, Gina, Morris, Meredith
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A search-centric hierarchical browser history technique that provides for the creation of a Web search history hierarchy organized according to the search queries that a user has conducted. In one embodiment, search queries occupy the highest level of the search history hierarchy and all Web sites/search results relating to a particular search query that the user accessed are hierarchically organized below that query. In another embodiment, queries may also be optionally grouped into a higher-level hierarchy that reflects search topics.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process for organizing a history of network searches, comprising:

receiving a search topic for a network search;

receiving a first search query and search results accessed by a user associated with the first search query of the network search;

hierarchically organizing the network search by the search topic at a highest level, the first search query at a second highest level and the search results associated with the first query that the user accessed on a third level; and

displaying the hierarchically organized network search.

2. The computer-implemented process claim 1 further comprising:

receiving one or more additional search queries for the network search and additional search results accessed by the user associated with the one or more additional search queries;

hierarchically organizing the network search by the topic at a highest level, the first and the one or more additional queries at the second highest level and the search results associated with the first query and the search results associated with each of the one or more additional search queries that the user accessed on the third level; and

displaying the hierarchically organized network search.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 2 wherein the first and at least one of the one or more additional search queries are conducted using different search engines.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising receiving the topic of the network search from a user.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 4 further comprising a user defining the topic of the network search by activating a new topic indicator that indicates the start of a new topic for a network search.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising a user retroactively defining the network search by selecting previously executed search queries and search results associated with each of the previously executed search queries.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 2 further comprising storing and re-executing one or more of the first one or more additional search queries at a later time to find new search results.

8. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising automatically preparing a summary of the network search for the search topic.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 1 further comprising associating the user'"'"'s annotations with the search topic.

10. A computer-implemented process for organizing search results accessed by a user conducting a search of data available on a computer network, comprising:

receiving a search query and search results accessed by a user associated with the search query;

hierarchically organizing the search results accessed by the user associated with the search query below the search query; and

displaying the hierarchically organized search query and associated search results.

11. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving one or more additional search queries and search results accessed by the user associated with the one or more additional search queries;

organizing the search results associated with each search query that the user accessed below each associated search query; and

displaying each hierarchically organized search query and associated search results.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 10, further comprising:

organizing each query and the search results that the user accessed associated with each search query by a topic, wherein the topic is at the highest level, each search query is at a second level, and the search results associated with each search query that the user accessed are at a third level; and

displaying the hierarchically organized topic, search queries and search results associated with each search query that the user accessed.

13. A method for organizing and displaying search queries and associated search result histories on a computer display, comprising:

receiving one or more search queries related to a topic being searched from a user and multiple search results accessed by a user;

displaying on the computer display in a hierarchically organized manner the search topic at the highest level, each query on the second level, and the search results associated with each search query that the user accessed on the third level.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein more than one search query is received from different search engines that are used to conduct the more than one search query.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying an indicator associated with the name of the search engine used to perform the search query next to each search query.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying a name of the query next to each query, wherein the name of the query is based on search terms used to create the query.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying a name of each search result accessed by the user next to the search result displayed.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising naming each search result accessed by the user with a name of a web site associated with the search result accessed by the user.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying a search summary to the user wherein the search summary comprises the topic, each search query and the search results associated with each search query that the user accessed.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising the user annotating notes related to the search topic which are displayed on the computer display.