Search page topology

• US 8,965,788 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Gonsalves, Michael F., Nations, Gregory M., Gourley, Chad R., Neidermire, Troy, Korth-McDonnell, Patricia, Stewart, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Sun
• Application Number:
  US13/177,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.54, 705/14.73, 707/E17.014, 707/E17.018, 707/766, 707/769, 707/999.003, 1/1
• US Class Current: 705/14.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In one embodiment, a search page portal can include two search controls capable of controlling content within a set of customizable merchandizing tiles and product tiles. The merchandizing tiles and product tiles may be interspersed throughout a central region. The merchandizing tiles and product tiles can be populated with webpage content based on user-entered data. In this example, populated webpage content can be selected from multiple databases based on user-entered data.

Claims

1. A method of serving a search portal, the method comprising:

serving, from a retail server to a client computing device, a search portal of a retail enterprise, the search portal including

a central region having an array of customizable merchandizing tiles, said merchandizing tiles being customizable by the retail enterprise serving a webpage to display one of an advertisement and a product available for purchase via the webpage;

at least one informational region comprising two or more sub-regions selected from the group consisting of an FAQ subsection, a buying guide subsection, a publications subsection, and a stores subsection, the stores subsection being linked to a portal providing information about physical retail locations of the retail enterprise;

receiving, from a client computing device, a first user search input activating a search query;

in response to the first user search input, generating, using at least one computer, a first webpage content for the search portal based on the first user search input;

concurrently populating the central region with a first portion of the first webpage content and the at least one informational region with a second portion of the first webpage content without further action by the first user other than the first user search input activating the search query, wherein the first portion of the first webpage content and the second portion of the first webpage content are based on the first user search input; and

,

configuring at least one computer to dynamically populate the central region and the at least one informational region with different content based on a search input different from the first user search input without further action by a user other than input of a different search activating a different search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user search input is a search for one or more products in a first product category and the first portion of the first webpage content includes merchandizing tiles providing sales information relating to one or more products within the first product category and the second portion of the first webpage content includes information for at least one buying guide and at least one publication relating to at least one product within the first product category.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, from a client computing device, a second user search input activating a search query, the second user search input is a search for one or more products within a second product category different from the first product category;

in response to the second user search input, generating, using at least one computer, a second webpage content for the search portal based on the second user search input;

concurrently populating, based on the second user search input, the central region with a first portion of the second webpage content and the at least one informational region with a second portion of the second webpage content without further action by the second user other than the second user search input activating a search query, wherein the first portion of the second webpage content and the second portion of the second webpage content are particular to the second user search input.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

concurrently populating, based on the second user search input, the central region with merchandizing tiles providing sales information relating to one or more products within the second product category and the second portion with at least one buying guide and at least one publication particular to at least one product within the second product category.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

subsequent to receiving the first user search input, receiving a filtering search input activating a content filter;

associating the content filter with at least one displayed product in the central region, wherein the content filter revises the webpage content to display product review information pertaining to at least one displayed product; and

providing revised webpage content in the at least one informational region, wherein the revised webpage content is selected for page population based on the filtering search input.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving content for the two or more sub-regions from multiple databases.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the following generally horizontal regions are positioned proximate to and below a search input region of the search portal:

a related search region, a suggested search target region, and a sort controls region.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the array of customizable merchandizing tiles are displayed beneath three generally horizontal regions including the related search region, the suggested search target region, and the sort controls region.

9. A computer-implemented method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

displaying a GUI including a navigation area, the navigation area including a central region having an array of customizable merchandizing tiles, said merchandizing tiles being customizable by a retail enterprise serving said GUI to display one of an advertisement and a product available for purchase via the GUI; and

a generally horizontal region positioned beneath the merchandizing tiles and comprising two or more sub-regions selected from the group consisting of an FAQ subsection, a buying guide subsection, a publications subsection, and a stores subsection, the stores subsection being linked to a portal providing information about physical retail locations;

receiving, from a client computing device, a first user search input activating a search query;

in response to the first user search input, generating, using at least one computer, a first webpage content for the GUI based on the first user search input;

concurrently populating the central region with a first portion of the first webpage content and the generally horizontal region with a second portion of the first webpage content without further action by the first user other than the first user search input activating the search query, wherein the first portion of the first webpage content and the second portion of the first webpage content are based on the first user search input; and

,

configuring at least one computer to dynamically populate the central region and the generally horizontal region with different content upon receiving from a client computing device a search input which is different from the first user search input without further action by a user other than a different user search input activating a different search query.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first user search input is a search for one or more products in a first product category and the first portion of the first webpage content includes merchandizing tiles providing sales information relating to one or more products within the first product category and the second portion of the first webpage content includes information for at least one buying guide and at least one publication relating to at least one product within the first product category.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from a client computing device, a second user search input activating a search query, the second user search input is a search for one or more products within a second product category different from the first product category;

in response to the second user search input, generating, using at least one computer, a second webpage content for the GUI based on the second user search input;

concurrently populating the central region with a first portion of the second webpage content and the at least one informational region with a second portion of the second webpage content without further action by the second user other than the second user search input activating a search query, wherein the first portion of the second webpage content and the second portion of the second webpage content are based on the second user search input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second webpage content includes merchandizing tiles providing sales information relating to one or more products within the second product category and the second portion of the second webpage content includes information for at least one buying guide and at least one publication particular to at least one product within the second product category.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one information section includes the FAQ subsection, the buying guide subsection, the publications subsection, and the stores subsection.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising retrieving the GUI content for the FAQ subsection, the buying guide subsection, the publications subsection, or the stores subsection from different databases.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein at least two of the following generally horizontal sections are positioned proximate to and below a search input section of the GUI:

a related search section, a suggested search target section, and a sort controls section.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the array of customizable merchandizing tiles are displayed beneath three generally horizontal sections including the related search section, the suggested search target section, and the sort controls section.

17. A computer-implemented method of providing a graphical user interface (GUI) on at least one electronic display over a communication network, the method comprising:

generating, with at least one computer, a GUI;

displaying the GUI, using at least one computer, on at least one electronic display, the GUI including a central region having a plurality of customizable tiles, each of the plurality of customizable tiles being customizable by a retail enterprise serving a webpage to display in each of the plurality of customizable tiles a graphic image of a product available for purchase via the webpage, at least two of the plurality of customizable tiles are positioned side-by-side, the GUI further including a generally horizontal region positioned beneath the plurality of customizable tiles and comprising a help sub-region and a stores sub-region, the stores sub-region having information on physical retail locations, the GUI further including an ad control region having a list of advertisements, the ad control region being offset horizontally from the plurality of customizable tiles, the help sub-region and the stores sub-region, the GUI further including a search control region having a plurality of options a user can select from to narrow results of a search displayed in the central region, the search control region being substantially vertically aligned with the ad control region and being offset horizontally from the plurality of customizable tiles, the help sub-region and the stores sub-region;

receiving, from a client computing device, a first user search input activating a search query;

in response to the first user search input, generating, using at least one computer, a first webpage content for the GUI based on the first user search input;

concurrently populating the central region with a first portion of the first webpage content and the ad control region with a second portion of the first webpage content without further action by the first user other than the first user search input activating the search query, wherein the first portion of the first webpage content and the second portion of the first webpage content are based on the first user search input; and

,

configuring at least one computer to dynamically populate the central region and the ad control region with different content upon receiving from a client computing device a search input which is different from the first user search input without further action by a user other than a different user search input activating a different search query.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the GUI further comprises a related search list based on the first user search input, the related search list includes a list of keywords that are related to the first user search input.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the GUI further comprises a product category control configured to allow a first user to narrow a first search result displayed in the central region based on the first user search input by selecting one of a plurality of product categories of the product category control.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the GUI further comprises a first control and a second control simultaneously displayed on a portion of a webpage, the first control is configured such that when activated by the first user products matching the first user search input are displayed in the central region, the second control is configured such that when activated by the first user at least portions of articles matching the first user search input are displayed in the central region.