Table of contents for search query refinement

• US 8,694,505 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2009
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lane, Mira, Flynn, Javier Garcia, MacDonald, Brian, Ray, Paul, Malahy, Evan, Connell, Derrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Cheyne D
• Application Number:
  US12/554,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 707/738, 707/748, 707/758, 707/769
• US Class Current: 707/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods and a computing system are provided for presenting a new user interface paradigm which allows users to explore facets related to a search query term while maintaining the original state of the search query term or staying within the confines of the user defined topic. The methods and system present facets or categories of relevant topics of a user generated search query term. The user may then explore these facets in a number of embodiments while maintaining the state of the search.

Claims

1. One or more memory devices having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for providing a user interface for exploring facets relevant to a user search query term, wherein a state of the user search query is maintained, the method comprising:

receiving at least one search query term from a user;

sending the at least one search query term to a back-end server;

receiving relevant facets for the at least one search query term, wherein each of the relevant facets categorizes a set of topics relevant to the at least one search query term and allows the user to refine the one or more search query terms;

displaying the relevant facets for the at least one search query term;

receiving a selection of one of the relevant facets;

sending the selected relevant facet to the back-end server

receiving a set of search results based on the at least one search query term and the selected relevant facet input as a refinement query, wherein the refinement query is executed to generate the set of search results;

displaying;

(1) the relevant facets for the at least one search query term, wherein the relevant facets are generated by the back-end server using the at least one search query term recalled by the back-end server; and

(2) the received set of search results.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising storing the at least one search query term in a database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant facets are displayed in a web browser.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising receiving and displaying a set of search results for the at least one search query term with the relevant facets.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising displaying at least one static facet, wherein the static facet allows the user to refine the at least one search query term.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising providing a user search query prompt.

7. One or more memory devices having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for, providing a user interface for exploring facets and sub facets relevant to a user-generated query, wherein a state of the user generated query is maintained, the method comprising:

receiving at least one search query term from a user;

sending the at least one search query term to a back-end server;

receiving relevant facets for the at least one search query term, wherein each of the relevant facets categorizes a set of topics relevant to the at least one search query term and allows the user to refine the one or more search query terms;

displaying the relevant facets for the at least one search query term;

receiving a selection of one of the relevant facets;

sending the selected relevant facet to the back-end server;

receiving sub facets for the at least one search query term and the selected relevant facet, wherein each of the sub facets categorizes a set of sub topics relevant to the at least one search query term and the selected relevant facet and allows the user to further refine the one or more search query terms;

displaying the sub facets and the relevant facets for the at least one search query term;

receiving a selection of one of the sub facets;

sending the selected sub facet to the back-end server;

receiving a set of search results based on the at least one search query term, the selected relevant facet, and the selected sub facet input, as a refinement query, wherein the refinement query is executed to generate the set of search results; and

displaying;

(1) the relevant facets for the at least one search query term, wherein the relevant facets are generated by the back-end server using the at least one search query term recalled by the back-end server;

(2) the sub facets for the at least one search query term and the at least one search query, wherein the relevant facets are generated by the back-end server using the at least one search query term and the relevant facet recalled by the back-end server; and

(3) the received set of search results.

8. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising storing the at least one search query term in a database.

9. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising storing the selected relevant in a database.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the sub facets and the relevant facets are displayed in a web browser.

11. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising receiving and displaying a set of search results for the at least one search query term with the at least one relevant facets.

12. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising displaying at least one static facet, wherein the static facet allows the user to refine the at least one search query term.

13. A computerized system for providing a user interface for exploring facets relevant to a user search query, wherein a state of the user search query is maintained, the system comprising:

a back-end server configured for;

generating relevant facets for at least one search query term received from a user, wherein the facet categorizes a set of topics relevant to the at least one search query term;

generating relevant facets for at least one search query term using the at least one search query term recalled by a front-end engine;

generating a set of search results based on the at least one search query term and a selected relevant facet input as a refinement query, wherein the refinement query is executed to generate the set of search results;

and

the front-end engine configured for;

receiving relevant facets for the at least one search query term;

sending the at least one search query term and the selected relevant facet to the back end server;

receiving the set of search results based on the at least one search query term and the selected relevant facet input as the refinement query, wherein the refinement query is executed to generate the set of search results;

maintaining the relevant facets for the at least one search query term, wherein the relevant facets are generated by the back-end server using the at least one search query term recalled by the front-end engine;

displaying;

(1) the relevant facets maintained for the at least one search query term; and

(2) the received set of search results.

14. The system of claim 13, the system further comprising a database configured for storing the at least one search query term.

15. The system of claim 13,

the front-end engine further configured for:

receiving a set of search results for the at least one search query term with the relevant facets from the back end server; and

displaying the set of search results for the at least one search query term with the relevant facets.

16. The system of claim 13, the front end engine further configured for sending the selected relevant facet to the back-end server.

17. The system of claim 13, the back-end server further configured for:

generating sub facets for the at least one search query term and the selected relevant facet, wherein each of the sub facets categorizes a set of sub topics relevant to the at least one search query term and the selected relevant facet and allows the user to further refine the one or more search query terms; and

generating sub facets for the at least one search query term and the at least one search query, and wherein the relevant facets are generated by the back-end server using the at least one search query term and the relevant facet recalled by the front-end engine; and

generating a set of search results based on the at least one search query term, the selected relevant facet, and a selected sub facet input as a sub facet refinement query, wherein the sub facet refinement query is executed to generate the set of search results.

18. The system of claim 14, the front-end engine configured for:

receiving the sub facets for the at least one search query term and the selected relevant facet

sending the at least one search query term, the selected relevant facet, and the a selected sub facet to the back end server;

receiving a set of search results based on the at least one search query term, the selected relevant facet, and the selected sub facet input as a sub facet refinement query, wherein the refinement query is executed to generate the set of search results; and

displaying;

(1) the relevant facets for the at least one search query term, wherein the relevant facets are generated by the back-end server using the at least one search query term recalled by the front-end server;

(2) the sub facets for the at least one search query term and the at least one search query, and wherein the relevant facets are generated by the back-end server using the at least one search query term and the relevant facet recalled by the front-end server.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the front end engine further comprises a web browser.

20. The system of claim 13, the front-end engine further configured for displaying at least one static facet, wherein the static facet allows the user to refine the at least one search query term.