Providing tools for navigational search query results

• US 8,239,399 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Govani, Tabreez, Buckley, Jamie, Williams, Hugh, Agrawal, Nitin, Burina, Natalia, Banavar, Hemant
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Almani, Mohsen
• Application Number:
  US12/465,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 707/759, 707/783, 707/769
• US Class Current: 707/759
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search

Abstract

Methods and computer-readable media are provided for displaying a target search result and relevant information on a search results page in response to a user-inputted query on a search page. The target search result and relevant information are identified in a database as having been previously determined to be most relevant to the query, and may be based on past user behavior, for example. The relevant information may include functional tools that include input boxes allowing for the user to interact with a webpage associated with the target search result via the search results page. Once the target search result and relevant information have been determined, the search results page is displayed.

Claims

1. One or more computer-storage media excluding a signal having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed, cause a computing device to perform a method of generating a search results page having one or more search results and relevant information associated with a target search result that is based on a user-inputted query, the method comprising:

receiving a query in a search box on a search page;

based on the query, identifying from a database the target search result that best corresponds to the query and a functional tool corresponding to the target search result that allows a user to directly interact with a webpage associated with the target search result by way of the search results page without the user selecting the target search result, wherein the functional tool and the search box are simultaneously displayed on the search results page, wherein the functional tool includes one or more input boxes that allow for the user to provide input, and wherein once the input that has been provided into the one or more input boxes has been submitted, the user is directed to one or more of,

(1) the search results page that has been modified to include responses associated with the input provided into the one or more input boxes, or

(2) a response page that is associated with the target search result; and

generating the search results page that includes the target search result and the functional tool.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the functional tool includes one or more of a site search box that searches the webpage associated with the target search result, a login box that allows a user to login to the webpage associated with the target search result, an airline searching tool, or a package tracking tool.

3. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the one or more search results that have been determined to be relevant to the query; and

displaying the one or more search results on the search results page.

4. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying from the database targeted material; and

displaying the targeted material on the search results page.

5. The media of claim 4, wherein the targeted material is retrieved from the webpage corresponding to the target result page and stored in the database.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein the targeted material includes one or more of a phone number, location information, images, videos, coupons, or news stories.

7. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from a user into the one or more input boxes; and

displaying a response page that is associated with the target search result.

8. The media of claim 1, wherein the target search result is determined to best correspond to the query based on past user behavior in association with the query and the target search result.

9. The media of claim 3, wherein the target search result is displayed on the search results page in a way that visually distinguishes it from the one or more search results.

10. The media of claim 1, wherein the database includes a plurality of queries and associated search results, and wherein the search results are tagged according to whether each of the search results is an official webpage.

11. The media of claim 1, wherein in addition to the target search result and the functional tool, target search results statistics associated with the target search result are also displayed on the search results page.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the target search result statistics include page views over time that allow the user to predict how authoritative the target search result is in relation to the query.

13. A computer-implemented method that, when executed by a computing device, generates a search results page having one or more search results and relevant information associated with a target search result that is based on a user-inputted query, the method comprising:

receiving a first query on a search page;

identifying from a database a first target search result that best corresponds to the first query and a first functional tool associated with the first target search result that allows a user to directly interact with a webpage corresponding to the first target search result, wherein the first function tool is associated only with the first target search result such that input into the first functional tool only allows for interaction with the webpage corresponding to the first target search result, wherein the first functional tool includes one or more input boxes that allow for a user to provide input, and wherein the one or more input boxes are located on a portion of the search results page that corresponds to the first target search result;

on a first search results page that includes the first target search result and the first functional tool, receiving the input from the user into the one or more input boxes, wherein a response page associated with the first target search result is then displayed;

receiving a second query on the search page;

identifying from the database a second target search result that best corresponds to the second query and a second functional tool associated with the second target search result; and

on a second search results page that includes the second target search result and the second functional tool, automatically populating the one or more input boxes of the second functional tool with the input that the user previously entered into the first functional tool, wherein the one or more input boxes in the first and second functional tools are requesting the same input from the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the input populated into the first functional tool is stored in a cookie such that it can be retrieved at a later time and used to populate the second functional tool.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the input populated into the first functional tool is stored in a functional tool database that is queried when the input is needed for the second functional tool.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second functional tools allow the user to provide information required to search for a flight.

17. One or more computer-readable media having computer-storage media excluding a signal having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed, cause a computing device to perform a method of generating a search results page having one or more search results and relevant information associated with a target search result that is based on a user-inputted query, the method comprising:

receiving a query in a search box on a search results page;

identifying from a first database the one or more search results that correspond to the query;

identifying from a second database, the target search result that best corresponds to the query, and relevant information associated with the target search result, wherein the relevant information includes,

(1) targeted material that includes one or more of a phone number, location information, images, videos, coupons, or news stories, and

(2) functional tools that allow a user to directly interact with a webpage associated with the target search result by way of the search results page without the user selecting the target search result and that are simultaneously displayed along with the search box on the search results page, wherein the functional tools are associated only with the target search result such that input into the functional tools only allows for interaction with the webpage corresponding to the target search result, wherein the functional tools include one or more input boxes that allow for a user to provide input, wherein the functional tools include one or more of a site search box that searches the webpage associated with the target search result, a login box that allows a user to login to the webpage associated with the target search result, an airline searching tool, or a package tracking tool, and wherein once the input that has been provided in the one or more input boxes has been submitted, the user is directed to a response page that is associated with the target search result; and

generating the search results page that includes the one or more search results, the target search result, and the relevant information, wherein the target search result is displayed on the search results page in a way that visually distinguishes it from the one or more search results.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the first and second databases are the same.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein the relevant information has previously been determined to be most relevant to the query based on previous user behavior.

20. The media of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying from a third database one or more related webpages that are similar to the target search result; and

displaying the one or more related webpages on the search results page.