Facilitating browsing of result sets
First Claim
1. A method of facilitating the browsing of result sets of search queries by a user, comprising:
- displaying in a first area of a computer display a set of queries comprising a plurality of queries, each query having a corresponding result set comprising one or more results pages, each results page comprising a range of consecutive results, one of the queries being selected among those displayed in the first area, the selected query being highlighted;
providing the user with a user interface procedure for submitting an additional query and augmenting the set of queries displayed in the first area with an incremental set of queries, the incremental set comprising at least the additional query, the user interface procedure comprising entering the additional query in a query box and hitting a submission key on a keyboard;
providing the user with a navigation tool for visiting results pages of the result set of the selected query, each visited page being displayed in a second area of the display;
providing the user with a user-interface procedure for selecting a different query in the first area; and
when a query displayed in the first area becomes selected again, after having been selected earlier and one or more other queries having been selected in the interim, using a page number stored in a storage facility to recall which results page of the result set of the selected-again query was last visited while the query was last selected, and automatically displaying the last visited results page in the second area without further user interaction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of facilitating the browsing of a plurality of result sets by a user. The method includes displaying a plurality of queries on a computer display, each query having a corresponding result set, the plurality of queries thereby constituting a set of displayed queries, and displaying the result set of a selected displayed query in response to the user selecting the query from the set of displayed queries via a user interface procedure, while continuing to display the set of displayed queries so the user can subsequently select other queries from the set of displayed queries to thereby interleave browsing the result sets of the queries in the set of displayed queries.
48 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of facilitating the browsing of result sets of search queries by a user, comprising:
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displaying in a first area of a computer display a set of queries comprising a plurality of queries, each query having a corresponding result set comprising one or more results pages, each results page comprising a range of consecutive results, one of the queries being selected among those displayed in the first area, the selected query being highlighted; providing the user with a user interface procedure for submitting an additional query and augmenting the set of queries displayed in the first area with an incremental set of queries, the incremental set comprising at least the additional query, the user interface procedure comprising entering the additional query in a query box and hitting a submission key on a keyboard; providing the user with a navigation tool for visiting results pages of the result set of the selected query, each visited page being displayed in a second area of the display; providing the user with a user-interface procedure for selecting a different query in the first area; and when a query displayed in the first area becomes selected again, after having been selected earlier and one or more other queries having been selected in the interim, using a page number stored in a storage facility to recall which results page of the result set of the selected-again query was last visited while the query was last selected, and automatically displaying the last visited results page in the second area without further user interaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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a computer having a computer display and a storage facility; and a search application stored in the storage facility, programmed to perform a method of facilitating the browsing of result sets of search queries by a user, the method comprising; displaying in a first area of a computer display a set of queries comprising a plurality of queries, each query having a corresponding result set comprising one or more results pages, each results page comprising a range of consecutive results, one of the queries being selected among those displayed in the first area, the selected query being highlighted; providing the user with a user interface procedure for submitting an additional query and augmenting the set of queries displayed in the first area with an incremental set of queries, the incremental set comprising at least the additional query, the user interface procedure comprising entering the additional query in a query box and hitting a submission key on a keyboard; providing the user with a navigation tool for visiting results pages of the result set of the selected query, each visited page being displayed in a second area of the display; providing the user with a user-interface procedure for selecting a different query in the first area; and when a query displayed in the first area becomes selected again, after having been selected earlier and one or more other queries having been selected in the interim, using a page number stored in the storage facility to recall which results page of the result set of the selected-again query was last visited while the query was last selected, and automatically displaying the last visited results page in the second area without further user interaction. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A search application stored in a storage facility, programmed to perform a method of facilitating the browsing of result sets of search queries by a user, the method comprising:
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displaying in a first area of a computer display a set of queries comprising a plurality of queries, each query having a corresponding result set comprising one or more results pages, each results page comprising a range of consecutive results, one of the queries being selected among those displayed in the first area, the selected query being highlighted; providing the user with a user interface procedure for submitting an additional query and augmenting the set of queries displayed in the first area with an incremental set of queries, the incremental set comprising at least the additional query, the user interface procedure comprising entering the additional query in a query box and hitting a submission key on a keyboard; providing the user with a navigation tool for visiting results pages of the result set of the selected query, each visited page being displayed in a second area of the display; providing the user with a user-interface procedure for selecting a different query in the first area; and when a query displayed in the first area becomes selected again, after having been selected earlier and one or more other queries having been selected in the interim, using a page number stored in the storage facility to recall which results page of the result set of the selected-again query was last visited while the query was last selected, and automatically displaying the last visited results page in the second area without further user interaction. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing a search application containing executable instructions for controlling a computer system including a computer display and a storage facility to perform a method of facilitating the browsing of result sets of search queries by a user, the method comprising:
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displaying in a first area of a computer display a set of queries comprising a plurality of queries, each query having a corresponding result set comprising one or more results pages, each results page comprising a range of consecutive results, one of the queries being selected among those displayed in the first area, the selected query being highlighted; providing the user with a user interface procedure for submitting an additional query and augmenting the set of queries displayed in the first area with an incremental set of queries, the incremental set comprising at least the additional query, the user interface procedure comprising entering the additional query in a query box and hitting a submission key on a keyboard; providing the user with a navigation tool for visiting results pages of the result set of the selected query, each visited page being displayed in a second area of the display; providing the user with a user-interface procedure for selecting a different query in the first area; and when a query displayed in the first area becomes selected again, after having been selected earlier and one or more other queries having been selected in the interim, using a page number stored in the storage facility to recall which results page of the result set of the selected-again query was last visited while the query was last selected, and automatically displaying the last visited results page in the second area without further user interaction. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification