Systems and methods for providing multi-directional visual browsing on an electronic device

• US 8,352,869 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Melcher, Ryan, Howard, Dane
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US12/712,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20100218116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705 50- 79, 345 30-111, 345/173, 348206-2319, 707200-206, 707/3, 707/5, 707/705
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/287 Visualization; Browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

Systems and methods for multi-directional visual browsing on an electronic device are described. In example embodiments, a primary result and a peripheral result associated with a user of a device are determined. A display layout based on attributes associated with the primary result and the peripheral result is generated. The display layout is then rendered and displayed on the device.

Claims

1. A method to provide multi-directional visual browsing on a device, the method comprising:

determining a primary result and peripheral results associated with the device, the primary result being based on a search criteria and the peripheral results being related to the primary result based on attributes associated with the primary result and the peripheral results;

generating a display layout that positions the primary result in a predetermined location of a multi-directional visual browser display and positions the peripheral results in proximity to the primary result based on the attributes, the peripheral results being positioned in a plurality of navigational directions from the predetermined location, each navigational direction corresponding to a respective attribute associated with the peripheral results; and

rendering, using one or more processors, the display layout on the device to provide the multi-directional visual browser display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the primary result comprises performing a search query, the search criteria including keywords used in the search query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the search criteria includes an image used in an image comparison search query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the primary result comprises reviewing one or more lists associated with an account of a user of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the peripheral results comprises determining the attributes of the primary result and discovering items or categories having related attributes, the items or categories having the related attributes resulting in the peripheral results.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying user preferences in the determining of the primary and peripheral results.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined location is at a center of the multi-directional visual browser display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the display layout comprises positioning the peripheral results around the predetermined location based on attributes of the peripheral results and navigation direction constraints.

9. The method of claim 1, thither comprising applying user preferences in the generating of the display layout.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the display layout is a three-dimensional display layout and the generating of the display layout comprises positioning the primary result in a main level of the three-dimensional display layout.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning at least a part of the peripheral results in a level of a three-dimensional display layout lower than the main level where the primary result is positioned.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering of the display layout comprises providing navigational controls indicating the navigational directions on a user interface.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a navigational input;

determining an updated primary result and updated peripheral results based on the navigational input;

generating a new display layout based on attributes associated with the updated primary result and the updated peripheral results; and

rendering the new display layout on the device.

14. A system to provide multi-directional visual browsing, the system comprising:

a primary result module to determine a primary result based on a search criteria;

an attribute determination module to determine attributes associated with the primary result;

a peripheral result module to determine peripheral results based on the primary result and the determined attributes; and

a display optimization module to generate a display layout, the display layout positioning the primary result in a predetermined location of a multi-directional visual browser display and positioning the peripheral results in proximity to the primary result based on attributes of the peripheral results determined by the attribute determination module, and to render the display layout on a device to provide the multi-directional visual browser display, the peripheral results being positioned in a plurality of navigational directions from the predetermined location, each navigational direction corresponding to a respective attribute associated with the peripheral results.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an information access module to obtain data in response to the search criteria and used by the primary result module and the peripheral result module to determine the primary and peripheral results.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a user preference module to provide user preferences in determining the peripheral results and the generating of the display layout.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a navigation display module to provide navigation controls indicating navigational directions on a user interface.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a navigation module to receive a navigation input from a user of the device; and

a navigation direction input module to determine, based on the navigation input, which direction to traverse the multi-directional visual browser display in order to provide a next display.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a refinement module to determine a next set of results for presentation in the multi-directional visual browser display based on a navigation input.

20. A machine-readable storage medium in communication with at least one processor, the machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, provides operations comprising:

determining a primary result and peripheral results, the primary result being based on a search criteria and the peripheral results being related to the primary result based on attributes associated with the primary result and the peripheral results;

generating a display layout that positions the primary result in a predetermined location of a multi-directional visual browser display and positions the peripheral results in proximity to the primary result based on the attributes, the peripheral results being positioned in a plurality of navigational directions from the predetermined location, each navigational direction corresponding to a respective attribute associated with the peripheral results; and

rendering, using one or more processors, the display layout on the device to provide the multi-directional visual browser display.