Viewable and actionable search results

• US 7,669,142 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Edwards, Rodney C., Ray, Ethan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ulrich; Nicholas S
• Application Number:
  US11/276,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 715/845, 715/254, 715/825, 715/811, 715/779
• US Class Current: 715/825
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

Search results can be viewed and acted upon. Searches may be conducted using a search input in conjunction with a selected category. The search results may be produced from such a search. One or more of the produced search results may be highlighted for previewing. Along with the preview, available actions are presented that are based on the selected category. A user can initiate an action of the available actions. The initiated action is then performed with respect to the highlighted search result(s).

Claims

1. One or more processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a device to display a user interface, the user interface comprising:

a search results area that includes multiple search results;

a category area that identifies multiple categories, each category of the multiple categories capable of being selected;

a preview area that includes a preview of at least one search result of the multiple search results; and

an available actions area that indicates one or more actions that may be performed with respect to the previewed at least one search result;

wherein the indicated one or more actions are based on a selected category of the multiple categories, and

wherein the indicated one or more actions of the available actions area are changed when a user changes the selected category of the multiple categories.

2. The one or more processor-accessible storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions prescribe actions for at least one of a server device and a client device.

3. The one or more processor-accessible storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the preview area comprises a preview pane that displays the previewed at least one search result.

4. The one or more processor-accessible storage media as recited in claim 3, wherein the available actions area is part of or proximate to the preview pane.

5. The one or more processor-accessible storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the preview area comprises a pop-up overlay that displays the previewed at least one search result.

6. The one or more processor-accessible storage media as recited in claim 5, wherein the available actions area comprises a part of the pop-up overlay and is presented when the pop-up overlay is displayed.

7. The one or more processor-accessible storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple search results are changed when a user changes the selected category of the multiple categories.

8. The one or more processor-accessible storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises:

an information depth selector that sets an amount of information displayed for each search result of the multiple search results.

9. A method comprising:

displaying multiple search results, by a computing device configured to provide viewable and actionable search results, in accordance with a selected category;

detecting, by the computing device, user selection of a plurality of search results of the multiple search results;

displaying, by the computing device, a preview of the selected plurality of search results by displaying a thumbnail preview for each search result of the selected plurality of search results;

presenting, by the computing device, available actions in association with the previewed plurality of search results, the available actions based on the selected category, wherein each of the plurality of search results are associated with a plurality of respective actions, the available actions including actions that are applicable to each of the plurality of search results, and at least one action applicable to a particular search result is not included in the available actions;

detecting, by the computing device, that a new category has been selected; and

in response to the detecting that a new category has been selected, presenting, by the computing device, new available actions in association with the plurality of search results, the new available actions based on the newly selected category.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving user input, by the computing device, to initiate an action of the available actions; and

performing, by the computing device, the initiated action with respect to each of the previewed plurality of search results.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the displaying a preview of the selected plurality of search results comprises displaying the previewed plurality of search results in a pane; and

the presenting available actions in association with the previewed plurality of search results comprises presenting the available actions within the pane or in proximity to the pane.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein:

the displaying a preview of the selected plurality of search results comprises displaying the previewed plurality of search results in a pop-up overlay; and

the presenting available actions in association with the previewed plurality of search results comprises presenting the available actions within the pop-up overlay.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

detecting, by the computing device, that an information depth selector has been adjusted; and

in response to the detecting that an information depth selector has been adjusted, redisplaying, by the computing device, the multiple search results in a format having a different amount of information for each search result of the multiple search results.

14. A device comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more processor-accessible media that include a module to facilitate creation of a user interface for a search environment,

wherein the user interface enables a user to select a category and to cause a search to be performed with regard to the selected category, the user interface including a plurality of selectable categories,

wherein the user interface presents actions that are available for initiation by the user for performance with respect to at least one selected search result,

wherein the module includes a data structure that associates respective categories with respective sets of available actions that are respectively presented as part of the user interface when a respective category is selected by a user such that the actions that are presented by the user interface are dependent on the selected category, and

wherein the module is executable by the processor to;

receive search terms via a search input area of the user interface;

provide search results according to the search terms and the selected category;

receive an indication of selection of an additional category via the user interface; and

provide additional search results in response to receiving the indication of selection of the additional category, wherein the additional search results are based on the search terms and the additional category.

15. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein the module enables the user to initiate the actions that are performed with respect to the at least one selected search result without leaving the search environment.

16. One or more processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a device to display a user interface, the user interface comprising:

a search results area that includes multiple selectable search results;

a category area that identifies multiple categories, each category of the multiple categories capable of being selected;

a preview area that includes a preview of at least one selected search result of the multiple selectable search results; and

an available actions area that indicates one or more actions that may be performed with respect to the previewed at least one selected search result;

wherein the indicated one or more actions are based on a selected category of the multiple categories according to a data structure that associates respective categories with respective one or more actions, the respective one or more actions for presentation as part of the user interface upon selection of a respective category of the multiple categories.

17. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 16 wherein the data structure is separate from at least one of a service provider module and a user interface module.

18. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 16 wherein the data structure is a part of a service provider module.

19. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 16 wherein the data structure is a part of a user interface module.

20. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 16 wherein the multiple categories comprise at least one category selected from a group consisting of a web category, a mail category and a shopping category.

21. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 16 wherein the user interface provides for highlighting one or more search results in the search results area to thereby select one or more of the search results for preview in the preview area.

22. One or more processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a device to display a user interface, the user interface comprising:

a search results area that includes multiple highlightable search results, wherein the multiple highlightable search results include web pages;

a category area that identifies multiple categories, each category of the multiple categories capable of being selected; and

an available actions area that indicates one or more actions that may be performed with respect to a highlighted search result;

wherein the indicated one or more actions are based on a selected category of the multiple categories according to a data structure that associates respective categories with respective one or more actions, the respective one or more actions for presentation as part of the user interface upon selection of a respective category of the multiple categories and upon highlighting a search result.

23. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 22 wherein the data structure is separate from at least one of a service provider module and a user interface module.

24. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 22 wherein the data structure is a part of a service provider module.

25. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 22 wherein the data structure is a part of a user interface module.

26. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 22 wherein the multiple categories comprise at least one category selected from a group consisting of a web category, a mail category and a shopping category.

27. The one or more processor-accessible storage media of claim 22 wherein the user interface provides for highlighting one or more search results in the search results area to thereby select one or more of the search results for preview in the preview area.