User interface and method in a local search system with related search results

• US 8,145,703 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frishert, Michiel, Jouline, Anton V., Massie, William Ryan, Reed, JR., William Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desrosiers, Evans
• Application Number:
  US11/941,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709/226, 705/114
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

The invention provides a user interface including a first view transmitted from a server computer system to a client computer system, the first view including a search identifier, interaction with the search identifier causing of a search request from the client computer system to the server computer system, the search request being utilized at the server computer system to extract at least an initial search result from a search data source, the initial search result including information relating to a geographic location to the client computer system for display at the client computer system, and a second view transmitted from the server computer system in response to the user interacting with the search identifier, the second view including the initial search result and the plurality of related search suggestions.

Claims

1. A server computer system, comprising:

a processor;

at least one storage medium connected to the processor;

a search data store on the storage medium;

a plurality of entries in the search data store, each entry including a name, information relating to a geographic location and a category;

a plurality of search suggestion categories in the search data store that match the categories of the entries; and

a set of instructions executable by the processor, the set of instructions including;

a first view transmitted from the server computer system to a client computer system, the first view including a search identifier, interaction with the search identifier causing reception of a search request and a desired location from the client computer system at the server computer system;

a search engine, the search request and the desired location being utilized by the search engine to extract a plurality of initial search results from the entries in the search data store, the initial search results each including information relating to a respective geographic location and each having a first category within the search data store, the search engine further extracting a plurality of related search suggestion categories from the search suggestion categories in the search data store the related search suggestion categories matching categories other than the first category of the initial search results; and

a second view, at least part of which is transmitted from the server computer system to the client computer system in response to the user interacting with the search identifier, the second view including the initial search results and the plurality of related search suggestion categories, selection of a respective related search suggestion category causing transmission of a related search request from the client computer system to the server computer system, the search engine extracting a plurality of additional search results from the entries in the search data store, the additional search results being extracted based on the respective related search suggestion category selected by the user and the desired location transmitted with the search request; and

a third view, at least part of which is transmitted from the server computer system to the client computer system in response to the user selecting the respective related search suggestion category, the third view including the additional search results, each additional search result including information relating to a respective geographic location for display by the user computer system.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the second view includes a plurality of context identifiers, a plurality of the related search suggestion categories being associated with each context identifier.

3. The user interface of claim 2, wherein the first view includes a plurality of vertical search determinators, wherein the search result depends on a respective one of the vertical search determinators.

4. The user interface of claim 2, wherein a second context identifier is displayed in the second view if the search result depends on the second one of the vertical search determinators and the second context identifier does not appear in the second view if the search result depends on the first one of the vertical search determinators.

5. The user interface of claim 2, wherein the context identifiers include at least one of category, neighborhood, genre, and venue.

6. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the context identifiers include at least two of category, neighborhood, genre, and venue.

7. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the related search suggestions categories are neighborhoods other than a neighborhood of the initial search result but in the same city as a city of the initial search result.

8. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the related search suggestion categories are all one of restaurant type and movie genre.

9. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the geographic location includes an address.

10. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the second view includes a map and the information relating to the geographic location is used to indicate the geographic location on the map.

11. A method of interfacing with a client computer system, comprising:

transmitting a first view from a server computer system to the client computer system, the first view including a search identifier;

in response to a user interacting with the search identifier, receiving an initial search request and a desired location from the client computer system at the server computer system;

utilizing the initial search request and the desired location at a search engine of the server computer system to extract a plurality of initial search results from entries in at least one search data store of the server computer system, the initial search results each including information relating to a geographic location and each having a first category within the search data store;

extracting a plurality of related search suggestion categories from search suggestion categories that match categories of the entries in the search data store, the related search suggestion categories matching categories other than the first category of the initial search results;

transmitting at least part of a second view from the server computer system to the client computer system for display at the client computer system in response to the user interacting with the search identifier, wherein the second view includes the initial search results and the plurality of related search suggestion categories, selection of a respective related search suggestion category causing transmission of a related search request from the client computer system to the server computer system;

utilizing the respective related search suggestion category selected by the user and the desired location transmitted with the search request at the search engine to extract a plurality of additional search results from the entries in the search data store; and

transmitting at least part of a third view from the server computer system to the client computer system in response to the user selecting the respective related search suggestion category, the third view including the additional search results, each additional search result including information relating to a respective geographic location for display by the user computer system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second view includes a plurality of context identifiers, a plurality of the related search suggestions being associated with each context identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first view includes a plurality of vertical search determinators, wherein the search result depends on a respective one of the vertical search determinators.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a second context identifier is displayed in the second view if the search result depends on the second one of the vertical search determinators and the second context identifier does not appear in the second view if the search result depends on the first one of the vertical search determinators.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the context identifiers include at least one of category, neighborhood, genre, and venue.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the context identifiers include at least two of category, neighborhood, genre, and venue.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the related search suggestions are neighborhoods other than a neighborhood of the initial search result but in the same city as a city of the initial search result.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the initial search result has a plurality of categories and the related search suggestions are the categories.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the categories are all one of restaurant type and movie genre.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of at least one computer, executes a method comprising:

transmitting a first view from a server computer system to the client computer system, the first view including a search identifier;

in response to a user interacting with the search identifier, receiving an initial search request and a desired location from the client computer system at the server computer system;

utilizing the initial search request and the desired location at a search engine of the server computer system to extract a plurality of initial search results from entries in at least one search data store of the server computer system, the initial search results each including information relating to a geographic location and each having a first category within the search data store;

extracting a plurality of related search suggestion categories from search suggestion categories that match categories of the entries in the search data store, the related search suggestion categories matching categories other than the first category of the initial search results;

transmitting at least part of a second view from the server computer system to the client computer system for display at the client computer system in response to the user interacting with the search identifier, wherein the second view includes the initial search results and the plurality of related search suggestion categories, selection of a respective related search suggestion category causing transmission of a related search request from the client computer system to the server computer system;

utilizing the respective related search suggestion category selected by the user and the desired location transmitted with the search request at the search engine to extract a plurality of additional search results from the entries in the search data store; and

transmitting at least part of a third view from the server computer system to the client computer system in response to the user selecting the respective related search suggestion category, the third view including the additional search results, each additional search result including information relating to a respective geographic location for display by the user computer system.