Enhanced search results

• US 8,473,855 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hogan, David, Renner, W. Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/941,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/706, 707/707, 707/722, 707/723, 707/727, 707/728, 707/732, 715/200, 715/205, 715/206, 715/207, 715/760, 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• 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 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A search tool graphical user interface comprises search criteria selected by an operator of the search tool. One or more search results that correspond to the search criteria are displayed on the search tool graphical user interface, and an indication of characteristics is displayed for one or more of the search results. The characteristics displayed may include the availability or maturity of content associated with the search results. The search results may be sorted or filtered based on the characteristics of content associated with the search results. The characteristics may be determined before or after the search results are identified and displayed on the search tool graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method of creating a graphical user interface for search results, the method comprising:

identifying search results for a received query from potential search results based on content data generated based on analyzing the potential search results, the identified search results including a first identified search result associated with a first link to first content and a second search identified result associated with a second link to second content;

accessing characteristic data generated for the first and second identified search results based on analyzing the potential search results;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, a first property associated with an ability to access the first content using the first link;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, a second property associated with an ability to access the second content using the second link, the second property being different than the first property and indicating that the ability to access the second content using the second link is different than the ability to access the first content using the first link; and

creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication, appended to an end of each search result, that (i) the ability to access the second content using the second link is different than the ability to access the first content using the first link and that (ii) includes prose and a selectable icon,

wherein, when an icon is selected, the icon reveals a description of (i) at least one characteristic of a search result, (ii) an explanation of the icon, and (iii) a detailed description of the characteristic and how a determination was made that content for which the icon is displayed has the at least one characteristic represented by the icon.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, the first property associated with the ability to access the first content using the first link comprises determining that the first content is currently available through invocation of the first link;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, the second property associated with the ability to access the second content using the second link comprises determining that the second content is currently unavailable through invocation of the second link; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing the perceivable indication that the ability to access the second content using the second link is different than the ability to access the first content using the first link comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication that the second content is currently unavailable through invocation of the second link.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, the first property associated with the ability to access the first content using the first link comprises determining that accessing the first content using the first link occurs at a first rate;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, the second property associated with the ability to access the second content using the second link comprises determining that accessing the second content using the second link occurs at a second rate that is different than the first rate; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing the perceivable indication that the ability to access the second content using the second link is different than the ability to access the first content using the first link comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication that accessing the second content using the second link occurs at the second rate.

4. A method of creating a graphical user interface for search results, the method comprising:

identifying search results for a received query from potential search results based on content data generated based on analyzing the potential search results, the identified search results including a first identified search result associated with a first link to first content and a second identified search result associated with a second link to second content;

accessing characteristic data generated for the first and second identified search results based on analyzing the potential search results;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, a first characteristic of the first identified search result;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, a second characteristic of the second identified search result, the second characteristic of the second identified search result being different than the first characteristic of the first identified search result;

determining display information for the identified search results based on the first characteristic of the first identified search result and the second characteristic of the second identified search result;

creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information, each of the identified search results displayed with prose and an icon at an end thereof, the prose and icon of each identified search result indicating that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second identified search result includes; and

selecting an icon that reveals a description of (i) at least one characteristic of a search result, (ii) an explanation of the icon, and (iii) a detailed description of die characteristic and how a determination was made that content for which the icon is displayed has the at least one characteristic represented by the icon.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, the first characteristic of the first identified search result comprises determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, that the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first identified search result does not include advertisements;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, the second characteristic of the second identified search result comprises determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second identified search result includes advertisements;

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication, other than the second content, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second identified search result includes advertisements; and

the perceivable indication is the prose and the icon.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, the first characteristic of the first identified search result comprises determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, that the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first identified search result does not include multimedia content;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, the second characteristic of the second identified search result comprises determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second search result includes multimedia content;

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication, other than the second content, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second identified search result includes multimedia content, regardless of whether the received query includes user specified criteria concerning the presence of multimedia content, the user specified criteria defines the received query; and

the perceivable indication is the prose and the icon.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, the first characteristic of the first identified search result comprises determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, that the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first identified search result includes content provided by a first type of source;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, the second characteristic of the second identified search result comprises determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, that the second content includes content provided by a second type of source that is different than the first type of source;

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication, other than the second content and the second link, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second identified search result includes content provided by the second type of source; and

the perceivable indication is the prose and the icon.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, the first characteristic of the first identified search result comprises determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, that the first content accessible through invocation of the first link associated with the first identified search result is appropriate for a first age group;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, the second characteristic of the second identified search result comprises determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second identified search result is inappropriate for the first age group;

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information, the graphical user interface providing a perceivable indication, other than the second content, that the second content accessible through invocation of the second link associated with the second identified search result is inappropriate for the first age group, regardless of whether the received query includes user specified criteria concerning whether content is inappropriate, the user specified criteria defines the received query; and

the perceivable indication is the prose and the icon.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining display information for the identified search results based on the first characteristic of the first identified search result and the second characteristic of the second identified search result comprises determining an order with which to display the first identified search result and the second identified search result based on the first characteristic of the first identified search result and the second characteristic of the second identified search result; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the first identified search result and the second identified search result in the determined order.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining display information for the identified search results based on the first characteristic of the first identified search result and the second characteristic of the second identified search result comprises determining to display the first identified search result, but not to display the second identified search result based on the first characteristic of the first identified search result and the second characteristic of the second identified search result; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results including the first identified search result, but not the second identified search result.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein:

determining display information for the identified search results based on the first characteristic of the first identified search result and the second characteristic of the second identified search result comprises determining display information that includes a graphical icon representing the second characteristic of the second identified search result; and

creating the graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user based on the display information comprises creating a graphical user interface enabling display of the identified search results to the user, the graphical user interface including the graphical icon representing the second characteristic of the second identified search result.

12. A method of presenting a graphical user interface for search results, the method comprising:

identifying search results for a user submitted query from potential search results based on content data generated based on analyzed potential search results, the identified search results including a first identified search result associated with a first link to first content and a second search result associated with a second link to second content;

accessing characteristic data generated for the first and second identified search results based on analyzing the potential search results;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the first identified search result, a first property associated with an ability to access the first content using the first link;

determining, based on the accessed characteristic data corresponding to the second identified search result, a second property associated with an ability to access the second content using the second link, the second property being different than the first property and indicating that the ability to access the second content using the second link is different than the ability to access the first content using the first link;

presenting a graphical user interface displaying (i) the identified search results, (ii) a summary of each identified search result, after the identified search result, and (iii) prose and a selectable icon, at an end of each search result summary, that the ability to access the second content using the second link is different than the ability to access the first content using the first link, and

selecting an icon that reveals a description of (i) at least one characteristic of a search result, (ii) an explanation of the icon, and (iii) a detailed description of the characteristic and how a determination was made that content for which the icon is displayed has the at least one characteristic represented by the icon.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the prose and selectable icon indicate the second content includes multimedia content, when the submitted query does not include user specified criteria concerning the presence of multimedia content, the user specified criteria defines the submitted query.