Electronic search interface technology

• US 8,495,499 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shutterstock Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shutterstock Incorporated
• Inventors: Denise, Jason Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US13/088,307
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715/739, 715/744, 707706-708, 707/721, 707/805
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Techniques are described for displaying a representation of a list of electronic search results while a user is reviewing content linked to by electronic search results included in the list. While the user is reviewing the search results, the user may jump between content linked to by different search results using the representation of the list of electronic search results displayed. The displayed representation of the list of search results may be updated based on the user'"'"'s browsing activities in reviewing the search results, user input manipulating the list of search results, and supplemental information added to the list of search results by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first search query that was entered by a user and includes one or more terms that define the first search query;

performing a search using the first search query to identify search results that are responsive to the first search query;

based on performing the search using the first search query, identifying a first list of search results that are responsive to the first search query, the first list of search results including at least a first search result that is responsive to the first search query and that links to first electronic content;

causing display of the first list of search results identified based on performing the search using the first search query, the display of the first list of search results including the first search result;

after causing display of the first list of search results identified based on performing the search using the first search query, receiving user input selecting the first search result included in the display of the first list of search results;

receiving a second search query that was entered by the user and includes one or more terms that define the second search query, the second search query being different than the first search query;

performing a search using the second search query to identify search results that are responsive to the second search query;

based on performing the search using the second search query, identifying a second list of search results that are responsive to the second search query, the second list of search results including at least a second search result that is responsive to the second search query and that links to second electronic content, the second list of search results being different than the first list of search results and the second search result being different than the first search result;

causing display of the second list of search results identified based on performing the search using the second search query, the display of the second list of search results including the second search result;

after causing display of the second list of search results identified based on performing the search using the second search query, receiving user input selecting the second search result included in the display of the second list of search results;

subsequent to receiving user input selecting the first search result included in the display of the first list of search results and subsequent to receiving user input selecting the second search result included in the display of the second list of search results, receiving a third search query that was entered by the user and includes one or more terms that define the third search query, the third search query being different than the first search query and being different than the second search query;

performing a search using the third search query to identify search results that are responsive to the third search query;

based on performing the search using the third search query, identifying a third list of search results that are responsive to the third search query, the third list of search results being different than the first list of search results and being different than the second list of search results, the third list of search results including the first search result that links to the first electronic content, the second search result that links to the second electronic content, and a third search result that links to third electronic content, that has not been selected by the user prior to receiving the third search query, and that is different than the first search result and the second search result;

based on the selection, prior to receiving the third search query, of the first search result included in the display of the first list of search results, the selection, prior to receiving the third search query, of the second search result included in the display of the second list of search results, and the third list of search results including the first search result and the second search result, grouping, by at least one processor and within a display of the third list of search results identified based on performing the search using the third search query, a first representation of the first search result and a second representation of the second search result together in a group separate from a third representation of the third search result that has not been selected by the user, even though relevancy ratings, to the third search query, for the first search result, the second search result, and the third search result do not suggest grouping the first search result and the second search result together in the group separate from the third search result that has not been selected by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein grouping, within the display of the third list of search results identified based on performing the search using the third search query, the first representation of the first search result and the second representation of the second search result together in the group separate from the third representation of the third search result that has not been selected by the user comprises reordering, within the third list of search results identified based on performing the search using the third search query, the first representation of the first search result and the second representation of the second search result based on a determination that the first search result was selected prior to receiving the third search query and that the second search result was selected prior to receiving the third search query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein grouping, within the display of the third list of search results identified based on performing the search using the third search query, the first representation of the first search result and the second representation of the second search result together in the group separate from the third representation of the third search result that has not been selected by the user comprises arranging, within the display of the third list of search results identified based on performing the search using the third search query, the first representation of the first search result and the second representation of the second search result in an order that is different than a ranking of the first search result and the second search result with respect to relevance, to the third search query, of the first search result and the second search result.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising ordering, within the group separate from the third representation of the third search result that has not been selected by the user, the first representation of the first search result and the second representation of the second search result based on a first relevancy rating that describes relevance of the first search result to the third search query and a second relevancy rating that describes relevance of the second search result to the third search query.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on the selection, prior to receiving the third search query, of the first search result included in the display of the first list of search results, the selection, prior to receiving the third search query, of the second search result included in the display of the second list of search results, and the third list of search results including the first search result and the second search result, causing display, within the display of the third list of search results identified based on performing the search using the third search query, of a first graphical indicator that is proximate to the first representation of the first search result, that distinguishes the first representation of the first search result from the third representation of the third search result, and that indicates that the first search result was previously selected, and a second graphical indicator that is proximate to the second representation of the second search result, that distinguishes the second representation of the second search result from the third representation of the third search result, and that indicates that the second search result was previously selected.

6. The method of claim 1:

wherein causing display of the first list of search results identified based on performing the search using the first search query comprises causing display of a representation of the first search result that includes description information that is descriptive of the first search result and that enables the user to link to the first electronic content; and

wherein grouping, within the display of the third list of search results identified based on performing the search using the third search query, the first representation of the first search result and the second representation of the second search result together in the group separate from the third representation of the third search result that has not been selected by the user comprises causing display of a reformatted representation of the first search result that has reduced description information of the first search result as compared to the description information included in the representation of the first search result in the display of the first list of search results and that enables the user to link to the first electronic content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein causing display of the reformatted representation of the first search result that has reduced description information of the first search result as compared to the description information included in the representation of the first search result in the display of the first list of search results and that enables the user to link to the first electronic content comprises causing display, concurrently with electronic content linked to by a search result included in the third list of search results, of the reformatted representation of the first search result that has reduced description information of the first search result as compared to the description information included in the representation of the first search result in the display of the first list of search results and that enables the user to link to the first electronic content.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on accessed browsing history information that tracks whether or not the user has reviewed electronic content corresponding to search results, filtering search results from the third list of search results identified based on performing the search using the third search query.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising grouping, within a display of the filtered, third list of search results, reviewed search results for which the accessed browsing history information indicates that the user has reviewed electronic content linked to by the reviewed search results.

10. The method of claim 1:

wherein receiving user input selecting the first search result included in the display of the first list of search results comprises receiving user input selecting the first search result to cause display of the first electronic content linked to by the first search result; and

wherein receiving user input selecting the second search result included in the display of the second list of search results comprises receiving user input selecting the second search result to cause display of the second electronic content linked to by the second search result.