Sourcing terms into a search engine

• US 7,962,504 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehanna, Lara
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan; Kavita
• Application Number:
  US11/420,042
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Information may be presented to a user by receiving a selection of one or more terms passively displayed in a document, loading the terms to a search configuration, generating first results responsive to a user'"'"'s predicted interest as expressed in the search configuration, and enabling display of the first results.

Claims

1. A method of presenting information to a user, the method comprising:

accessing a first query configuration while a web page is displayed;

generating first search results responsive to the first query configuration while the web page is displayed;

identifying, from within terms appearing within a document included in the web page, selectable candidate search terms that are useful for retrieving relevant information for a user by;

accessing a term appearing in the document;

creating a second query configuration that reflects the first query configuration and the accessed term, wherein the second query configuration is created without soliciting user input;

identifying, but not displaying, second search results responsive to the second query configuration;

comparing, while displaying the web page, the first search results and the second search results;

determining, while displaying the web page with the first search results and based on results of comparing the first search results to the second search results, that the accessed term leads to more meaningful results if used in a search query; and

notifying the user that the accessed term leads to more meaningful results if used in the search query;

enabling display of, within the document, terms within the document to visually distinguish the selectable candidate search terms that are included within the document from other terms that are included within the document;

enabling selection of one or more of the selectable candidate search terms from within the document;

generating a query string that includes the selected candidate search terms;

applying the query string to a search interface;

receiving query results based on the applied query string; and

presenting the query results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling selection of the one or more of the selectable candidate search terms from within the document includes:

retaining the arrangement of the document on a visual display when visually distinguishing selectable candidate search terms from other terms within the document; and

enabling selection of one or more of the selectable candidate search terms from within the document by detecting selection of a portion of the screen real estate dedicated to presenting the document and corresponding to the selected candidate search terms.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the query string includes generating a compilation of candidate search terms from multiple documents.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the compilation of candidate search terms from multiple documents includes revising the query string as a user progresses through the multiple documents and selects the candidate search terms from at least two different documents in the multiple documents.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the query results includes presenting resultant pages in association with the document so that the user may perceive an effect of selecting the candidate search term on the query results.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling selection of the one or more terms with an arrangement of candidate search terms includes presenting a search control enabling a user to specify an input mode that specifies how selected candidate search terms modify the query string.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein presenting the search control includes presenting an additive control configured to add the selected candidate search terms to the search query in response to selecting a candidate search term in the document.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein presenting the search control includes presenting a subtractive control configured to add the selected candidate search terms to the search query as terms that should not appear in the query results.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to continue to select one or more additional candidate search terms as the query results are being presented;

using the additional candidate search terms to modify the query string;

applying the modified query string to the search interface;

receiving updated results based on the applied query string; and

presenting the updated results so that the user may perceive an effect of modifying the query string in differences between the query results and the updated results.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting one or more topics responsive to the query string;

enabling the user to modify the query string with inclusion or exclusion of at least one of the topics;

applying the query string to the search interface;

receiving the query results based on the applied query string; and

presenting the query results so that the user may perceive an effect of modifying the query string based on modifying the query string with inclusion or exclusion of the at least one topic.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling selection of the candidate search terms includes:

enabling, after query results have been presented in association with the document based on selection of at least some selectable candidate search terms from within the document, the user to specify interest in a portion of the query results or interest in avoiding the portion of the query results; and

generating revisions to the results responsive to the user specifying interest in the results related to the interest in the portion of the query results or the interest in avoiding the query results related to the selected candidate search terms.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transparent to the user, automatically analyzing the document to generate contextual information; and

using the contextual information as the query string is applied to the search interface.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transparent to the user, automatically accessing non-selected terms appearing in the document related to the selected candidate search terms; and

using the non-selected terms as the query string is applied to the search interface.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring user manipulation of the query results;

determining that the user investigated a portion of the query results;

determining that the portion was not responsive to a user'"'"'s predicted interest; and

modifying the query string to reflect that the portion was not responsive to the user'"'"'s predicted interest.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the portion was not responsive includes prompting the user to confirm that the portion was not responsive.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the portion was not responsive includes specifying that the portion was not responsive without confirmation from the user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the query string as the user changes the document; and

enabling the user to modify the query string with the selectable candidate search terms after changing the document.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to specify that query results associated with less viewership should be rendered before query results associated with more viewership.

19. A method of presenting information to a user, the method comprising:

accessing a first query configuration while a web page is displayed;

generating first search results responsive to the first query configuration while the web page is displayed;

identifying, from within terms appearing within a document included in the web page, selectable candidate search terms, the identifying comprising;

accessing a term in the document;

creating a second query configuration that reflects the first query configuration and the accessed term, wherein the second query configuration is created without soliciting user input;

identifying, but not displaying, second search results responsive to the second query configuration;

determining, while displaying the web page with the first search results, that the accessed term leads to more meaningful results when used in a search query; and

notifying the user that the accessed term leads to more meaningful results if used in the search query;

enabling display of, within the document, terms within the document to visually distinguish the selectable candidate search terms that are included within the document from other terms that are included within the document;

enabling selection of one or more of the selectable candidate search terms from within the document;

generating a query string that includes the selected candidate search terms;

applying the query string to a search interface; and

receiving query results based on the applied query string.