System and method for updating a search results page in response to a user map interaction

• US 8,108,416 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marlow, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hershley, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/982,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/759, 707/763, 707/769, 707/770, 707/774, 707/766
• US Class Current: 707/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource. The method of the present invention comprises receiving a first search results page in response to a search query comprising at least a first map resource. The method monitors a change in position of a map resource in response to a user interaction and calculates a location corresponding to a map position. The method then re-executes at least one search query based upon said calculated location and displays a second search results page comprising a plurality of updated search results.

Claims

1. A method for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource, the method comprising:

receiving a first search query, the first search query comprising at least one content term and at least one location term;

parsing the first search query and extracting therefrom the at least one content term and the at least one location term;

identifying a first location based on the at least one location term;

transmitting a first search results page in response to executing the first search query, the first search results page comprising a first map resource comprising the first location and one or more first search results related to the at least one content term of the first query and the first location on the map resource;

monitoring a change in position of the first map resource in response to a user interaction, wherein the user interaction comprises clicking and dragging the first map resource;

calculating a second location corresponding to the change in position of the first map resource from a first position to a second position, wherein calculating a second location comprises receiving a latitude, longitude, and zoom factor associated with the second position and translating the latitude, longitude, and zoom factor data into the second location, wherein the second location comprises an address;

generating a query string comprising the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location;

executing a second search query on the basis of the query string comprising the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location; and

displaying a second search results page comprising a second map resource and one or more second search results related to the second map resource in response to the second search query.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the translating latitude, longitude, and zoom factor data is performed by a third-party.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the first search results page comprises displaying a federated search results page comprising a plurality of search results from a plurality of search databases.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first map resource comprises a graphical map and location markers corresponding to the one or more first search results.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a second search results page comprises displaying a centering guide.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a second search results page comprises displaying a plurality of updated federated search widgets.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring is performed using a JavaScript function.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein executing a second search query on the basis of the query string comprising the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location is performed asynchronously.

9. A system for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource, the system comprising:

a client device coupled to a network, the client device operative to;

receive a first search query, the first search query comprising at least one content term and at least one location term, parse the first search query and extract therefrom the at least one content term and the at least one location term, identify a first location based on the at least one location term, transmit a first search results page in response to executing the first search query, the first search results page comprising a first map resource comprising the first location and operative to monitor a change in position of the first map resource in response to a user interaction, wherein the user interaction comprises clicking and dragging the first map resource;

calculate a second location of the first map resource from a first position to a second position, wherein calculating the second location comprises receiving a latitude, longitude, and zoom factor associated with the second position and translating the latitude, longitude, and zoom factor into the second location, wherein the second location comprises an address;

generate a query string comprising the at least one content term of the at least one first search query and the second location;

execute a second search query on the basis of the query string comprising the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location; and

display a second search results page comprising a second map resource and one or more second search results that are related to the second map resource in response to the second search query.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first search results page and the second search results page comprise a federated search page comprising a plurality of search results from a plurality of search databases.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the first map resource comprises a graphical map and location markers corresponding to one or more first search results.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein a second search results page comprises displaying a centering guide.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the second search query comprises one or more search terms and a location.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein to execute a second search query on the basis of the query string comprising the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location is performed asynchronously.

15. Tangible computer readable media comprising program code for execution by a programmable processor that instructs the processor to perform a method for updating a search results page in response to user interaction with a map resource, the method comprising:

program code for receiving a first search query, the first search query comprising at least one content term and at least one location term;

program code for parsing the first search query and extracting therefrom the at least one content term and the at least one location term;

program code for identifying a first location based on the at least one location term;

program code for transmitting a first search results page in response to executing a first search query, the first search results page comprising a first map resource comprising the first location and one or more first search results related to the at least one content term of the first query and the first location on the map resource;

program code for monitoring a change in position of the first map resource in response to a user interaction, wherein the user interaction comprises clicking and dragging the first map resource;

program code for calculating a second location corresponding to the change in position of the first map resource from a first position to a second position, wherein calculating a second location comprises receiving a latitude, longitude, and zoom factor associated with the second position and translating the latitude, longitude, and zoom factor into the second location, wherein the second location comprises an address;

program code for generating a query string comprising the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location;

program code for executing a second search query on the basis of the query string comprising the at least one content term of the first search query and the second location; and

program code for displaying a second search results page comprising a second map resource and one or more second search results related to the second map resource in response to the second search query.

16. The computer readable media of claim 15 wherein the translating latitude, longitude, and zoom factor is performed by a third-party.

17. The computer readable media of claim 15 wherein the program code for displaying the first search results page comprises program code for displaying a federated search results page comprising a plurality of search results from a plurality of search databases.

18. The computer readable media of claim 15 wherein the first map resource comprises a graphical map and location markers corresponding to the one or more first search results.

19. The computer readable media of claim 15 wherein a second search results page comprises displaying a centering guide.