User interface for conducting a search directed by a hierarchy-free set of topics
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method of providing a user interface for a search method, the search method aided by a set of topics, the topics not necessarily having a hierarchy, each topic having at least one attachment to at least one information item of a plurality of information items, the method comprising:
- causing a first user interface to be displayed to a first searcher, the user interface providing for the searcher to input search request information including at least one of the group consisting of a search phrase and a subset of one or more search topics of the set of topics;
carrying out the search method, the search method including;
accepting the search request information input by the first searcher;
identifying one or more information items of the plurality of information items according to the accepted search request information; and
determining one or more suggested topics from the set of topics, the suggested topics being determined according to the attachments of the suggested topics to the one or more identified information items; and
as a result of carrying out the search method, causing a second user interface to be displayed to the first searcher, the second user interface including at least some of the identified information items and at least one of the suggested topics, the second user interface providing for the first searcher the ability to select one of the suggested topics,wherein the suggested topics include one or more refinement topics determined from the set of topics according to a refinement topic criterion using a refinement selection method,such that the first searcher selecting one of the suggested topics using the displayed second user interface generates additional results.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer implemented method, and a software product for directing a search aided by a set of topics, the topics not necessarily having a hierarchy. Each topic is attached to at least one information item of a plurality of information items, such as a Web page identified by a URL. The method includes identifying one or more information items of the plurality of information items, and determining one or more suggested topics from the set of topics according to the attachments of the suggested topics to the identified information items, and providing search results to the user including at least some of the identified information items and at least one of the suggested topics. Selecting one of the suggested topics generates a new set of suggested topics, such that a hierarchy of topics is formed on the fly for a particular search.
34 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A computer implemented method of providing a user interface for a search method, the search method aided by a set of topics, the topics not necessarily having a hierarchy, each topic having at least one attachment to at least one information item of a plurality of information items, the method comprising:
-
causing a first user interface to be displayed to a first searcher, the user interface providing for the searcher to input search request information including at least one of the group consisting of a search phrase and a subset of one or more search topics of the set of topics; carrying out the search method, the search method including; accepting the search request information input by the first searcher; identifying one or more information items of the plurality of information items according to the accepted search request information; and determining one or more suggested topics from the set of topics, the suggested topics being determined according to the attachments of the suggested topics to the one or more identified information items; and as a result of carrying out the search method, causing a second user interface to be displayed to the first searcher, the second user interface including at least some of the identified information items and at least one of the suggested topics, the second user interface providing for the first searcher the ability to select one of the suggested topics, wherein the suggested topics include one or more refinement topics determined from the set of topics according to a refinement topic criterion using a refinement selection method, such that the first searcher selecting one of the suggested topics using the displayed second user interface generates additional results. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A computer-readable storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions to instruct a processor of a processing system to execute a computer implemented method of providing a user interface for a search method, the search method aided by a set of topics, the topics not necessarily having a hierarchy, each topic having at least one attachment to at least one information item of a plurality of information items, the method comprising:
-
causing a first user interface to be displayed to a first searcher, the user interface providing for the searcher to input search request information including at least one of the group consisting of a search phrase and a subset of one or more search topics of the set of topics; carrying out the search method, the search method including; accepting the search request information input by the first searcher; identifying one or more information items of the plurality of information items according to the accepted search request information; and determining one or more suggested topics from the set of topics, the suggested topics being determined according to the attachments of the suggested topics to the one or more identified information items; and as a result of carrying out the search method, causing a second user interface to be displayed to the first searcher, the second user interface including at least some of the identified information items and at least one of the suggested topics, the second user interface providing for the first searcher the ability to select one of the suggested topics, wherein the suggested topics include one or more refinement topics determined from the set of topics according to a refinement topic criterion using a refinement selection method, such that the first searcher selecting one of the suggested topics using the displayed second user interface generates additional results. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method comprising:
-
defining a set of topics for attachment to one or more information items of a plurality of information items, the defining being by at least one user, a user being a searcher who has provided registration information, the defining the topics including; accepting from at least one user at least one topic; and adding the topic to the set of topics, wherein the topics do not necessarily have a hierarchical structure; wherein each topic is for attachment to one or more information items of a plurality of information items, and wherein the topics that are attached to at least one information item are for searching by a particular searcher for one or more information items of the plurality of information items according to search request information provided by the particular searcher, search request information including at least one topic of the set of topics, the searching including identifying at least one information item that has attachments to the at least one topic of the search request information. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification