Resource browser sessions search

• US 7,225,407 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Milic-Frayling, Natasa, Sommerer, Ralph, Tucker, Robert, Leskovec, Jurij
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US10/186,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20040001104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715/738, 715/764, 715/765, 715/810, 715/835, 715/838, 715/853, 715/854, 715/855, 715/501.1, 715/512, 715/513, 707/3, 707/100, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A browser sessions search tool allows a user to search through records of previously viewed resource pages, even across multiple browser sessions. Each visit to a resource page results in creation of a visit data structure that references the resource page content. A rich assortment of data is recorded for each visited resource page, such as full text and layout data, time of access and navigation type that lead to the page. In one embodiment, color aspects of each resource page are stored to assist in a search, although other recorded resource page characteristics may additionally or alternatively include without limitation other visual, audio, navigational, or metadata aspects.

Claims

1. A tangible storage medium storing a computer program for executing on a computer system a computer process for searching a plurality of previously visited resource pages accessible to the computer system, the computer process comprising:

recording a visit data structure associated with each of the resource pages, the visit data structure being recorded in archive storage;

annotating one or more of the visit data structures with information relating to at least one searchable characteristic of an associated resource page, the information including at least a navigation sequence identifying a previously viewed resource page;

receiving a browser sessions search parameter specifying a targeted search characteristic; and

searching the visit data structures in archive storage to identify at least one of the plurality of previously visited resource pages having the searchable characteristic that satisfies the browser sessions search parameter.

2. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the annotating operation comprises:

storing the information in the one or more visit data structures.

3. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the annotating operation comprises:

referencing the information from the one or more visit data structures.

4. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the annotating operation comprises:

storing the information in a page data structure referenced by the one or more visit data structure.

5. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the annotating operation comprises:

referencing the information from a page data structure referenced by the one or more visit data structures.

6. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to color displayed in the associated resource page.

7. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to location of a visual characteristic of the associated resource page.

8. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to an audio characteristic of the associated resource page.

9. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to a navigational relationship of the associated resource page.

10. The tangible storage medium of claim 9 wherein the navigational relationship identifies a resource page following the associated resource page in a navigational sequence.

11. The tangible storage medium of claim 9 wherein the navigational relationship identifies a resource page preceding the associated resource page in a navigational sequence.

12. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to a metadata characteristic of the associated resource page.

13. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to content of the associated resource page.

14. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to one or more web search parameters associated with the resource page.

15. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the computer process further comprises:

receiving a browser event resulting in a visit to a resource page; and

retrieving the resource page from one of a network and the archive storage.

16. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the computer process further comprises:

displaying identifying information relating to the at least one of the plurality of previously visited resource pages that satisfy the browser sessions search parameter.

17. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the computer process further comprises:

displaying a navigational sequence associated with the at least one of the plurality of previously visited resource pages that satisfy the browser sessions search parameter.

18. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein an annotation resulting from the annotation operation is shared by a plurality of the visit data structures.

19. The tangible storage medium of claim 18 wherein the plurality of visit data structures are designated as being in a same Web trail.

20. The tangible storage medium of claim 18 wherein the plurality of visit data structures are designated as being in a same browser session.

21. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the computer process further comprises:

returning as a search result a Web trail including at least one visit data structure referencing a resource page that satisfies the browser session search parameter.

22. The tangible storage medium of claim 1 wherein the computer process further comprises:

returning as a search result a browser session including at least one visit data structure referencing a resource page that satisfies the browser session search parameter.

23. A method of searching a plurality of previously visited resource pages accessible to a computer system, the method comprising:

recording a visit data structure associated with each of the resource pages, the visit data structure being recorded in archive storage;

annotating one or more of the visit data structures with information relating to at least one searchable characteristic of an associated resource page, the information including at least a navigation sequence associated with the associated resource page;

receiving a browser sessions search parameter specifying a targeted search characteristic; and

searching the visit data structures in archive storage to identify at least one of the plurality of previously visited resource pages having the searchable characteristic that satisfies the browser sessions search parameter.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the annotating operation comprises:

storing the information in the one or more visit data structures.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the annotating operation comprises:

referencing the information from the one or more visit data structures.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the annotating operation comprises:

storing the information in a page data structure referenced by the one or more visit data structure.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the annotating operation comprises:

referencing the information from a page data structure referenced by the one or more visit data structures.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to color displayed in the associated resource page.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to location of a visual characteristic of the associated resource page.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to an audio characteristic of the associated resource page.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to a navigational relationship of the associated resource page.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the navigational relationship identifies a resource page following the associated resource page in a navigational sequence.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the navigational relationship identifies a resource page preceding the associated resource page in a navigational sequence.

34. The method of claim 23 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to a metadata characteristic of the associated resource page.

35. The method of claim 23 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to content of the associated resource page.

36. The method of claim 23 wherein the searchable characteristic relates to one or more web search parameters associated with the resource page.

37. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

receiving a browser event resulting in a visit to a resource page; and

retrieving the resource page from one of a network and the archive storage.

38. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

displaying identifying information relating to the at least one of the plurality of previously visited resource pages that satisfy the browser sessions search parameter.

39. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

displaying a navigational sequence associated with the at least one of the plurality of previously visited resource pages that satisfy the browser sessions search parameter.

40. The method of claim 23 wherein an annotation resulting from the annotation operation is shared by a plurality of the visit data structures.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the plurality of visit data structures are designated as being in a same Web trail.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the plurality of visit data structures are designated as being in a same browser session.

43. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

returning as a search result a Web trail including at least one visit data structure referencing a resource page that satisfies the browser session search parameter.

44. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

returning as a search result a browser session including at least one visit data structure referencing a resource page that satisfies the browser session search parameter.

45. A browser sessions search tool for searching a plurality of previously visited resource pages accessible to the computer system, the browser session search tool comprising:

storage storing a visit data structure recorded in association with each of the resource pages, and storing one or more annotations associated with one or more of the visit data structures specifying at least one searchable characteristic of an associated resource page the one or more annotations including at least a navigation sequence associated with the associated resource page;

a browser sessions search query interface for receiving a browser sessions search parameter specifying a targeted search characteristic; and

a browser sessions search mechanism for searching the storage to identify at least one of the plurality of previously visited resource pages having the searchable characteristic that satisfies the browser sessions search parameter.