System and method for navigating documents

• US 8,370,367 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Bay-Wei, Fredricksen, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US13/249,185
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 707/751, 707/758
• US Class Current: 707/751
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of this invention allow a user to navigate through previously viewed documents. These documents may be associated with a key, e.g. a search or a document. In response to re-entering the search or detecting subsequent interaction with the document, the navigation may be provided. In certain embodiments, the navigation is provided through a button on a toolbar or through a menu listing.

Claims

1. A method performed by a server device, comprising:

receiving, from a client device, a first search request comprising a first search key;

generating, based on the first search key, a search results page comprising links to resources that are responsive to the first search key;

receiving, from the client device, navigation information identifying one or more of the resources accessed by the client device through the search results page;

sorting the navigation information in accordance with a length of time that the one or more of the resources is displayed in a user interface window of the client device;

storing, in a data collection for storage of search keys and navigation information associated with the search keys, the first search key as a new key;

storing, in the data collection, the received navigation information in association with the new key;

receiving, from the client device, a second search key as a second search request, wherein the second search key is identical to the first search key;

retrieving, from the data collection, the navigation information associated with the first search key;

identifying, from the navigation information associated with the first search key, one of the one or more resources for display by the client device; and

transmitting, to the client device, data for displaying the identified resource.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second search key is stored in the data collection; and

retrieving the navigation information stored in association with the first search key in the data collection, as a consequence of determining that the second search key is stored in the data collection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information comprises data specifying the length of time that the one or more of the resources is displayed in the user interface window of the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second search key is identical to the first search key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one of the one or more of the resources for display by the client device comprises:

identifying an earliest accessed resource of the one or more of the resources accessed by the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the data collection stores information indicative of the first search key.

7. A system comprising:

one or more processors of a service device; and

one or more non-transitory machine-readable media configured to store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a client device, a first search request comprising a first search key;

generating, based on the first search key, a search results page comprising links to resources that are responsive to the first search key;

receiving, from the client device, navigation information identifying one or more of the resources accessed by the client device through the search results page;

sorting the navigation information in accordance with a length of time that the one or more of the resources is displayed in a user interface window of the client device;

storing, in a data collection for storage of search keys and navigation information associated with the search keys, the first search key as a new key;

storing, in the data collection, the received navigation information in association with the new key;

receiving, from the client device, a second search key as a second search request, wherein the second search key is identical to the first search key;

retrieving, from the data collection, the navigation information associated with the first search key;

identifying, from the navigation information associated with the first search key, one of the one or more resources for display by the client device; and

transmitting, to the client device, data for displaying the identified resource.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the second search key is stored in the data collection; and

retrieving the navigation information stored in association with the first search key in the data collection, as a consequence of determining that the second search key is stored in the data collection.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the navigation information comprises data specifying the length of time that the one or more of the resources is displayed in the user interface window of the client device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the second search key is identical to the first search key.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein identifying one of the one or more of the resources for display by the client device comprises:

identifying an earliest accessed resource of the one or more of the resources accessed by the client device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the data collection stores information indicative of the first search key.

13. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media configured to store instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a server device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a client device, a first search request comprising a first search key;

generating, based on the first search key, a search results page comprising links to resources that are responsive to the first search key;

receiving, from the client device, navigation information identifying one or more of the resources accessed by the client device through the search results page;

sorting the navigation information in accordance with a length of time that the one or more of the resources is displayed in a user interface window of the client device;

storing, in a data collection for storage of search keys and navigation information associated with the search keys, the first search key as a new key;

storing, in the data collection, the received navigation information in association with the new key;

receiving, from the client device, a second search key as a second search request, wherein the second search key is identical to the first search key;

retrieving, from the data collection, the navigation information associated with the first search key;

identifying, from the navigation information associated with the first search key, one of the one or more resources for display by the client device; and

transmitting, to the client device, data for displaying the identified resource.

14. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the second search key is stored in the data collection; and

retrieving the navigation information stored in association with the first search key in the data collection, as a consequence of determining that the second search key is stored in the data collection.

15. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the navigation information comprises data specifying the length of time that the one or more of the resources is displayed in the user interface window of the client device.

16. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the second search key is identical to the first search key.

17. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein identifying one of the one or more of the resources for display by the client device comprises:

identifying an earliest accessed resource of the one or more of the resources accessed by the client device.

18. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the data collection stores information indicative of the first search key.