Faceted search results

• US 8,838,582 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hrnkvist, John M., Loofbourrow, Wayne R., Koebler, Eric R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US13/023,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/156 Query results presentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A data processing system receives a first user input comprising a search query. The data processing system displays in a search interface accessible across a plurality of computer application programs, a plurality of results matching the search query. The results are categorized into a plurality of categories and only a first subset of all results are displayed for each of the plurality of categories. The data processing system receives a second user input comprising a selection of one of the plurality of categories. In response to the second user input, the data processing system displays, in the search interface, a second subset of results, wherein the second subset is categorized into one or more subcategories of the selected category.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method comprising:

receiving a first user input comprising a search query;

displaying, by a data processing system, in a search interface accessible across a plurality of computer application programs, a plurality of results from a search performed across files and programs accessible by the data processing system, wherein the plurality of results matches the search query and are categorized into a plurality of categories, only a first subset of the plurality of results are displayed for each of the plurality of categories, and the results in the first subset are displayed grouped together in proximity to a displayed representation of a corresponding category;

receiving a second user input comprising a selection of one of the displayed representations of the plurality of categories; and

in response to the second user input, displaying, in the search interface, a second subset of the plurality of results, wherein the second subset matches the search query and is categorized into a plurality of subcategories of the selected category, and the results categorized into each subcategory is displayed grouped together in proximity to a displayed representation of a corresponding subcategory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second subset of results includes results not previously displayed in the first subsets of results, and wherein the search interface includes a user selectable option to change to a display of all results within at least one category or subcategory.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the second user input, displaying, in the search interface, more results matching the search query in the selected category than were initially displayed for the selected category.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a hierarchy of categories includes additional subcategories of the selected category.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcategories are specific to the selected category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcategories are user-configurable.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third user input, the third user input comprising a selection of one of the displayed results; and

in response to the third user input, opening the selected result.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a fourth user input, the fourth user input comprising a removal of one of a selected category or subcategory; and

in response to the fourth user input, updating the displayed results.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, for display within each category, a limited number of results from the first subset of results for display within each of the plurality of categories based on analysis of the subset of results.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, for display within each subcategory, a limited number of results from the second subset of results for display within each of the plurality of subcategories based on analysis of the subset of results.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcategories are determined automatically based on attributes of the second subset of the plurality of results.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcategories are determined automatically based on attributes of the second subset of the plurality of results.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of categories and subcategories are organized according to a category hierarchy stored and managed by the data processing system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcategories are dynamically selected for display based on analysis of metadata stored with each item in the selected category.

15. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving a first user input comprising a search query;

displaying, by the data processing system, in a search interface accessible across a plurality of computer application programs, a plurality of results from a search performed across files or programs accessible by the data processing system, wherein the plurality of results matches the search query and are categorized into a plurality of categories, only a first subset of the plurality of results are displayed for each of the plurality of categories, and the results in the first subset are displayed grouped together in proximity to a displayed representation of a corresponding category;

receiving a second user input comprising a selection of one of the displayed representations of the plurality of categories; and

in response to the second user input, displaying, in the search interface, a second subset of the plurality of results, wherein the second subset matches the search query and is categorized into a plurality of subcategories of the selected category, and the results categorized into each subcategory is displayed grouped together in proximity to a displayed representation of a corresponding subcategory.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second subset of results includes results not previously displayed in the first subsets of results, and wherein the search interface includes a user selectable option to change to a display of all results within at least one category or subcategory.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

in response to the second user input, displaying, in the search interface, more results matching the search query in the selected category than were initially displayed for the selected category.

18. The storage medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

determining whether a hierarchy of categories includes additional subcategories of the selected category.

19. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the subcategories are specific to the selected category.

20. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the subcategories are user-configurable.

21. The storage medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving a third user input, the third user input comprising a selection of one of the displayed results; and

in response to the third user input, opening the selected result.

22. The storage medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving a fourth user input, the fourth user input comprising a removal of one of a selected category or subcategory; and

in response to the fourth user input, updating the displayed results.

23. A system comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor and configurable for storing instructions, wherein the instructions configure the processor to;

receive a first user input comprising a search query;

display in a search interface accessible across a plurality of computer application programs, a plurality of results from a search performed across files or programs accessible by the data processing system, wherein the plurality of results matches the search query and are categorized into a plurality of categories, only a first subset of the plurality of results are displayed for each of the plurality of categories, and the results in the first subset are displayed grouped together in proximity to a displayed representation of a corresponding category;

receive a second user input comprising a selection of one of the displayed representations of the plurality of categories; and

in response to the second user input, display, in the search interface, a second subset of the plurality of results, wherein the second subset matches the search query and is categorized into a plurality of subcategories of the selected category, and the results categorized into each subcategory is displayed grouped together in proximity to a displayed representation of a corresponding subcategory.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second subset of results includes results not previously displayed in the first subsets of results, and wherein the search interface includes a user selectable option to change to a display of all results within at least one category or subcategory.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to:

in response to the second user input, display, in the search interface, more results matching the search query in the selected category than were initially displayed for the selected category.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to:

determine whether a hierarchy of categories includes additional subcategories of the selected category.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the subcategories are specific to the selected category.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the subcategories are user-configurable.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to:

receive a third user input, the third user input comprising a selection of one of the displayed results; and

in response to the third user input, open the selected result.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions further configure the processor to:

receive a fourth user input, the fourth user input comprising a removal of one of a selected category or subcategory; and

in response to the fourth user input, update the displayed results.