Multi-column search results interface
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying search results, the system comprising:
- a processor; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to generate the graphical user interface on a display device, the graphical user interface comprising;
a window having at least two panes arranged as adjacent columns and separated by at least one adjustable column delimiter that visibly marks the boundaries between adjacent panes,a search element that enables a user to submit a search query;
said at least two panes configured to collectively, responsive to submission of the search query, each display search results information from a different respective search category in each of said at least two panes, the different respective search category selected from the group consisting of;
general web search results, image search results, book search results, movie search results, map search results, local area search results, reference search results, dictionary search results, address based search results, news search results, diary search results, bookmark search results, search history search results and tracking number search results, andeach pane being user configurable to be in either an open state suitable for displaying search results information from a particular search category or a closed state in which a column width of the pane is narrowed to a display identifying the particular search category,wherein moving the at least one adjustable column delimiter to a position where a non-zero column width of an adjacent open pane in the open state is below a designated threshold for closing the open pane causes the open pane to automatically be configured in the closed state.
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Abstract
Graphical user interfaces that are well suited for displaying search results from multiple search categories are described. In one aspect of the invention, a graphical user interface is provided that includes a window having at least two panes that are arranged to display search results from searches in different search categories. Each pane can be presented in an open state suitable for displaying information and a closed state. A user may adjust the relative sizes of the panes and the user may switch the panes between the open and closed states.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A system for presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying search results, the system comprising:
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a processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to generate the graphical user interface on a display device, the graphical user interface comprising; a window having at least two panes arranged as adjacent columns and separated by at least one adjustable column delimiter that visibly marks the boundaries between adjacent panes, a search element that enables a user to submit a search query; said at least two panes configured to collectively, responsive to submission of the search query, each display search results information from a different respective search category in each of said at least two panes, the different respective search category selected from the group consisting of;
general web search results, image search results, book search results, movie search results, map search results, local area search results, reference search results, dictionary search results, address based search results, news search results, diary search results, bookmark search results, search history search results and tracking number search results, andeach pane being user configurable to be in either an open state suitable for displaying search results information from a particular search category or a closed state in which a column width of the pane is narrowed to a display identifying the particular search category, wherein moving the at least one adjustable column delimiter to a position where a non-zero column width of an adjacent open pane in the open state is below a designated threshold for closing the open pane causes the open pane to automatically be configured in the closed state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer-implemented method of providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for electronically displaying search related information, the method comprising:
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under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions, providing for electronic display a search element that enables a user to submit a search query and at least two panes arranged to collectively, responsive to submission of the search query, each display search related information or results from a different respective category, the different respective search category selected from the group consisting of;
general web search results, image search results, book search results, movie search results, map search results, local area search results, reference search results, dictionary search results, address based search results, news search results, diary search results, bookmark search results, search history search results and tracking number search results, and each pane being user configurable to be in either an open state suitable for displaying search results information of a particular search category or a closed state which is narrowed to a display identifying the particular search category, wherein panes in the open state are generally arranged as columns;providing for electronic display at least one adjustable column delimiter that visibly marks a boundary between adjacent panes, wherein moving by a user of a column delimiter adjusts the relative sizes of the adjacent panes; and configuring a pane in the open state to automatically be in the closed state upon detecting a movement of a column delimiter adjacent to the pane in the open state to a position where the column width of the pane in the open state is positive and below a designated threshold for closing the pane in the open state. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying search results and related information, the system comprising:
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a processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to generate the graphical user interface on a display device, the graphical user interface including; a search element that enables a user to submit a search query; a window having at least three panes that are arranged to display search related information or results, each of the at least three panes configured to collectively, responsive to submission of the search query, each display search results from a different respective search category in each of said at least three panes, the different respective search category selected from the group consisting of;
general web search results, image search results, book search results, movie search results, map search results, local area search results, reference search results, dictionary search results, address based search results, news search results, diary search results, bookmark search results, search history search results and tracking number search results, and each pane being user configurable to be in either an open state suitable for displaying information from a particular search category or a narrowed column closed state which is narrowed to a display of at least a narrowed column identifying the particular search category; andat least two adjustable delimiters that visibly mark the boundaries between adjacent panes, wherein moving an associated one of the at least two adjustable delimiters to a position where a spatial dimension of an adjacent pane in the narrowed column closed state is above a non-zero designated threshold for opening the adjacent pane from the narrowed column closed state to the open state causes the adjacent pane to automatically be configured in the open state. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A computer-implemented method of providing a graphical user interface for displaying search results and related information, the method comprising:
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under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions, providing for electronic display a search element that enables a user to submit a search query and a plurality of side by side panes, wherein each of the panes is configured to, responsive to submission of the search query, each display independent search related information or results, with at least a first one of the panes being arranged to display search results corresponding to an associated category of search information, different from other categories of search information corresponding to other panes, said associated category and at least one of said other categories selected from the group consisting of;
general web search results, image search results, book search results, movie search results, map search results, local area search results, reference search results, dictionary search results, address based search results, news search results, diary search results, bookmark search results, search history search results and tracking number search results, wherein each of the panes is configured to display search results organized into one or more pages of search results; andproviding for electronic display a page navigation widget that permits a user to cause all of the panes concurrently to display a different page of the one or more pages of search results within each pane if more than one page of search related information or results is available for any of the panes. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification