Calendar-based search engine

• US 9,626,441 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inolex Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Inolex Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Plimpton, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US14/114,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 707709, 707784, 707610, 707E17005, 707E17017, 715856, 715772, 715781, 715753, 715764, 715 35, 715771, 715835, 715838, 715968, 715853, 370252, 370259, 370360, 370359, 370377, 370378, 370389, 370261, 4554563, 4554141
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A computer system including a computer-readable memory unit; and a processor coupled to the memory unit. The processor is configured to provide a graphical image representing a search engine interface for display on a screen of the computer system, wherein the search engine interface comprises an arrangement of cells, each cell representative of a calendar unit of time; cause performance of a search, upon selection of a particular cell, wherein said search is based on the unit of time represented by the selected cell; and display the results of the search.

Claims

1. A computer device including a computer-readable memory unit, a processor, and graphical user interface for performing a web search, the graphical user interface comprising:

an arrangement of cells configured to be displayed on the computer device, each cell of the arrangement of cells representative of a calendar unit of time, wherein at least a portion of the arrangement of cells is representative of a future calendar unit of time, wherein a web search for future web-based information is performed upon selection of a particular cell of the portion of the arrangement of cells by a user, wherein said web search is performed based only on the unit of time represented by the selected cell and returns web search results having only information date-specific to the selected cell, wherein said web search is refined when one or more search terms are entered via the graphical user interface, wherein said refined web search is performed based on both the unit of time represented by the selected cell and the one or more search terms entered.

2. The computer device of claim 1, wherein said arrangement of cells represents a particular month and each cell represents a particular day within said month.

3. The computer device of claim 1, wherein said web search is further based on location information.

4. The computer device of claim 3, wherein said location information is provided by the user.

5. The computer device of claim 3, wherein said computer device is operable to obtain a geographic location of said computer device and said location information comprises the obtained geographic location.

6. The computer device of claim 1, wherein said cells are further configured to display user-inputted information.

7. A computer system comprising:

a computer-readable memory unit; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit, the processor configured to;

provide a graphical image representing a search engine interface for display on a screen of the computer system, wherein the search engine interface comprises an arrangement of cells, each cell representative of a calendar unit of time, wherein at least a portion of the arrangement of cells is representative of a future calendar unit of time;

cause performance of a web search for future web-based information, upon selection of a particular cell of the portion of the arrangement of cells, wherein said web search is based only on the unit of time represented by the selected cell and returns web search results having only information date-specific to the selected cell, wherein said web search is refined when one or more search terms are entered via the graphical user interface, wherein said refined web search is performed based on both the unit of time represented by the selected cell and the one or more search terms entered; and

display the results of the search.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said arrangement of cells represents a particular month and each cell represents a particular day within said month.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said web search is further based on location information.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said location information is provided by the user.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said computer system is operable to obtain a geographic location of said computer device and said location information comprises the obtained geographic location.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said cells are further configured to display user-inputted information.

13. A method of performing a search using a processor to execute computer readable instructions stored on a computer-readable memory unit, the method comprising:

providing a graphical image representing a search engine interface for display on a screen of the computer system, wherein the search engine interface comprises an arrangement of cells, each cell representative of a calendar unit of time, wherein at least a portion of the arrangement of cells is representative of a future calendar unit of time;

causing performance of a search for future web-based information, upon selection of a particular cell of the portion of the arrangement of cells, wherein said search is based only on the unit of time represented by the selected cell and returns search results having only information date-specific to the selected cell, wherein said web search is refined when one or more search terms are entered via the graphical user interface, wherein said refined web search is performed based on both the unit of time represented by the selected cell and the one or more search terms entered; and

displaying the results of the search.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said arrangement of cells represents a particular month and each cell represents a particular day within said month.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said web search is further based on location information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said location information is provided by the user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said computer system is operable to obtain a geographic location of said computer device and said location information comprises the obtained geographic location.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said cells are further configured to display user-inputted information.