Enhanced search results

• US 7,299,222 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Renner, W. Karl, Hogan, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Wilson
• Application Number:
  US10/747,698
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707/101, 707/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• 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 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A search tool graphical user interface comprises search criteria selected by an operator of the search tool. One or more search results that correspond to the search criteria are displayed on the search tool graphical user interface, and an indication of characteristics is displayed for one or more of the search results. The characteristics displayed may include the availability or maturity of content associated with the search results. The search results may be sorted or filtered based on the characteristics of content associated with the search results. The characteristics may be determined before or after the search results are identified and displayed on the search tool graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A search tool graphical user interface, comprising:

search criteria provided by a user as user input to the search tool;

a list of search results including links to content identified by the search tool in performing a search routine based on the search criteria provided by the user as user input to the search tool, the list of search results including a first search result that includes a first link to content that is currently unavailable through invocation of the first link and a second search result that includes a second link to content that is currently available through invocation of the second link; and

an indicator corresponding to the first search result and providing a perceivable indication that invocation of the first link will not presently access, at an address associated with the first link, content corresponding to the address.

2. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the indicator includes a textual message displayed proximate to the first search result in the list of search results.

3. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the indicator includes a graphical icon displayed proximate to the first search result in the list of search results.

4. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 3 wherein the icon is selectable to reveal text describing that content associated with the first link is currently unavailable.

5. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the search results are grouped based on availability of content associated with the search results such that search results with links to content that is currently unavailable are grouped in a first group, including the first search result, and search results with links to content that is currently available are grouped in a second group, including the second search result, the first group of search results and second group of search results being displayed to distinguish the first group of search results from the second group of search results.

6. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 5 further comprising:

a first heading that identifies the first group of search results as search results with links to content that is currently unavailable; and

a second heading that identifies the second group of search results as search results with links to content that is currently available.

13. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the perceivable indication that invocation of the first link will not presently access, at the address associated with the first link, content corresponding to the address includes a perceivable indication of a lack of ability of the first link to generate content associated with the first link in response to user selection of the first link.

14. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the perceivable indication that invocation of the first link will not presently access, at the address associated with the first link, content corresponding to the address includes a perceivable indication of a lack of ability of the first link to generate any content associated with the first link in response to user selection of the first link.

15. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the perceivable indication that invocation of the first link will not presently access, at the address associated with the first link, content corresponding to the address includes a perceivable indication that content accessible at an address associated with the first link is not accessible at a time of display of the perceivable indication.

16. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the perceivable indication that invocation of the first link will not presently access, at the address associated with the first link, content corresponding to the address includes a perceivable indication that content served by a remote server identified by the address associated with the first link is not available for service at a time of display of the perceivable indication.

17. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the perceivable indication that invocation of the first link will not presently access, at the address associated with the first link, content corresponding to the address includes a perceivable indication that content associated with the first link is unavailable at a time when the search tool performs the search routine.

18. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the indicator is a first indicator, the search tool graphical user interface further comprising:

a second indicator corresponding to the second search result and providing a perceivable indication that content associated with the second link is currently available through invocation of the second link.

19. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 18 wherein the second indicator includes a textual message displayed proximate to the second search result in the list of search results.

20. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 18 wherein the second indicator includes a graphical icon displayed proximate to the second search result in the list of search results.

21. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 18 wherein:

the first indicator includes a first graphical icon displayed proximate to the first search result in the list of search results,

the second indicator includes a second graphical icon displayed proximate to the second search result in the list of search results, and

the first graphical icon has a different display than the second graphical icon.

22. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 21 wherein the first graphical icon is displayed in a first color and the second graphical icon is displayed in a second color that is different than the first color.

23. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 21 wherein the first graphical icon is displayed in a first shape and the second graphical icon is displayed in a second shape that is different than the first shape.

24. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 18 wherein:

a display of the first search result in the list of search results includes a first title of the first search result, a first summary of the first search result, a first uniform resource locator associated with the first link, and the first indicator, and

a display of the second search result in the list of search results includes a second title of the second search result, a second summary of the second search result, a second uniform resource locator associated with the second link, and the second indicator.

7. A search tool graphical user interface, comprising:

search criteria provided by a user as user input to the search tool;

a list of search results including links to content identified by the search tool in performing a search routine based on the search criteria provided by the user as user input to the search tool, the list of search results including a first search result that includes a first link to content determined to be inappropriate for a first age-based level and a second search result that includes a second link to content determined to be appropriate for the first age-based level; and

an indicator corresponding to the first search result and providing a perceivable indication of a determination, other than content accessed at an address associated with the first link, that content associated with the first link is inappropriate for the first age-based level.

8. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 7 wherein the indicator includes a textual message displayed proximate to the first search result in the list of search results.

9. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 7 wherein the indicator includes a graphical icon displayed proximate to the first search result in the list of search results.

10. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 9 wherein the icon is selectable to reveal text describing that the content associated with the first link has been determined to be inappropriate for the first age-based level.

11. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 7 wherein the search results are grouped based on the age-based level associated with the search results such that search results with links to content that is determined to be inappropriate for the first age-based level are grouped in a first group, including the first search result, and search results with links to content that is determined to be appropriate for the first age-based level are grouped in a second group, including the second search result, the first group of search results and second group of search results being displayed to distinguish the first group of search results from the second group of search results.

12. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 11 further comprising:

a first heading that identifies the first group of search results as search results with links to content that is determined to be inappropriate for the first age-based level; and

a second heading that identifies the second group of search results as search results with links to content that is determined to be appropriate for the first age-based level.

25. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 7 wherein the perceivable indication of the determination that content associated with the first link is inappropriate for the first age-based level includes a perceivable indication of a determination that content associated with the first link is inappropriate for minors.

26. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 7 wherein the indicator is a first indicator, the search tool graphical user interface further comprising:

a second indicator corresponding to the second search result and providing a perceivable indication of a determination, other than content accessed at an address associated with the second link, that content associated with the second link is appropriate for the first age-based level.

27. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 26 wherein:

the perceivable indication of the determination that content associated with the first link is inappropriate for the first age-based level includes a perceivable indication of a determination that content associated with the first link is inappropriate for minors, and

the perceivable indication of the determination that content associated with the second link is appropriate for the first age-based level includes a perceivable indication of a determination that content associated with the second link is appropriate for minors.

28. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 26 wherein:

a display of the first search result in the list of search results includes a first title of the first search result, a first summary of the first search result, a first uniform resource locator associated with the first link, and the first indicator, and

a display of the second search result in the list of search results includes a second title of the second search result, a second summary of the second search result, a second uniform resource locator associated with the second link, and the second indicator.

29. A search tool graphical user interface, comprising:

search criteria provided by a user as user input to the search tool;

a list of search results including links to content identified by the search tool in performing a search routine based on the search criteria provided by the user as user input to the search tool, the list of search results including a first search result that includes a first link to first content and a second search result that includes a second link to second content;

a first indicator corresponding to the first search result and providing a perceivable indication of a first metric related to the first content, the first metric being determined based at least in part on a numerical representation corresponding to viewings of the first content by people that are associated with the user; and

a second indicator corresponding to the second search result and providing a perceivable indication of a second metric related to the second content, the second metric being determined based at least in part on a numerical representation corresponding to viewings of the second content by people that are associated with the user,

wherein the second indicator is different than the first indicator and, when compared to the first indicator, the second indicator indicates that less people associated with the user have viewed the second content than the first content.

30. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 29 wherein:

the first indicator includes a textual message displayed proximate to the first search result in the list of search results, and

the second indicator includes a textual message displayed proximate to the second search result in the list of search results.

31. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 29 wherein the first search result that includes the first indicator is grouped in a first group of search results and the second search result that includes the second indicator is grouped in a second group of search results, the first group of search results and second group of search results being displayed to distinguish the first group of search results from the second group of search results.

32. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 29 wherein:

the first indicator includes a first number indicating a percentage of people that are associated with the user and have viewed the first content, and

the second indicator includes a second number indicating a percentage of people that are associated with the user and have viewed the second content, the first number indicating a higher percentage than the second number.

33. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 29 wherein:

the first indicator includes a first number indicating a total number of people that are associated with the user and have viewed the first content, and

the second indicator includes a second number indicating a total number of people that are associated with the user and have viewed the second content, the first number being higher than the second number.

34. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 29 wherein the people associated with the user that are used in determining the first metric and the second metric include people identified on a list associated with the user.

35. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 34 wherein the list associated with the user includes a buddy list maintained by the user.

36. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 35 wherein the buddy list is associated with a personal messaging communication application used by the user.

37. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 34 wherein the people associated with the user that are used in determining the first metric and the second metric further include people identified on lists associated with each of the people identified by the list associated with the user.

38. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 37 wherein the list associated with the user includes a buddy list maintained by the user and the lists associated with each of the people identified by the buddy list maintained by the user include buddy lists maintained by each of the people identified by the buddy list maintained by the user.

39. The search tool graphical user interface of claim 29 wherein the people associated with the user that are used in determining the first metric and the second metric include all other users belonging to a domain of the user.