GUI based web search

• US 8,949,215 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Min, Chen, Zheng, Sun, Jian-Tao, Huang, Shen, Wang, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): PEACH, POLINA G
• Application Number:
  US12/038,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,533 Days
• Field of Search: 715709-712, 715/825
• US Class Current: 707/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

An exemplary computer implemented graphics-based Web search system includes a search input control and a results presentation control where the search input control is configured to receive user input to establish a relationship between a query and one or more information tags associated with search results provided by a search engine in response to the query and wherein the results presentation control is configured to re-order the search results in response to the relationship. Such a system allows a user to define and refine search intent and enhance the user'"'"'s search experience. Various other exemplary systems, methods, devices, etc. are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, search results responsive to a search query conducted using a search term;

based at least in part on the search results, generating, by the computing device, information tags of phrases for graphical display at respective locations adjacent to a control graphic configured to receive a positioning input from a user,

the respective locations of the information tags being organized according to a change in concepts associated with the information tags, and

the control graphic comprising a graphic representing the search term, the graphic representing the search term being positionable relative to the respective locations of the information tags to express a user'"'"'s search intent with respect to the information tags;

receiving, by the computing device, a positioning input via the control graphic that positions the control graphic;

selecting at least two information tags of the information tags based at least in part on a distance between the control graphic and the information tags;

weighting a selected information tag of the at least two selected information tags based at least in part on a distance between a location of the control graphic and the selected information tag;

weighting another selected information tag of the at least two selected information tags based at least in part on a distance between a location of the control graphic and the other selected information tag; and

ranking the search results based at least in part on the weighted information tag and the other weighted information tag.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the control graphic, the information tags adjacent to the control graphic, and the search results.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the ranked search results in response to receiving the positioning input via the control graphic.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting one or more display characteristics of one or more of the information tags in response to receiving the positioning input via the control graphic.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a display color of the one or more of the information tags.

6. One or more computer-readable memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive search results responsive to a search query conducted using a search term;

generate information tags for graphical display at locations adjacent to a control graphic configured to receive a user input,

the locations of the information tags being organized according to a change in concepts associated with the information tags, and

the control graphic comprising a query graphic representing the search term, the query graphic being positionable relative to the respective locations of the information tags to express a user'"'"'s search intent with respect to the information tags;

receive a user input via the control graphic, the received user input comprising the user positioning the query graphic at a location relative to the respective locations of the information tags;

select at least two information tags of the information tags based at least in part on a distance between the location of the query graphic and the information tags;

weight a selected information tag of the at least two selected information tags based at least in part on a distance between the location of the query graphic and the selected information tag;

weight another selected information tag of the at least two selected information tags based at least in part on a distance between the location of the query graphic and the other selected information tag; and

rank the received search results based at least in part on the weighed information tag and the other weighted information tag.

7. The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 6, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to display the control graphic, the information tags adjacent to the control graphic, and the received search results.

8. The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 6, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to display the ranked search results in response to the received user input via the control graphic.

9. The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 6, further comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to adjust one or more display characteristics of one or more of the information tags in response to the received user input via the control graphic.

10. The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 9, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting a display color of the one or more of the information tags.

11. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, perform acts comprising;

receiving search results responsive to a search query conducted using a search term;

generating information tags for graphical display at locations adjacent to a control graphic configured to receive a positioning input from a user, the control graphic comprising;

a query graphic representing the search term, the query graphic being positionable relative to the locations of the information tags to express a user'"'"'s search intent with respect to the information tags;

receiving a positioning input via the control graphic, the received positioning input comprising the user positioning the query graphic at a location relative to the locations of the information tags;

selecting one or more of the information tags based at least in part on a proximity of the query graphic to the information tags;

weighting a selected information tag of the one or more selected information tags based at least in part on a distance between the location of the query graphic and the selected information tag; and

ranking the search results based at least in part on the weighted information tag.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the locations of the information tags are organized according to a change in concepts associated with the information tags.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the acts further comprise:

displaying the control graphic, the information tags adjacent to the control graphic, and the received search results.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the acts further comprise:

based at least in part on the received positioning input, displaying the ranked search results.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the acts further comprise:

based at least in part on the received positioning input, adjusting one or more display characteristics of one or more of the information tags.

16. The computing device of claim 11, wherein positioning the query graphic comprises dragging the query graphic relative to the locations of the information tags.