Hierarchical panel presentation responsive to incremental search interface

• US 10,650,475 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HomeAway.com, Inc. (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: HomeAway.com, Inc. (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Berg, Robert, Burns, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US15/161,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20170337648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/953 Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

Various embodiments relate generally to a system, a device and a method for providing a panel-based search interface as a function of incremental entry of user data, such as text representing a destination. Data representing user input is received at a search interface presented by a listing management system. One or more panel objects are determined based on the user input. Data representing one or more interests associated with the user input is retrieved. The one or more panel objects and the data representing the one or more interests are rendered within the search interface. Responsive to the received user input, the search interface comprising the rendered one or more panel objects and the data representing the one or more interests is provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of a computing device configured with specific computer-executable instructions,

receiving a search query through a user interface;

displaying in the user interface a plurality of panel objects determined based at least partly on the search query, the plurality of panel objects corresponding to a first layer of a panel hierarchy and comprising a first panel object related to a first geographic region identified from the search query and a second panel object related to a second geographic region identified from the search query;

receiving user selection of the first panel object;

identifying a plurality of sub-panel objects within a second layer of the panel hierarchy that are related to the first panel object within the panel hierarchy, individual sub-panel objects of the plurality of sub-panel objects relating to individual topics of interest within the first geographic region related to the first panel object, wherein the plurality of sub-panel objects is identified based at least partly on determining whether a number of rental property listings associated with each topic of interest surpasses a predetermined threshold value;

responsive to the user selection of the first panel object, modifying the user interface to display the plurality of sub-panel objects and to reduce a collective size of the plurality of panel objects within the user interface relative to a collective size of the plurality of sub-panel objects within the user interface;

receiving user selection of a first sub-panel object of the plurality of sub-panel objects, the first sub-panel object related to a first topic of interest;

generating a second search query responsive to the user selection of the first sub-panel object, the search query comprising at least a first criterion associated with the geographic region related to the first panel object and a second criterion associated with the topic of interest related to the first sub-panel object; and

displaying in the user interface one or more search results associated with the second search query.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first panel object comprises an image file associated with the first geographic region.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the topics of interest are based at least partly on demographic information about a user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the search query comprises a plurality of characters and is associated with the first geographic region and the second geographic region based at least partly on the plurality of characters matching at least one of the first geographic region and second geographic region.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a first display size for the first panel object within the user interface is determined based at least partly on a number of characters associated with the first geographic region, and wherein a second display size for the second panel object within the user interface is determined based at least partly on a number of characters associated with the second geographic region.

6. A system comprising:

a data store including computer-executable instructions; and

a processor in communication with the data store, the processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to at least;

receive a search query through a user interface;

display in the user interface a plurality of panel objects determined based at least partly on the search query, the plurality of panel objects corresponding to a first layer of a panel hierarchy and comprising a first panel object related to a first geographic region identified from the search query and a second panel object related to a second geographic region identified from the search query;

receive a user selection of a first panel object;

identify a plurality of sub-panel objects within a second layer of the panel hierarchy that are related to the first panel object within the panel hierarchy, individual sub-panel objects of the plurality of sub-panel objects relating to individual topics of interest within the first geographic region related to the first panel object, wherein processor is configured to identify the plurality of sub-panel objects based at least partly by determining whether a number of rental property listings associated with each topic of interest surpasses a predetermined threshold value;

responsive to the user selection of the first panel object, modify the user interface a plurality of sub-panel objects and to reduce a collective size of the plurality of panel objects within the user interface relative to a collective size of the plurality of sub-panel objects within the user interface;

receive user selection of a first sub-panel object of the plurality of sub-panel objects, the first sub-panel object related to a first topic of interest;

generate a second search query responsive to the user selection of the first sub-panel object, the search query comprising at least a first criterion associated with the geographic region related to the first panel object and a second criterion associated with the topic of interest related to the first sub-panel object; and

display in the user interface one or more search results associated with the second search query.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first panel object comprises an image file associated with the first geographic region.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the topics of interest are determined based at least partly on demographic information about a user.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the search query comprises a plurality of characters and is associated with the first geographic region and the second geographic region based at least partly on the plurality of characters matching at least one of the first geographic region and second geographic region.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein a first display size for the first panel object is determined based at least partly on a number of characters associated with the first geographic region, and wherein a second display size for the second panel object is determined based at least partly on a number of characters associated with the second geographic region.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by a computing system cause the computing system to at least:

receive a search query through a user interface;

display in the user interface a plurality of panel objects determined based at least partly on the search query, the plurality of panel objects corresponding to a first layer of a panel hierarchy and comprising a first panel object related to a first geographic region identified from the search query and a second panel object related to a second geographic region identified from the search query;

receive user selection of the first panel object;

identify a plurality of sub-panel objects within a second layer of the panel hierarchy that are related to the first panel object within the panel hierarchy, individual sub-panel objects of the plurality of sub-panel objects relating to individual topics of interest within the first geographic region related to the first panel object, wherein identifying the plurality of sub-panel objects is based at least partly on determining whether a number of rental property listings associated with each topic of interest surpasses a predetermined threshold value;

responsive to the user selection of the first panel object, modify the user interface a plurality of sub-panel objects and to reduce a collective size of the plurality of panel objects within the user interface relative to a collective size of the plurality of sub-panel objects within the user interface;

receive user selection of a first sub-panel object of the plurality of sub-panel objects, the first sub-panel object related to a first topic of interest;

generate a second search query responsive to the user selection of the first sub-panel object, the search query comprising at least a first criterion associated with the geographic region related to the first panel object and a second criterion associated with the topic of interest related to the first sub-panel object; and

display in the user interface one or more search results associated with the second search query.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first panel object comprises an image file associated with the first geographic region.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the topics of interest are based at least partly on demographic information about a user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the search query comprises a plurality of characters and is associated with the first geographic region and the second geographic region based at least partly on the plurality of characters matching at least one of the first geographic region and second geographic region.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a first display size for the first panel object is determined based at least partly on a number of characters associated with the first geographic region, and wherein a second display size for the second panel object is determined based at least partly on a number of characters associated with the second geographic region.