System and Method for Updating a Search Results Page in Response to a User Map Interaction

• US 20120136894A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Marlow, Keith A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• 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 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource. The method of the present invention comprises receiving a first search results page in response to a search query comprising at least a first map resource. The method monitors a change in position of a map resource in response to a user interaction and calculates a location corresponding to a map position. The method then re-executes at least one search query based upon said calculated location and displays a second search results page comprising a plurality of updated search results.

Claims

1. A method for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource, the method comprising:

receiving a first search query, the first search query comprising at least one content term and at least one location term;

retrieving one or more first search results and a first map resource of a first location associated with the first search query;

generating a search results page including the one or more first search results and the first map resource;

monitoring a change in a zoom level of the first map resource in response to a user interaction;

calculating a second location corresponding to the change in the zoom level of the first map resource from a first position to a second position;

executing a second search query on the basis of the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location; and

providing an updated search results page comprising a second map resource and one or more second search results related to the second map resource in response to the second search query.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the search results page comprises displaying a federated search results page comprising a plurality of search results from a plurality of search databases.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first map resource comprises a graphical map and location markers-corresponding to the one or more first search results.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the updated search results page comprises displaying a plurality of updated federated search widgets.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein executing a second search query on the basis of the first search query comprising the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location is performed asynchronously.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a latitude, longitude, and the zoom level of the first map resource.

7. A system for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource, the system comprising:

a client device coupled to a network, the client device operative to;

receive a first search query, the first search query comprising at least one content term and at least one location term;

retrieve one or more first search results and a first map resource of a first location associated with the first search query;

generate a search results page including the one or more first search results and the first map resource;

monitor a change in a zoom level of the first map resource in response to a user interaction;

calculate a second location corresponding to the change in the zoom level of the first map resource from a first position to a second position;

execute a second search query on the basis of the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location; and

provide an updated search results page comprising a second map resource and one or more second search results related to the second map resource in response to the second search query.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first search results page and the second search results page comprise a federated search page comprising a plurality of search results from a plurality of search databases.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the first map resource comprises a graphical map and location markers corresponding to one or more first search results.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein a second search results page comprises displaying a centering guide.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the second search query comprises one or more search terms and a location.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein to execute a second search query on the basis of the query string comprising the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location is performed asynchronously.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein the client device is further operative to receive a latitude, longitude, and the zoom level of the first map resource.

14. Non-transitory computer readable media comprising program code for execution by a programmable processor that instructs the processor to perform a method for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource, the method comprising:

program code for receiving a first search query, the first search query comprising at least one content term and at least one location term;

program code for retrieving one or more first search results and a first map resource of a first location associated with the first search query;

program code for generating a search results page including the one or more first search results and the first map resource;

program code for monitoring a change in a zoom level of the first map resource in response to a user interaction;

program code for calculating a second location corresponding to the change in the zoom level of the first map resource from a first position to a second position;

program code for executing a second search query on the basis of the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location; and

program code for providing an updated search results page comprising a second map resource and one or more second search results related to the second map resource in response to the second search query.

15. The computer readable media of claim 14 wherein the program code for generating the first search results page comprises program code for displaying a federated search results page comprising a plurality of search results from a plurality of search databases.

16. The computer readable media of claim 14 wherein the first map resource comprises a graphical map and location markers corresponding to the one or more first search results.

17. The computer readable media of claim 14 wherein a second search results page comprises displaying a centering guide.

18. The computer readable media of claim 14 further comprising program code for receiving a latitude, longitude, and the zoom level of the first map resource.