Presenting search results in hierarchical form

• US 8,935,237 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andersson, Rasmus Mathias, Yao, Rose, Tseng, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): Boccio, Vincent F
• Application Number:
  US13/229,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20130066853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/706, 707/707, 707/708, 707/805, 707/769, 707/732, 707/722, 715/738, 715/739, 715/744, 715/804, 715/805, 715/864
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results

Abstract

In one embodiment, identify a set of search results in response to a search query; display the set of search results; receive a user interaction in connection with a first search result from the set of search results; and in response to the user interaction, if the first search result is associated with one or more first information items, then expand the first search result, comprising display the one or more first information items associated with the first search result.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a mobile device associated with a user of a social network, identifying a set of search results in response to a search query;

by the mobile device, displaying the set of search results organized in a hierarchy;

by the mobile device, determining that one or more search results of the set of search results are associated with one or more information items, wherein at least one of the one or more information items is associated with the social network;

by the mobile device, pre-fetching the one or more information items associated with the one or more search results;

by the mobile device, receiving a first user interaction in connection with a first search result from the set of search results;

by the mobile device, in response to the first user interaction, determining that;

the first search result is associated with one or more of the pre-fetched information items; and

one or more second search results from the set of search results are expanded; and

by the mobile device, concurrently expanding the first search result and automatically collapsing the second search results, wherein the expanding the first search result comprises displaying the one or more pre-fetched information items associated with the first search result, and wherein the automatically collapsing the second search results comprises removing, from display, information items associated with the one or more second search results.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the mobile device, receiving a second user interaction in connection with a first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items;

by the mobile device, in response to the second user interaction, determining that the first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items is associated with one or more second information items; and

by the mobile device, expanding the first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items, comprising displaying the one or more second information items associated with the first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the mobile device, receiving a second user interaction;

by the mobile device, in response to the second user interaction, determining that a first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items is associated with a call-to-action and the second user interaction comprises an interaction with the call-to-action; and

by the mobile device, performing the action associated with the call-to-action.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the mobile device, receiving a second user interaction;

by the mobile device, in response to the second user interaction, determining that the first search result is linked to a second information item; and

by the mobile device, displaying the second information item, replacing the set of search results.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second information item is a web page.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the mobile device, receiving a second user interaction;

by the mobile device, in response to the second user interaction, determining that the first search result is linked to a second information item; and

by the mobile device, expanding the first search result, comprising displaying the second information item below the first search result.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the mobile device, receiving a second user interaction in connection with the first search result; and

by the mobile device, in response to the second user interaction, collapsing the first search result so that no pre-fetched information item associated with the first search result is displayed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the mobile device, receiving a second user interaction in connection with a third search result from the set of search results;

by the mobile device, in response to the second user interaction, determining that the third search result is associated with one or more second information items;

by the mobile device, collapsing the first search result so that no pre-fetched information item associated with the first search result is displayed; and

by the mobile device, expanding the third search result, comprising displaying the one or more second information items associated with the third search result.

9. A system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and

the one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

identify a set of search results in response to a search query;

display the set of search results organized in a hierarchy;

determine that one or more search results of the set of search results are associated with one or more information items, wherein at least one of the one or more information items is associated with a social network;

pre-fetch the one or more information items associated with the one or more search results;

receive a first user interaction in connection with a first search result from the set of search results;

in response to the first user interaction, determine that;

the first search result is associated with one or more of the pre-fetched information items; and

one or more second search results from the set of search results are expanded; and

concurrently expand the first search result and automatically collapse the second search results, wherein the instructions to expand the first search result comprise instructions to display the one or more pre-fetched information items associated with the first search result, and wherein the instructions to automatically collapse the second search results comprise instructions to remove, from display, information items associated with the one or more second search results.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive a second user interaction in connection with a first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that the first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items is associated with one or more second information items; and

expand the first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items, comprising display the one or more second information items associated with the first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive a second user interaction;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that a first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items is associated with a call-to-action and the second user interaction comprises an interaction with the call-to-action; and

perform the action associated with the call-to-action.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive a second user interaction;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that the first search result is linked to a second information item; and

display the second information item, replacing the set of search results.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second information item is a web page.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive a second user interaction;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that the first search result is linked to a second information item; and

expand the first search result, comprising display the second information item below the first search result.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive a second user interaction in connection with the first search result; and

in response to the second user interaction, collapse the first search result so that no pre-fetched information item associated with the first search result is displayed.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive a second user interaction in connection with a third search result from the set of search results;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that the third search result is associated with one or more second information items;

collapse the first search result so that no pre-fetched information item associated with the first search result is displayed; and

expand the third search result, comprising display the one or more second information items associated with the third search result.

17. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software operable when executed by one or more computer systems to:

identify a set of search results in response to a search query;

display the set of search results organized in a hierarchy;

determine that one or more search results of the set of search results are associated with one or more information items, wherein at least one of the one or more information items is associated with a social network;

pre-fetch the one or more information items associated with the one or more search results;

receive a first user interaction in connection with a first search result from the set of search results;

in response to the first user interaction, determine that;

the first search result is associated with one or more of the pre-fetched information items; and

one or more second search results from the set of search results are expanded; and

concurrently expand the first search result and automatically collapse the second search results, wherein the instructions to expand the first search result comprise instructions to display the one or more pre-fetched information items associated with the first search result and wherein the instructions to automatically collapse the second search results comprise instructions to remove, from display, information items associated with the one or more second search results.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive a second user interaction in connection with a first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that the first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items is associated with one or more second information items; and

expand the first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items, comprising display the one or more second information items associated with the first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive a second user interaction;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that a first one of the one or more pre-fetched information items is associated with a call-to-action and the second user interaction comprises an interaction with the call-to-action; and

perform the action associated with the call-to-action.

20. The media of claim 17, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive a second user interaction;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that the first search result is linked to a second information item; and

display the second information item, replacing the set of search results.

21. The media of claim 20, wherein the second information item is a web page.

22. The media of claim 17, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive a second user interaction;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that the first search result is linked to a second information item; and

expand the first search result, comprising display the second information item below the first search result.

23. The media of claim 17, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive a second user interaction in connection with the first search result; and

in response to the second user interaction, collapse the first search result so that no pre-fetched information item associated with the first search result is displayed.

24. The media of claim 17, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive a second user interaction in connection with a third search result from the set of search results;

in response to the second user interaction, determine that the third search result is associated with one or more second information items;

collapse the first search result so that no pre-fetched information item associated with the first search result is displayed; and

expand the third search result, comprising display the one or more second information items associated with the third search result.