Search term location graph

• US 7,793,230 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Su, Philip Ti-Fei, Burns, Eric L., Szilagyi, Zoltan C., Kaplanian, Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, TING ZHOU
• Application Number:
  US11/565,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 715/708, 715/712, 715/786, 715/787, 715/833, 707/3, 707/728, 707/729, 707/722, 707/730
• US Class Current: 715/787
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates conveying enhanced query results. An interface component can receive a query corresponding to data. A visual component can employ a search result based at least in part upon the query, wherein the search result includes a graphic identifying a location of at least one term of the query within the queried data.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates conveying enhanced query results, comprising:

a processor that executes the following computer-executable components stored on a computer-storage medium;

an interface component that;

receives a query corresponding to data, and

transcribes at least one of an audio or video data item to locate one or more search terms of the query within the data item when the queried data comprises at least one of the audio or video data item; and

a visual component that transmits instructions to display a query result based at least in part upon the query,

wherein the query result identifies one or more data items and includes a search term location graphic for each of the one or more data items,

wherein the search term location graphic identifies a location within the data item of an occurrence of at least one search term of the query,

wherein when the query result identifies a single data item, the query result is displayed together with the search term location graphic, wherein the search term location graphic is integrated into a vertical scroll-bar having a partially transparent scroll thumb, and

wherein when the query result identifies a plurality of data items, at least two of the plurality of data items are displayed together with the corresponding search term location graphics, wherein each search term location graphic is displayed between the edges of one of a scroll-bar or slider.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more data items comprises one or more of an electronic book, a book, an electronic book file, an electronic magazine, a magazine, an electronic magazine file, an electronic periodical, an electronic periodical file, a periodical, a one-dimensional electronic document, a one-dimensional file, an electronic document, a web page, a web site, an email, an audio file, a video file, data with a slider for navigation, data with a scroll-bar for navigation, an electronic file, a word-processing document, a text document, an audio clip, a video clip, or an instant messenger message.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data rank graph component that creates at least one search term location graphic as a line graph map with at least one plot of at least one search term occurrence within the corresponding data item, wherein the plot is indicated by at least one of a hash, a line, a shape, a color, a font, a vertical line, a horizontal line, a dot, a circle, a star, an arrow, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, or a graphic that indicates a location on the line graph map.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one search term location graphic identifies a location associated with at least one item distributed throughout the corresponding data item, and wherein the item is at least one of a graphic, a picture, a number, a header, a footer, a signature, a digital signature, a watermark, metadata, a document property, a format, a file size, an ink annotation, a voice annotation, a comment bubble, or an image.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one search term location graphic utilizes color variance associated with a frequency of search term occurrence, and wherein a dark color correlates a high frequency of the search term occurrence and a light color correlates to a low frequency of the search term occurrence.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a scroll-bar component that incorporates at least one search term location graphic into at least one of a slider, a scroll-bar, or a tool utilized to navigate queried data in at least one direction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the slider, the scrollbar, or the tool are positioned in at least one of a horizontal or vertical orientation.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the search term location graphic incorporated by the scroll-bar component is embedded within a central area of at least one of the slider or scroll-bar.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein when the query result identifies a plurality of data items, each search term location graphic includes a scroll thumb that is at least one of the following:

a scroll thumb that is at least partially transparent;

a scroll thumb that is alpha-rendering;

a scroll thumb that includes an emphasized border;

a scroll thumb that utilizes alpha-rendering upon a cursor within proximity;

or a scroll thumb that has a minimum thickness with a distinct thin boundary within a larger scroll thumb to designate a scroll position with respect to the search term location graphic.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an emphasis component that enhances at least one search term location graphic to accentuate the location of the search term within the corresponding data item, wherein the accentuation is based at least in part upon a color, a font, a size, a bold, an italicize, an underline, a strikethrough, a highlight, a vertical line, a horizontal line, a dot, a circle, a star, a color, an arrow, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a shape, a graphic that indicates a location on the graph, or a color variance.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a navigation component that allows navigation to a position within a data item identified by the query result based at least in part upon a selection of a correlating position on the search term location graphic that corresponds to the data item.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a hover component that displays a portion of a data item identified by the query result to be displayed upon at least one of a mouse and a cursor placement over a location on the search term location graphic that corresponds to the identified data item.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one search term location graphic includes at least one indication respective to a search term, wherein the search term location graphic illustrates the location of the search term within the corresponding data item from a beginning of the corresponding data item to an end of the corresponding data item.

14. A computer-implemented method that facilitates providing a query result with context, comprising:

employing a processor to execute computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium to perform the following acts;

receiving one or more query search terms targeted toward data;

when the data comprises at least one data item including audio or video formatting, transcribing the audio or video formatting to locate the one or more search terms of the query in the data item;

providing a query result identifying one or more data items;

generating a search term location graph for each of the one or more data items, the search term location graph identifying locations within the data item of occurrences of the one or more search terms; and

transmitting instructions to display the query result, including the identified one or more data items and corresponding search term location graphs,

when the query result identifies a single data item, transmitting instructions to display the query result together with the search term location graph, wherein the search term location graph is integrated into a vertical scroll-bar having a partially transparent scroll thumb; and

when the query result identifies a plurality of data items, transmitting instructions to display at least two of the plurality of data items together with the corresponding search term location graphs, wherein each search term location graph is displayed between the edges of one of a scroll-bar or slider.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more data items comprises one or more of an electronic book, a book, an electronic book file, an electronic magazine, a magazine, an electronic magazine file, an electronic periodical, an electronic periodical file, a periodical, a one-dimensional electronic document, a one-dimensional file, an electronic document, a web page, a web site, an email, an audio file, a video file, data with a slider for navigation, data with a scroll-bar for navigation, an electronic file, a word-processing document, a text document, an audio clip, a video clip, or an instant messenger message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the vertical scroll bar and the scroll-bar or slider between the edges of which the query result identifying a plurality of data items is displayed are partially transparent to enable display of locations of search terms in the data items through the vertical scroll-bar or the scroll-bar or slider.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising creating the search term location graph as a line graph map with at least one plot of at least one search term occurrence within the plurality of data items identified in the query result.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein integrating into the vertical scroll-bar comprises embedding the search term location graph between sides of the scroll-bar.

19. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method for providing an enhanced query result, the method comprising:

receiving a query related to data, the query including one or more search terms;

when the data comprises at least one data item including audio or video formatting, transcribing the audio or video formatting to locate the one or more search terms of the query in the data item;

providing a query result based at least in part upon the query, the query result identifying one or more data items;

generating a search term location graphic for each of the one or more data items, the search term location graphic identifying locations within the data item of occurrences of the one or more search terms;

when the query result identifies a single data item, transmitting instructions to display the query result together with the search term location graphic, wherein the search term location graphic is integrated into a vertical scroll bar having a partially transparent scroll thumb; and

when the query result identifies a plurality of data items, transmitting instructions to display at least two of the plurality of data items together with the corresponding search term location graphics, wherein each search term location graphic is displayed between the edges of one of a scroll bar or slider.