Method for reducing search results by manually or automatically excluding previously presented search results

• US 6,487,553 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraft, Reiner, Emens, Michael L., Yim, Peter Chi-Shing
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US09/477,844
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707/10, 707/101, 707/200, 707/4, 707/6, 707/100, 707/104.1, 707/203, 707/103.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and apparatus which enables a user to streamline the number of results presented to the user during a search session most typically performed over the Internet. The present invention allows the user to select specific results from a search result set which are to be excluded and are not to reappear in a subsequent result set in the search session. The present invention is capable of automatically excluding results from a search result set unless the user specifically flags the specific search results they want to keep and have reappear in a subsequent result set in the search session. This allows a user to save time during a search session by not having to view repeated results, and allows the user to focus on more relevant and related results.

Claims

1. A method for streamlining the results of an Internet search by excluding at least one prior search result from a current set of search results, the method comprising the steps of:

conducting a first search;

displaying a first set of search results from said first search;

excluding at least one result of said displayed first set of search results from at least one second search by a user selecting said at least one result;

conducting said at least one second search, said second search generating a second set of search results comprising at least another search result from said first set of search results not selected to be excluded, said second search related to said first search; and

;

displaying said second set of search results comprising said at least another search result from said first set of search results not selected to be excluded thereby enabling said user to eliminate redundant results from said second set of search results unless the result is specifically selected to reappear in subsequent result sets.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating, for a plurality of first and second sets of search results, the steps of:

excluding at least one result from said displayed first set of search results from at least one second search by a user selecting said at least one result;

conducting at least one second search, said second search generating a second set of search results, said second search related to a first search; and

displaying a new second of search results comprising said at least one search result from said first set of search results not selected to be excluded.

3. The method claim 1 wherein said second search is narrower in scope than said first search.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said first set of search results is generated using a first search string and said second set of search results is generated using a second search string, said second search string being narrower in scope than said first search string.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said first and second search strings are hypertext transfer protocol search strings.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said excluding at least one result of said displayed first set of search results comprises the steps of:

presenting said displayed first set of search results on a screen viewable by the user;

defining an action box associated with said at least one result on said screen, said action box being viewable by said user and adapted to indicate whether said at least one result has been selected;

forming a mark in said action box to select said at least one result from said first set of search results thereby indicating that said selected at least one result is to be excluded.

7. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a search result set to be streamlined by excluding at least one prior search result from a current set of search results, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to exclude at least one result of a displayed first set of search results of a first search from at least one second search by allowing a user to select said at least one result;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to conduct said at least one second search, said second search generating a second set of search results comprising at least another search result from said first set of search results not selected to be excluded, said second search related to said first search;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display said second set of search results comprising said at least another search result from said first set of search results not selected to be excluded thereby enabling said user to eliminate redundant results from said second set of search results unless the result is specifically selected to reappear in subsequent result sets.

8. The article of claim 7 further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate said displayed set of search results using a first search string and said second set of search results using a second search string, wherein said second search string is narrower in scope than said first search string.

9. The article of claim 7 wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to allow a user to select at least one result from a displayed first set of search results:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to define an action box associated with said at least one result on a screen viewable by said user, said action box being adapted to indicate whether said at least one result has been selected;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to form a mark in an action box selected by said user to indicate that said at least one result has been selected.

10. The article of claim 9 further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to exclude said at least one selected result from said second set of search results.

11. The article of claim 9 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to compare said displayed first set and second sets of search results;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to identify at least one result in said second set of search results not in said displayed first set of search results;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to identify said at least one selected result to be included in said second set of search results; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to include in a new set of search results only said at least one selected result and said at least one result not in said displayed set of search results.

12. A computer program product for use with a search device, said computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing a search result set to be streamlined by excluding at least one prior search result from a current set of search results, said computer program product having;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to exclude at least one result of a displayed first set of search results of a first search from at least one second search by allowing a user to select said at least one result;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to conduct said at least one second search, said second search generating a second set of search results comprising at least another search result from said first set of search results not selected to be excluded, said second search related to said first search;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display said second set of search results thereby enabling said user to eliminate redundant results from said second set of search results unless the result is specifically selected to reappear in subsequent result sets.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate said displayed set of search results using a first search string and said second set of search results using a second search string, wherein said second search string is narrower in scope than said first search string.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein said computer readable program code means for causing a computer to allow a user to select at least one result from a displayed first set of search results comprises:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to define an action box associated with said at least one result, said action box being adapted to indicate whether said at least one result has been selected;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to mark an action box selected by said user to indicate that said at least one result has been selected.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to exclude said at least one selected result from said second set of search results.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising computer programmable code means for storing said at least one excluded result.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to compare said displayed first set and second sets of search results;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to identify at least one result in said second set of search results not in said displayed first set of search results;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to identify said at least one selected result to be included in said second set of search results; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to include in a new set of search results only said at least one selected result and said at least one result not in said displayed set of search results.

18. A method for streamlining the results of an Internet search by excluding at least one prior search result from a current set of search results, the method comprising the steps of:

conducting a first search;

displaying a first set of search results from said first search;

including at least one result of said displayed first set of search results in at least one second search by a user selecting said at least one result;

conducting said at least one second search, said second search generating a second set of search results comprising at least said included at least one result of said first set of search results, said second search related to said first search; and

displaying said second set of search results thereby enabling said user to view said included at least one result of said first set of search results and any new, non-repetitive result sets.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising repeating, for a plurality of first and second sets of search results, the steps of:

including at least one result of said displayed first set of search results in at least one second search by a user selecting said at least one result;

conducting said at least one second search, said second search generating a second set of search results comprising at least said included at least one result of said first set of search results, said second search related to said first search; and

displaying said second set of search results thereby enabling said user to view said included at least one result of said first set of search results and any new, non-repetitive result sets.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said first set of search results is generated using a first search string and said second set of search results is generated using a second search string, said second search string being narrower in scope than said first search string.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said including at least one result of said displayed first set of search results in said second set of search results comprises the steps of:

presenting said displayed first set of search results on a screen viewable by the user;

defining an action box associated with said at least one result on said screen, said action box being viewable by said user and adapted to indicate whether said at least one result has been selected;

forming a mark in said action box to select said at least one result from said first set of search results.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said processing step comprises the steps of:

comparing said displayed first set of search results with said second set of search results;

identifying at least one result in said second set of search results not in said first set of search results; and

identifying said at least one selected result to be included in said second set of search results;

displaying in a new set of search results only said at least one search results not in said first set of search results and said at least one selected result.