METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYING A PLURALITY OF USER-SELECTABLE REFINEMENTS TO A SEARCH QUERY

• US 20150006504A1
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: YE Hub Armenia LLC
• Original Assignee: Yandex Europe AG (Yandex N.V.)
• Inventors: PLAKHOV, Andrey Grigorievich, MAZAYKIN, Alexander Ivanovich, KHORUZHENKO, Marina Sergeevna
• Granted Patent: US 9,449,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/710
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3328 using graphical result space presentation or visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Method of displaying by a client application in communication with a search engine a plurality of user-selectable refinements to a search query including a search term, comprising: sending the search query; receiving search results and suggested search query refinements determined based at least in part on an analysis of groups of related search queries, each suggested search query refinement corresponding to a refined search query including the search term and an additional search term; displaying search results and, apart from a search bar, refinements, refinements being selectable by a user via a graphical object; receiving a selection of one of the refinements, the selection corresponding to a refined search query including the search term and an additional search term; receiving refined search results; and displaying refined search results and a visual representation of a refinement relationship between the search query and the refined search query. Related systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of displaying by a client application running on at least one digital electronic device in communication with a search engine a plurality of user-selectable refinements to a first search query including at least one first search term, the method comprising:

(a) sending by the client application to the search engine the first search query;

(b) receiving by the client application from the search engine first search results in respect of the first search query and first suggested search query refinements having been determined by the search engine based at least in part on an analysis of groups of related search queries being related to the first search query, each of the first suggested search query refinements corresponding to a refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one additional search term;

(c) displaying by the client application at least one first search result and, apart from a search bar, the first suggested search query refinements, the first suggested search query refinements being selectable by a user via at least one first graphical object;

(d) receiving by the client application from a user via the at least one first graphical object a first selection of one of the first suggested search query refinements, the first selection corresponding to a first refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one first additional search term;

(e) receiving by the client application from the search engine first refined search results in respect of the first refined search query; and

(f) displaying by the client application at least one first refined search result and a visual representation of a refinement relationship between the first search query and the first refined search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

(c) includes displaying by the client application a first plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the first plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the first suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement; and

(d) is receiving by the client application from a user a selection of a button from the first plurality of buttons.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein (f) includes displaying by the client application a visual indication that the button has been selected.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

(g) receiving by the client application from a user via the at least one first graphical object a second selection of one of the first suggested search query refinements, the second selection corresponding to a second refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one second additional search term;

(h) receiving by the client application from the search engine second refined search results in respect of the second refined search query; and

(i) displaying by the client application at least one second refined search result and a visual representation of a refinement relationship between the first search query and the second refined search query.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

(j) displaying by the client application, concurrently with the visual representation of a refinement relationship between the first search query and the second refined search query, a visual indication that the at least one first refined search result was displayed before the at least one second refined search result was displayed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

(c) includes displaying by the client application a first plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the first plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the first suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement;

(d) is receiving by the client application from a user a selection of a first button from the first plurality of buttons; and

(g) is receiving by the client application from a user a selection of a second button from the first plurality of buttons.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

(f) includes displaying by the client application a visual indication that the first button has been selected; and

(i) includes displaying by the client application a visual indication that the second button has been selected.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

(j) displaying by the client application, concurrently with the visual indication that the second button has been selected, a visual indication that the first button was selected before the second button was selected.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(g) receiving by the client application from the search engine second suggested search query refinements, each of the second suggested search query refinements corresponding to a further-refined search query including the at least one first search term, the at least one first additional search term, and at least one further additional search term;

(h) displaying by the client application, apart from the search bar and apart from the first suggested search query refinements, the second suggested search query refinements, the second suggested search query refinements being selectable by a user via at least one second graphical object;

(i) receiving by the client application from a user via the at least one second graphical object a second selection of one of the second suggested search query refinements, the second selection corresponding to a further-refined search query including the at least one first search term, the at least one first additional search term, and at least one further additional search term;

(j) receiving by the client application from the search engine further-refined search results in respect of the further-refined search query; and

(k) displaying by the client application at least one further-refined search result and a visual representation of a refinement relationship between the first search query, the first refined search query, and the further-refined search query.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

(c) includes displaying by the client application a first plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the first plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the first suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement;

(d) is receiving by the client application from a user a selection of a first button from the first plurality of buttons;

(h) includes displaying by the client application, apart from the first plurality of buttons, a second plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the second plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the second suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement; and

(i) is receiving by the client application from a user a selection of a second button from the second plurality of buttons.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(g) receiving by the client application from a user via the at least one first graphical object a tentative selection of one of the first suggested search query refinements, the tentative selection corresponding to a tentative refined search query, the tentative refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one tentative additional search term; and

(h) displaying by the client application in the search bar the tentative refined search query.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

(c) includes displaying by the client application a first plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the first plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the first suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement; and

(g) is receiving by the client application an indication that a pointer controlled by a user is located over a button from the first plurality of buttons.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the analysis of groups of related search queries includes an analysis of past user behaviors of users having submitted the related search queries.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the analysis of groups of related search queries includes:

filtering the related search queries to only those identified as having provided search results which provided a user with information sought by the user;

grouping the filtered related search queries into the groups based on subsequent user behaviors of the users; and

determining a suggested search query refinement for each of at least some of the groups.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein grouping the filtered related search queries into the groups based on subsequent user behaviors of the users includes identifying common Internet resources having been visited by the users after they were provided with search results in response to the filtered related search queries.

16. A method of providing to a client application running on at least one digital electronic device in communication with a search engine a plurality of user-selectable refinements to a first search query including at least one first search term, the method comprising:

(a) receiving by the search engine from the client application the first search query;

(b) effecting by the search engine a first search in respect of the first search query yielding first search results;

(c) determining first suggested search query refinements based at least in part on an analysis of groups of related search queries being related to the first search query, each of the first suggested search query refinements corresponding to a refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one additional search term;

(d) sending by the search engine to the client application the first search results, the first suggested search query refinements, and instructions for displaying (1) at least one first search result and (2) apart from a search bar, the first suggested search query refinements, the first suggested search query refinements being selectable by a user via at least one first graphical object;

(e) effecting by the search engine a first refined search in respect of a first refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one first additional search term, the first refined search yielding first refined search results; and

(f) sending by the search engine to the client application the first refined search results and instructions for displaying at least one first refined search result and a visual representation of a refinement relationship between the first search query and the first refined search query.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein (d) includes sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying a first plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the first plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the first suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein (f) includes sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying a visual indication that a button from the first plurality of buttons has been selected.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

(g) effecting by the search engine a second refined search in respect of a second refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one second additional search term, the second refined search query yielding second refined search results; and

(h) sending by the search engine to the client application the second refined search results and instructions for displaying at least one second refined search result and a visual representation of a refinement relationship between the first search query and the second refined search query.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

(k) sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying, concurrently with the visual representation of a refinement relationship between the first search query and the second refined search query, a visual indication that the at least one first refined search result was displayed before the at least one second refined search result was displayed.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein (d) includes sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying a first plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the first plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the first suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

(f) includes sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying a visual indication that a first button from the first plurality of buttons has been selected; and

(h) includes sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying a visual indication that a second button from the first plurality of buttons has been selected.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

(k) sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying, concurrently with the visual indication that the second button has been selected, a visual indication that the first button was selected before the second button was selected.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

(g) sending by the search engine to the client application second suggested search query refinements, each of the second suggested search query refinements corresponding to a further-refined search query including the at least one first search term, the at least one first additional search term, and at least one further additional search term, and instructions for displaying, apart from the search bar and apart from the first suggested search query refinements, the second suggested search query refinements, the second suggested search query refinements being selectable by a user via at least one second graphical object;

(h) effecting by the search engine a further-refined search in respect of a further-refined search query including the at least one first search term, the at least one first additional search term, and at least one further additional search term, the further-refined search yielding further-refined search results; and

(i) sending by the search engine to the client application the further-refined search results and instructions for displaying at least one further-refined search result and a visual representation of a refinement relationship between the first search query, the first refined search query, and the further-refined search query.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

(d) includes sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying a first plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the first plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the first suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement; and

(g) includes sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying, apart from the first plurality of buttons, a second plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the second plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the second suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein (d) includes sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying in the search bar, upon receiving from a user via the at least one first graphical object a tentative selection of one of the first suggested search query refinements, a tentative refined search query corresponding to the tentative selection, the tentative refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one tentative additional search term.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein (d) includes:

sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying a first plurality of buttons selectable by a user, each button in the first plurality of buttons corresponding to one of the first suggested search query refinements and including text representative of that suggested search query refinement; and

sending by the search engine to the client application instructions for displaying in the search bar, upon receiving an indication that a pointer controlled by a user is located over a button from the first plurality of buttons, a tentative refined search query corresponding to the tentative selection, the tentative refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one tentative additional search term.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein (c) includes analyzing past user behaviors of users having submitted the related search queries.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein (c) includes:

filtering the related search queries to only those identified as having provided search results which provided a user with information sought by the user;

grouping the filtered related search queries into the groups based on subsequent user behaviors of the users; and

determining a suggested search query refinement for each of at least some of the groups.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein grouping the filtered related search queries into the groups based on subsequent user behaviors of the users includes identifying common Internet resources having been visited by the users after they were provided with search results in response to the filtered related search queries.