System and method for collapsing search results

• US 9,665,640 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2012
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Shekhar
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Baoquoc N
• Application Number:
  US13/399,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 707722, 707723, 707732, 707E17014, 707E17069, 707754, 707752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3326 using relevance feedback from the user, e.g. relevance feedback on documents, documents sets, document terms or passages

Abstract

A system and method for collapsing search results. User input is received to perform a search of a communications network. The search results and multiple selection elements are displayed for removing each of the search results. A user selection of a selection element associated with a search result is received. A determination is made of irrelevant results that are similar to the search result. The search results are collapsed to remove the search result and the irrelevant search results.

Claims

1. A method for collapsing search results, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer, user input to perform a search of a communications network;

performing, with the computer, the search based on the user input to generate the search results, wherein the search results include one or more advertisements;

displaying the search results and a plurality of selection elements for removing each of the search results;

receiving, at the computer, a user selection of a selection element associated with a search result;

automatically extracting, with the computer, information from the search result to generate one or more logic statements each comprising one or more keywords indicating a reason for the user selection to remove search results, the one or more keywords being based on one or more of content, classification, proximity, date, geographic area, or language associated with the search results selected for removal, wherein the information includes a ZIP code associated with the search result;

prompting the user to select one or more of the one or more logic statements that are true for the user;

receiving user selection of one or more logic statements that are true for the user;

receiving input from the user indicating a ZIP code and a proximity threshold;

determining, with the computer, irrelevant results that are similar to the search result, in response to the one or more logic statements selected by the user; and

collapsing, with the computer, the search results to remove the search result and the irrelevant search results, based at least in part on the one or more keywords associated with the one or more logic statements selected by the user, and to remove search results not associated with a location within a geographical proximity within the proximity threshold of the ZIP code.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communications network is the Internet, wherein the search is an Internet search, and wherein the search results are color coded according to potential relevance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the selection elements removes an associated search result when selected, and wherein the collapsing is performed automatically in response to the user selection.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selection element remains once the search results have been collapsed to allow the user to redisplay the search results.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more logic statements are generated utilizing similar information retrieved from a plurality of search results selected for removal.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more logic statements are generated utilizing word association.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an affirmation or rejection of each of the one or more logic statements; and

storing the one or more logic statements for reference during future searches for the user.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more logic statements indicate why the search result is selected by the user.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying the one or more logic statements.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the selection element specifies whether to remove the search result, remove all search results from a network address, and remove the search results that are similar.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a summary of one or more logic statements utilized to collapse the search results.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adding the one or more logic statements to user preferences; and

performing additional searches utilizing the user preferences, wherein the one or more logic statements are utilized to limit the search results, and wherein the one or more logic statements are enabled to indicate why the search result is irrelevant, inapplicable, and offensive.

13. A server for collapsing search results, the system comprising:

a processor operable to execute search components stored in memory, the search components comprising;

a search engine operable to receive user input from a client for a search of the Internet, the search engine performs the search to generate search results, wherein the search results include one or more advertisements and are displayed to the client as well as a plurality of selection elements for removing each of the search results;

collapse logic in communication with the search engine, the collapse logic operable to receive input from a user indicating a ZIP code and a proximity threshold, to receive a user selection of a selection element associated with a search result, extract information from the search result to generate one or more logic statements each comprising one or more keywords indicating a reason for the user selection to remove search results, receiving user selection of one or more logic statements that are true for the user, determine one or more search results that are similar to the search result, and collapse the search results to remove the search result and the one or more search results that are similar, based at least in part on the one or more keywords associated with the one or more logic statements selected by the user, the one or more keywords being based on one or more of content, classification, proximity, date, geographic area, or language associated with the search results selected for removal, and to remove search results not associated with a location within a geographical proximity within the proximity threshold of the ZIP code; and

user preferences in communication with the collapse logic, the user preferences operable to prompt a user to select one or more of the logic statements that are true for the user, store the one or more logic statements utilized to determine the one or more search results are similar, the one or more logic statements are utilized by the search engine to limit the search results generated during additional searches for the user.

14. The server according to claim 13, wherein the search results are automatically collapsed in response to the user selection, and wherein the search results are redisplayed to the client in response to the search results being collapsed.

15. The server according to claim 13, wherein the search engine is operable to display an interface to receive user input affirming or rejecting each of the logic statements.

16. The server according to claim 13, wherein the selection element specifies whether to remove the search result, remove all search results from a network address, and remove the search results that are similar.

17. The server according to claim 13, wherein the collapse logic determines the logic statements utilizing word associations.

18. A server for collapsing search results, the server comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory in communication with the process for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are executed by the processor to;

receive user input to perform a search of the Internet;

perform the search based on the user input to generate the search results, wherein the search results include one or more advertisements;

display the search results and a plurality of selection elements for removing each of the search results;

receive a user selection of selection elements associated with a search result;

receive input from a user indicating a ZIP code and a proximity threshold, to receive

automatically extract information from the search result to generate one or more logic statements each comprising one or more keywords indicating a reason for the user selection to remove search results, the one or more keywords being based on one or more of content, classification, proximity, date, geographic area, or language associated with the search results selected for removal;

prompt the user to select one or more of the one or more logic statements that are true for the user;

receiving user selection of one or more logic statements that are true for the user;

determine irrelevant results that are similar to the search result based on the one or more logic statements; and

collapse the search results to remove the search result and the irrelevant search results based on the one or more logic statements, based at least in part on the one or more keywords associated with the one or more logic statements selected by the user, and to remove search results not associated with a location within a geographical proximity within the proximity threshold of the ZIP code.

19. The server according to claim 18, wherein the set of instructions are a search engine, and wherein the set of instructions are further executed to:

redisplay the search results to a user in response to the search results being collapsed, wherein the search results are color coded according to potential relevance.

20. The server according to claim 18, wherein the set of instructions are further executed to:

receive user input affirming or rejecting each of the one or more logic statements, wherein the one or more logic statements are capable of being manually entered by the user.

21. The server according to claim 20, wherein the set of instructions are further executed to:

add the one or more logic statements to user preferences; and

perform additional searches utilizing the user preferences, wherein the one or more logic statements are utilized to limit the search results.