METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYING SEARCH RESULTS

• US 20090187558A1
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Law Office of R. Alan Burnett
• Original Assignee: Masterfile Corporation
• Inventors: McDonald, John Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Methods and systems related to the display of primary and secondary search results are provided. Search results are displayed to the user without requiring the user to perform any tasks to view the entire set of search results. The user may then request secondary searches based on the displayed primary search results through performing a single action. Secondary search results are displayed along with the primary search results.

Claims

1. A method of displaying search results of data in a search and display window, the method comprising:

a) displaying a primary search result in a primary search results portion of the search and display window using a primary search algorithm in response to a primary search query, wherein the primary search result comprises a primary data set, wherein each datum in the primary data set is displayed using an electronic representation of the datum;

b) receiving a first user selection of one of the electronic representations of the primary search result; and

c) displaying a first secondary search result in a secondary search results portion of the search and display window matching one or more parameters associated with the first user selection using a secondary search algorithm, wherein the first secondary search result comprises a secondary data set, wherein each datum in the secondary data set is displayed using an electronic representation of the datum.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

displaying an electronic representation of the first user selection in a feature portion of the search and display window.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising

displaying an electronic representation of each search result selected by the user in a selection history portion of the search and display window.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a second user selection of one of the electronic representations of the primary search result; and

displaying a second secondary search result in a preview secondary search results portion of the secondary search results portion matching one or more parameters associated with the second user selection.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a second user selection of one of the electronic representations of the primary search result;

displaying the first secondary search result in the primary search result portion of the search and display window along with the primary search result; and

displaying a second secondary search result in the secondary search results portion matching one or more parameters associated with the second user selection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the primary search result comprises:

displaying a first set of the primary search result upon a user interface having a left edge and a right edge;

advancing to the right the first set of the primary search result from the user interface to display a second set of the primary search result when the presence of a pointing device is detected in proximity to the right edge; and

advancing to the left the first set of the primary search result from the user interface to display a second set of the primary search result when the presence of a pointing device is detected in proximity to the left edge.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the primary search result comprises:

displaying a first set of the primary search result for a predetermined amount of time;

displaying a next set of the primary search result after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed;

repeating the previous step until all of the data in the primary search result have been displayed.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

allowing the user to customize the primary search algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

allowing the user to customize the secondary search algorithm.

10. A system for displaying search results in a search and display window, the system comprising:

a database for storing data;

a display adapted to display the search and display window; and

a processor adapted to receive a primary search query, conduct a primary search on the data based on a primary search algorithm, and display a primary search result in a primary search portion of the search and display window,

wherein,

the primary search result comprises a primary data set and each datum in the primary data set is displayed using an electronic representation of the datum; and

when a first user selection of one of the electronic representations of the primary search result is made, a first secondary search result is displayed in a secondary search portion of the search and display window matching one or more parameters associated with the first user selection using a secondary search algorithm wherein the first secondary search result comprises a secondary data set, wherein each datum in the secondary data set is displayed using an electronic representation of the datum.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first user selection is displayed in a feature portion of the search and display window.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein an electronic representation of each search result selected by the user is displayed in a selection history portion of the search and display window.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein when a second user selection of one of the electronic representations of the primary search result is received, a second secondary search result is displayed in a preview secondary search results portion of the secondary search results portion matching one or more parameters associated with the second user selection.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein, when a second user selection of one of the electronic representations of the primary search result is received, the first secondary search result is displayed in the primary search result portion of the search and display window along with the primary search result and a second secondary search result is displayed in the secondary search results portion matching one or more parameters associated with the second user selection.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further adapted to display a first set of the primary search result upon a user interface having a left edge and a right edge;

advance to the right the first set of the primary search result from the user interface to display a second set of the primary search result when the presence of a pointing device is detected in proximity to the right edge; and

advance to the left the first set of the primary search result from the user interface to display a second set of the primary search result when the presence of a pointing device is detected in proximity to the left edge.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

display a first set of the primary search result for a predetermined amount of time; and

display a next set of the primary search result after the predetermined amount of time has elapsed until all of the data in the primary search result have been displayed.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the user is allowed to customize the primary search algorithm.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the user is allowed to customize the secondary search algorithm.

19. A method of displaying search results of data, the method comprising:

a) receiving a first search term;

b) obtaining a primary search result based on the first search term using a primary search algorithm;

c) displaying the primary search result using an electronic representation of each datum in the primary search result;

d) receiving a second search term;

e) receiving a first user selection of one of the electronic representations of the primary search result;

e) obtaining a first secondary search result based on the second search term wherein each datum in the first secondary search result is visually similar to the first user selection.

20. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising:

displaying the first secondary search result using an electronic representation of each datum in the first secondary search result;

receiving a second user selection of one of the electronic representations of the first secondary search result;

obtaining a second secondary search result matching one or more parameters associated with the second user selection.

21. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising:

displaying the first secondary search result using an electronic representation of each datum in the first secondary search result;

receiving a second user selection of one of the electronic representations of the first secondary search result;

obtaining a second secondary search result based on the first search term wherein each datum in the second secondary search result is visually similar to the second user selection.