Systems and methods for sorting and displaying search results in multiple dimensions

• US 8,549,042 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Pfleger, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US13/422,358
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-899
• US Class Current: 707/798
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system plots results of a data search. The system executes one or more search queries to search stored data. The system receives results of the executed one or more search queries, where the results are orderable by at least one search characteristic. The system designates a visual representation for each of the results. The system plots each of the visual representations on a multi-dimensional graphical display, where at least one dimension of the multi-dimensional graphical display corresponds to the at least one search characteristic.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

plotting, by one or more processors, search results, identified based on a search query, on a graph;

determining, by the one or more processors, that at least two of the plotted search results are plotted at a same position on the graph;

determining, by the one or more processors, that a first plotted search result, of the at least two plotted search results, is more relevant to the search query than a second plotted search result, of the at least two plotted search results;

shifting, by the one or more processors, the first plotted search result along either a first axis or a second axis so that the at least two plotted search results are not plotted at the same position; and

providing, by the one or more processors, the graph, including the shifted first plotted search result, for display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating first information with the first plotted search result;

associating second information with the second plotted search result;

providing, for display, the first information at a first size; and

providing, for display, the second information at a second size, the first size being different than the second size.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information indicating a selection of the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result; and

providing, for display and based on the received information, additional information within the graph, the additional information being associated with the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information indicating a selection of the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result; and

providing, for display and based on the received information, a link to a document that is associated with the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

plotting the first plotted search result on a first particular location of the graph based on a measure of relevance of the first plotted search result; and

plotting a third search result, of the search results, on a second particular location of the graph based on a measure of relevance of the third search result, the first particular location being different than the second particular location.

6. The method of claim 1, where the first plotted search result is represented on the graph by a fragment of text obtained from the first plotted search result.

7. The method of claim 1, where the first plotted search result is represented on the graph by an image associated with the first plotted search result and a size of the image is based on a measure of relevance, of the first plotted search result, to the search query.

8. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

plot search results, on a graph, the search results being identified as relevant to a search query;

determine that at least two of the plotted search results are plotted at a same position on the graph;

determine that a first plotted search result, of the at least two plotted search results, is more relevant to the search query than a second plotted search result, of the at least two plotted search results;

shift the first plotted search result along either a first axis or a second axis so that the at least two plotted search results are not plotted at the same position; and

provide the graph, including the shifted first plotted search result, for display.

9. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to:

associate first information with the first plotted search result;

associate second information with the second plotted search result;

provide, for display, the first information at a first size; and

provide, for display, the second information at a second size, the first size being different than the second size.

10. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to:

receive information indicating a selection of the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result; and

provide, for display and based on the received information, additional information within the graph, the additional information being associated with the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result.

11. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to:

receive information indicating a selection of the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result; and

provide, for display and based on the received information, a link to a document that is associated with the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result.

12. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to:

plot the first plotted search result on a first particular location of the graph based on a measure of relevance of the first plotted search result; and

plot a third search result, of the search results, on a second particular location of the graph based on a measure of relevance of the third search result, the first particular location being different than the second particular location.

13. The device of claim 8, where the first plotted search result is represented on the graph by a fragment of text obtained from the first plotted search result.

14. The device of claim 8, where the first plotted search result is represented on the graph by an image associated with the first plotted search result and a size of the image is based on a measure of relevance, of the first plotted search result, to the search query.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to plot search results, identified based on a search query, on a graph;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine that at least two of the plotted search results are plotted at a same position on the graph;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine that a first plotted search result, of the at least two plotted search results, is more relevant to the search query than a second plotted search result, of the at least two plotted search results;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to shift the first plotted search result along either a first axis or a second axis so that the at least two plotted search results are not plotted at the same position; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide the graph, including the shifted first plotted search result, for display.

16. The medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions to associate first information with the first plotted search result;

one or more instructions to associate second information with the second plotted search result;

one or more instructions to provide, for display, the first information at a first size; and

one or more instructions to provide, for display, the second information at a second size, the first size being different than the second size.

17. The medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions to receive information indicating a selection of the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result; and

one or more instructions to provide, for display and based on the received information, additional information within the graph, the additional information being associated with the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result.

18. The medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions to receive information indicating a selection of the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result; and

one or more instructions to provide, for display and based on the received information, a link to a document that is associated with the first plotted search result or the second plotted search result.

19. The medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions to plot the first plotted search result on a first particular location of the graph based on a measure of relevance of the first plotted search result; and

one or more instructions to plot a third search result, of the search results, on a second particular location of the graph based on a measure of relevance of the third search result, the first particular location being different than the second particular location.

20. The medium of claim 15, where the first plotted search result is represented on the graph by an image obtained from the first plotted search result and a size of the image is based on a measure of relevance of the first plotted search result.