SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCING SEARCH QUERY RESULTS

• US 20100223257A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Brewer, Brett D., Watson, Eric, Sommerer, Ralph, Mays, Eddie L. III, MILIC-FRAYLING, NATASA
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention leverage search query result page thumbnails and search query result link content evaluations to provide user-dependent enhanced search query results. This provides a simplified means to inform a user of the relevancy of search query results based on the user'"'"'s preferences, environment, and profile, etc. The present invention allows a user to more adequately determine the value of the search query result via search query result indicators within the thumbnail and in the proximity of a displayed result link. In one embodiment of the present invention, a thumbnail of a query result link is automatically displayed when the link is selected. This provides a tool to view an entire search result page, eliminating the necessity of scrolling through each page to find relevant search terms. In another embodiment of the present invention, indicators are utilized to inform a user of the content of a search result link.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates search query results, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having-stored therein, computer-executable instructions to implement the system, including;

a client-side receiving component that accepts at least one query result from at least one search service; and

a client-side processing component that provides user-dependent query-result information derived from the query result accepted by the client-side receiving component, wherein the user-dependent query-result information includes one or more of the following;

(a) an indication of percentage of a total quantity of image content within at least one linked document in the query result compared to a total quantity of all content within the at least one linked document in the query result, wherein the at least one linked document is eliminated from the query result when the percentage of the total quantity of the image content within the at least one linked document does not surpass a threshold, or

(b) an indication of percentage of a total quantity of text content within the at least one linked document in the query result as compared to a total quantity of all content within the at least one linked document in the query result, wherein the at least one linked document is eliminated from the query result when the percentage of the total quantity of the text content within the at least one linked document does not surpass a threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, the user-dependent query result information comprising query result information derived from a user model.

3. The system of claim 2, the user model comprising a model that utilizes, at least in part, information related to at least one of a user context, a user profile, or a user query result rule.

4. The system of claim 1, the client-side processing component provides the user-dependent query result information via at least one visual indicator.

5. The system of claim 4, the visual indicator comprising at least one of highlighting, color, intensity of color, geometric shape, or quantity of geometric shapes.

6. The system of claim 1, the client-side processing component provides the user-dependent query result information via at least one aural indicator.

7. The system of claim 1, the client-side processing component derives the user-dependent query result information via evaluation of at least one link provided by the query result.

8. The system of claim 7, the evaluation of at least one link comprising a determination as to whether the link corresponds to at least one of a document with text or a document with links.

9. The system of claim 1, the user-dependent query result information further includes an indication of percentage of the quantity of links within the at least one linked document in the query result as compared to a total quantity of all content within the at least one linked document in the query result.

10. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for facilitating search query results, the method comprising:

receiving at least one query-result document from at least one search service; and

providing user-dependent query-result information derived from the at least one query-result document, the user-dependent query-result information determined via client-side processing of query-result information and based on a user model comprising information related to one or more of a user context, a user profile, or a user query-result rule;

automatically displaying a thumbnail that visually represents a page of the at least one query-result document;

identifying relevant terms within the page based on the provided user-dependent query-result information; and

marking the identified relevant terms on the page with at least one indicator when displayed in the thumbnail.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein marking the identified relevant terms on the page with at least one indicator when displayed in the thumbnail comprises utilizing a color as the at least one indicator to highlight one or more of the relevant terms, wherein the color is selected from a spectrum of colors based on a prominence of the color and a relevance of the one or more highlighted relevant terms.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein marking the identified relevant terms on the page with at least one indicator when displayed in the thumbnail comprises providing a link from the identified relevant terms to corresponding passages in the at least one query-result document.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the acts performed by the process further comprise scrolling to the page within at least one query-result document based on pattern matching the user-dependent query-result information against text within the at least one query result, wherein the visual representation of the page is automatically displayed in the thumbnail.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the automatic display of the thumbnail is a response to a user selection of a representation of the at least one query-result document presented in a search query results page.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein a representation of the search query results page is presented in a thumbnail view that, when a selection is received in a portion therein, automatically scrolls the search query results page to a location corresponding to the selected portion of the thumbnail view.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the acts performed by the processor further comprising:

displaying, automatically, the thumbnail in response to a selection of a link to a query result document by at least one user; and

navigating to a portion of the search query result page and turning ON the at least one indicator in response to an interaction with the thumbnail by the user.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein providing the user-dependent query-result information further comprises deriving at least part of the user-dependent query-result information via evaluating content of the query-result document.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein evaluating content comprises determining whether the content corresponds to at least one of a document with text or a document with links, wherein the determination is based upon a percentage of at least one of a quantity of text content in the linked document or a quantity of links in the linked document.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises providing an indicator for a link to the query-result document that indicates one or more of:

a text-content link indicating a document with text, or

a link-content link indicating documents with links.

20. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for highlighting terms within search query results, the method comprising:

accepting at least one query result from at least one search service;

providing user-dependent information derived from previous actions of a user;

automatically displaying a thumbnail view that visually represents a page of the at least one query result; and

highlighting relevant terms within the page that are identified based on the provided user-dependent information, wherein the highlighted relevant terms are displayed within the thumbnail view.