MAINTAINING SEARCH CONTEXT

• US 20150213094A1
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jinyu Lou
• Inventors: Ding, Chen, Lou, Jinyu, Huynh, David F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,965,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for providing search results while maintaining search context. A search system may display a plurality of links related to a received search query, wherein the links are all of the same entity type. The system may display sets of search results related to the plurality of links, while continuing to display the plurality of links

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing search results, the method comprising:

receiving a search query for an entity;

displaying, using one or more processors, a first plurality of links in an information area of a display screen corresponding to first related entities that are related to the entity;

when a link corresponding to one of the first related entities of an entity type from the first plurality of links is selected, displaying, using one or more processors, a second plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen corresponding to second related entities that are related to the entity and that are all of the entity type; and

when a link corresponding to one of the second plurality of links in the related entity area of the display screen is selected, displaying, using one or more processors, a third plurality of links in a search result area, wherein the third plurality of links is related to the entity selected from the second plurality of links, and wherein the second plurality of links remain in the related entity area of the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising when a link corresponding to one of the first related entities of an entity type from the first plurality of links is selected, updating, using one or more processors, a plurality of links displayed in a search result area, wherein the updated plurality of links correspond to search results related to the selection of the link of the first plurality of links displayed in the information area of the display screen.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising when a link corresponding to one of the first related entities of an entity type from the first plurality of links is selected, updating, using one or more processors, the first plurality of links displayed in the information area of a display screen, wherein the updated links correspond to the selected related entity of the first plurality of links displayed in the information area of the display screen.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising when a link corresponding to one of the second plurality of links in the related entity area of the display screen is selected, updating, using one or more processors, the plurality of links displayed in the information area of a display screen, wherein the updated links correspond to the selected related entity of the second plurality of links displayed in the related entity area of the display screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a second plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links as images.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a second plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links arranged horizontally.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a second plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links that are scrollable to display more links.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the related entity area of the display screen comprises links to previously selected sets of search results.

9. A computer implemented method for providing search results, the method comprising:

receiving a search query for a list of entities all of an entity type;

displaying, using one or more processors, a plurality of links in a related entity area of a display screen corresponding to a plurality of entities of the entity type that belong to the list of entities; and

when one of the plurality of links is selected, displaying, using one or more processors, in another area of a display screen, data related to an entity corresponding to the one of the plurality of links, wherein the plurality of links remain in the first area.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying, in another area of a display screen, data related to an entity corresponding to the one of the plurality of links comprises displaying search results in a search result area of a display screen.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying, in another area of a display screen, data related to an entity corresponding to the one of the plurality of links comprises displaying data in an information area of a display screen.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying a plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links as images.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying a plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links arranged horizontally.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying a plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links that are scrollable to display more links.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the related entity area of the display screen comprises links to previously selected sets of search results.

16. A system comprising one or more computers configured to perform operations including:

receiving a search query for an entity;

displaying, using one or more processors, a first plurality of links in an information area of a display screen corresponding to first related entities that are related to the entity;

when a link corresponding to one of the first related entities of an entity type from the first plurality of links is selected, displaying, using one or more processors, a second plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen corresponding to second related entities that are related to the entity and that are all of the entity type; and

when a link corresponding to one of the second plurality of links in the related entity area of the display screen is selected, displaying, using one or more processors, a third plurality of links in a search result area, wherein the third plurality of links is related to the entity selected from the second plurality of links, and wherein the second plurality of links remain in the related entity area of the display screen.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising when a link corresponding to one of the first related entities of an entity type from the first plurality of links is selected, updating, using one or more processors, a plurality of links displayed in a search result area, wherein the updated plurality of links correspond to search results related to the selection of the link of the first plurality of links displayed in the information area of the display screen.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising when a link corresponding to one of the first related entities of an entity type from the first plurality of links is selected, updating, using one or more processors, the first plurality of links displayed in the information area of a display screen, wherein the updated links correspond to the selected related entity of the first plurality of links displayed in the information area of the display screen.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising when a link corresponding to one of the second plurality of links in the related entity area of the display screen is selected, updating, using one or more processors, the plurality of links displayed in the information area of a display screen, wherein the updated links correspond to the selected related entity of the second plurality of links displayed in the related entity area of the display screen.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein displaying a second plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links as images.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein displaying a second plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links arranged horizontally.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein displaying a second plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links that are scrollable to display more links.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the related entity area of the display screen comprises links to previously selected sets of search results.

24. A system comprising one or more computers configured to perform operations including:

receiving a search query for a list of entities all of an entity type;

displaying, using one or more processors, a plurality of links in a related entity area of a display screen corresponding to a plurality of entities of the entity type that belong to the list of entities; and

when one of the plurality of links is selected, displaying, using one or more processors, in another area of a display screen, data related to an entity corresponding to the one of the plurality of links, wherein the plurality of links remain in the first area.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein displaying, in another area of a display screen, data related to an entity corresponding to the one of the plurality of links comprises displaying search results in a search result area of a display screen.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein displaying, in another area of a display screen, data related to an entity corresponding to the one of the plurality of links comprises displaying data in an information area of a display screen.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein displaying a plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links as images.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein displaying a plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links arranged horizontally.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein displaying a plurality of links in a related entity area of the display screen comprises displaying links that are scrollable to display more links.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the related entity area of the display screen comprises links to previously selected sets of search results.