Method of and system for displaying a plurality of user-selectable refinements to a search query

摘要

Method of displaying by a client application in communication with a search engine a plurality of user-selectable refinements to a search query including a search term, comprising: sending the search query; receiving search results and suggested search query refinements determined based at least in part on an analysis of groups of related search queries, each suggested search query refinement corresponding to a refined search query including the search term and an additional search term; displaying search results and, apart from a search bar, refinements, refinements being selectable by a user via a graphical object; receiving a selection of one of the refinements, the selection corresponding to a refined search query including the search term and an additional search term; receiving refined search results; and displaying refined search results and a visual representation of a refinement relationship between the search query and the refined search query. Related systems are also disclosed.

主权项

1. A method of displaying by a client application running on at least one digital electronic device in communication with a search engine a plurality of user-selectable refinements to a first search query including at least one first search term, the method comprising:
(a) sending by the client application to the search engine the first search query; (b) receiving by the client application from the search engine first search results in respect of the first search query and first suggested search query refinements having been determined by the search engine based at least in part on an analysis of groups of related search queries being related to the first search query, each of the first suggested search query refinements corresponding to a refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one additional search term, the analysis of groups of related search queries including:
filtering the related search queries to only those identified as having provided search results which provided a user with information sought by the user;grouping the filtered related search queries into the groups based on subsequent user behaviors of the users; anddetermining a suggested search query refinement for each of at least some of the groups, the suggested search query refinement corresponding to a refined search query including the at least one first search term and the at least one additional search term which has been derived from one of meaningful related search queries, the one of the meaningful related search queries having been determined as being the most popular in its respective group, the at least one additional search term having being determined as being the most unique as compared with previously identified suggested search query refinements; (c) displaying by the client application at least one first search result and, apart from a search bar, the first suggested search query refinements, the first suggested search query refinements being selectable by a user via at least one first graphical object; (d) receiving by the client application from a user via the at least one first graphical object a first selection of one of the first suggested search query refinements, the first selection corresponding to a first refined search query including the at least one first search term and at least one first additional search term; (e) sending by the client application to the search engine a request to obtain the first refined search results; (f) receiving by the client application from the search engine first refined search results in respect of the first refined search query; and (g) displaying by the client application at least one first refined search result and a visual representation of a refinement relationship between the first search query and the first refined search query.