Displaying layers of search results on a map

• US 8,489,641 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Seefeld, Bernhard A. M., Kanodia, Neal, Windram, Elizabeth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, NICHOLAS E
• Application Number:
  US13/179,459
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 707/792, 715/716, 715/763, 715/781, 715/788, 701/32.4
• US Class Current: 707/792
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products. Information that is responsive to each of multiple distinct search queries is received from a server system. The information for each of the search queries identifies a geographical context or includes search results. One or more visual indications of the information for each of the search queries are displayed on a geographical map. A user interface element for each of the search queries is displayed. The user interface element for each of the search queries, when selected by a user, causes removal from the display of the one or more visual indications of the information for the search query that corresponds to the selected user interface element.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processing devices, cause a computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a server system, information that is responsive to each of multiple distinct search queries, wherein the information for each a first search query of the multiple distinct search queries includes a first geographical context being one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of the first search query and the information for a second search query of the multiple distinct search queries is one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of the second search query;

determining a first portion of one of the set of locations or set of areas representing search results of the second query that are geographically relevant to the first geographical context; and

displaying on a geographical map;

the first geographical context, and

the first portion of the one of the set of locations or the set of areas representing search results of the second query that have been determined to be geographically relevant to the first geographical context.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a user interface element for each of the search queries, wherein the user interface element for each of the search queries, when selected by a user, causes removal from the display of the information for the search query that corresponds to the selected user interface element.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 2, wherein the first geographical context is a route between a starting position and an ending position.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise displaying on the geographical map a visually different style of another portion of the set of locations or set of areas representing the second search results that have not been determined to be geographically relevant to the first geographical context.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving user selection of a first user interface element that corresponds to the first search query; and

adding to the display, as a consequence of the user selection of the first user interface element, a second portion of the set of locations or set of areas of the second search results.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, after the user selection of the first user interface element, another user selection of the first user interface element; and

removing from the display, as a consequence of the another user selection of the first user interface element, the second portion of the set of locations or set of areas of the second search results.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the server system, information on a third of the multiple distinct search queries that includes a third geographical context being one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of the third search query;

receiving user selection of a third user interface element that corresponds to the third search query;

removing from a display, as a consequence of the user selection of the third user interface element, at least some of the first portion of the set of locations or set of areas of the second search results; and

adding to the display, as a consequence of the user selection of the third user interface element, of a second portion of the second search results that have been determined to be geographically relevant to the third geographical context.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the server system, information on a third of the multiple distinct search queries that identifies a third geographical context being one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of the third search query; and

displaying, on the geographical map, a second portion of the second search results that have been determined to be geographically relevant to the third geographical context,

wherein a third portion of the third search results are not displayed, the third portion of the third search results not having been determined to be geographically relevant to the first geographical context and not having been determined to be geographically relevant to the one of the set of locations or set of areas representing the search results of the second search query.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the server system, fourth search results that are responsive to a fourth of the multiple distinct search queries;

receiving user selection of a user interface element that corresponds to the fourth search query; and

adding to the display, as a consequence of receiving user selection of the user interface element corresponding to the fourth search query, a first portion of the fourth search results that have been determined to be geographically relevant to the first geographical context, and visual indications of a second portion of the fourth search results that have been determined to be geographically relevant to the one of the set of locations or the set of areas representing the search results of the second query.

10. A computer-implemented method for displaying search results on a map, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device and from a server system, information that is responsive to each of multiple distinct search queries, wherein the information for a first search query of the multiple distinct search queries includes a first geographical context being one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of the first query and the information for a second search query of the multiple distinct search queries is one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of the second search query;

determining a first portion of one of the set of locations or set of areas representing search results of the second query that are geographically relevant to the first geographical context; and

displaying, by a computing system, on a geographical map;

the first geographical context, and

the first portion of one of the set of locations or set of areas representing the search results of the second query that have been determined to be geographically relevant to the first geographical context.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying, by the computing device, a user interface element for each of the search queries, wherein the user interface element for each of the search queries, when selected by a user, causes removal from a display of the information for the search query that corresponds to the selected user interface element.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the first geographical context is a route between a starting position and an ending position.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising displaying on the geographical map a visually different style of visual indications of another portion of the set of locations or set of areas representing the second search results that have not been determined to be geographically relevant to the first geographical context.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving user selection of a first user interface element that corresponds to the first search query;

adding to the display, as a consequence of the user selection of the first user interface element, a second portion of the set of locations or set of areas of the second search results;

receiving, after the user selection of the first user interface element, another user selection of the first user interface element; and

removing from the display, as a consequence of the another user selection of the first user interface element, the second portion of the set of locations or set of areas of the second search results.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the server system, information on a third of the multiple distinct search queries that includes a third geographical context being one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of the third query;

receiving user selection of a third user interface element that corresponds to the third search query;

removing from the display, as a consequence of the user selection of the third user interface element, at least some of the first portion of the set of locations or set of areas of the second search results; and

adding to the display, as a consequence of the user selection of the third user interface element, a second portion of the set of locations or set of areas of the second search results that have been determined to be geographically relevant to the third geographical context.

16. A computer-implemented method for displaying search results on a map, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server system, multiple distinct search queries that were submitted from a computing device;

providing, by the server system and for receipt by the computing device, information to cause the computing device to display on a geographical map a layer for each of the multiple distinct search queries, a first layer including a geographical context being one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of a first search query of the multiple distinct search queries and a second layer including one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of a second search query of the multiple distinct search queries;

determining, by the server system, a first portion of one of the set of locations or set of areas representing search results of the second query that are geographically relevant to the first geographical context; and

providing, by the server system and for receipt by the computing device, information to cause the computing device to display on the geographical map a visual indication of the first geographical context and a visual indication of the first portion of one of the set of locations or set of areas representing search results of the second query that have been determined to be geographically relevant to the first geographical context.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing, by the server system and for receipt by the computing device, information to cause the computing device to display a user interface element for each of the displayed layers, wherein each user interface element causes the computing device to remove, upon user selection of the respective user interface element, the display of the layer that corresponds to the selected user interface element.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising providing, by the server system and for receipt by the computing device, information for causing the computing device to display on the geographical map a visually different style of another portion of the set of locations or set of areas representing the second search results that have not been determined to be geographically relevant to the first geographical context.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising providing, by the server system and for receipt by the computing device, information for causing the computing device to add to the display of the geographical map, as a consequence of the computing device receiving user selection of a first user interface element that corresponds to the first search query, a second portion of the set of locations or set of areas representing the second search results, and remove from the display of the geographical map, as a consequence of the computing device receiving another user selection of the first user interface element, the second portion of the set of locations or set of areas representing the second search results.

20. A system for displaying search results on a map, the system comprising:

one or more processing devices; and

one or more computer-readable storage devices storing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processing devices, perform operations comprising;

receiving multiple distinct search queries that were submitted from a computing device;

providing, for receipt by the computing device, information to cause the computing device to display on a geographical map a layer for each of the multiple distinct search queries, a first layer including a geographical context being one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of a first search query of the multiple distinct search queries and a second layer including one of a set of locations or a set of areas representing search results of a second search query of the multiple distinct search queries;

determining a first portion of one of the set of locations or set of areas representing search results of the second query that are geographically relevant to the first geographical context; and

providing, for receipt by the computing device, information to cause the computing device to display on the geographical map a visual indication of the first geographical context and a visual indication of the first portion of one the set of locations or set of areas representing search results of the second query that have been determined to be geographically relevant to the first geographical context.