Method, system, and graphical user interface for improved search result displays via user-specified annotations

• US 9,529,861 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Reynar, Jeffrey C, Dave, Kushal B, Flatt, Eric S, Hylton, Jeremy A, Korn, Jeffrey L, Gordon, Michael Stuart, Scott, James K, Zamir, Oren Eli
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAYE, CHELCIE L
• Application Number:
  US14/664,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 707/726
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/00 Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units program control for peripheral devices G06F13/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Computers and methods are provided for receiving a search request sent by a computer associated with a user. A set of documents comprising a plurality of documents that satisfy the search request is identified. At least some documents in the plurality of documents have previously been annotated by at least one user of a plurality of users. A response to the search request is sent. The response includes a ranked set of links to at least some of the plurality of documents that satisfy the search request. At least some of the links are to documents that have previously been annotated by at least one user of the plurality of users. The response is associated with instructions to display one or more corresponding annotations for at least some of the links to documents that have previously been annotated by at least one user of the plurality of users. The response is further associated with instructions to display a filter selector including one or more filter options to reduce the identified set of documents.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a search request sent by a computer associated with a user;

identifying a set of documents comprising a plurality of documents that satisfy the search request, wherein at least some documents in the plurality of documents have previously been annotated by at least one user of a plurality of users; and

sending a response to the search request, the response including;

a ranked set of links to at least some of the plurality of documents that satisfy the search request, wherein at least some of the links are to documents that have previously been annotated by at least one user of the plurality of users, and wherein the response is associated with;

instructions to display one or more corresponding annotations for at least some of the links to documents that have previously been annotated by at least one user of the plurality of users, and

instructions to display a filter selector including one or more filter options to reduce the identified set of documents, the one or more filter options including filtering for active labels based on a weighted combination of a frequency and recency of use of the label.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search request is a request to search the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the documents in the plurality of documents are web pages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotations are ratings, labels, and/or comments by at least one user of the plurality of users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more filter options includes filtering for positive ratings.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more filter options includes filtering for negative ratings.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more filter options includes filtering for ratings above a defined threshold.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more filter options includes filtering to remove links to documents rated as trash or spam.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more filter options includes filtering to show private annotations by the user.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more filter options includes filtering for annotations by a top rater.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a top rater is one user of the plurality of users whose annotations have been deemed helpful by a subset of users in the plurality of users.

8. A computer comprising memory, one or more processors, and one or more programs stored in the memory and executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving a search request sent by a computer associated with a user;

identifying a set of documents comprising a plurality of documents that satisfy the search request, wherein at least some documents in the plurality of documents have previously been annotated by at least one user of a plurality of users; and

sending a response to the search request, the response including;

a ranked set of links to at least some of the plurality of documents that satisfy the search request, wherein at least some of the links are to documents that have previously been annotated by at least one user of the plurality of users, and wherein the response is associated with;

instructions to display one or more corresponding annotations for at least some of the links to documents that have previously been annotated by at least one user of the plurality of users, and

instructions to display a filter selector including one or more filter options to reduce the identified set of documents, the one or more filter options including filtering for active labels based on a frequency and a recency of use of a label.

9. The computer of claim 8, wherein the search request is a request to search the Internet.

10. The computer of claim 8, wherein at least some of the documents in the plurality of documents are web pages.

11. The computer of claim 8, wherein the annotations are ratings, labels, and/or comments by at least one user of the plurality of users.

12. The computer of claim 8, wherein one of the one or more filter options includes filtering for positive ratings.

13. The computer of claim 8, wherein one of the one or more filter options includes filtering for negative ratings.

14. A computer-program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions for;

receiving a search request sent by a computer associated with a user;

identifying a set of documents comprising a plurality of documents that satisfy the search request, wherein at least some documents in the plurality of documents have previously been annotated by at least one user of a plurality of users; and

sending a response to the search request, the response including;

a ranked set of links to at least some of the plurality of documents that satisfy the search request, wherein at least some of the links are to documents that have previously been annotated by at least one user of the plurality of users, and wherein the response is associated with;

instructions to display one or more corresponding annotations for at least some of the links to documents that have previously been annotated by at least one user of the plurality of users, and

instructions to display a filter selector including one or more filter options to reduce the identified set of documents, the one or more filter options including filtering for active labels based on at least one of a frequency and a recency of use of a label.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the search request is a request to search the Internet.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein at least some of the documents in the plurality of documents are web pages.