WEB BROWSER ACCESSIBLE SEARCH ENGINE THAT IDENTIFIES SEARCH RESULT MAXIMA THROUGH USER SEARCH FLOW AND RESULT CONTENT COMPARISON

摘要

A search server searches web sites based upon a search string. Maxima categories are provided that sort search results based upon popularity and/or context similarity. A web browser displays the search result pages. A maxima determination module within the search server responds to the delivery of the initial search string by first categorizing search results applicability to the search string on the basis of maxima or by generating maxima categories with search results that correlated to the search string. Search results within each applicable maximum are then sorting on the basis of popularity within each of the maxima categories to effectuate popularity ranks for each search result or web page. User interaction with search results are monitored to better select search maxima and popularity ranks for subsequent search result requests for this search string, whereby the desirability of search results provided to the user improves over time.

主权项

1. A computing device comprising:
a communication interface; memory; and processing circuitry coupled to the communication interface and to the memory, the processing circuitry, memory, and communication interface operable to:
receive search criteria information from an external environment through the communication interface;process the search criteria information to obtain a first set of search results selected from at least one maxima category and a second category within the at least one maxima category, wherein a first set of communication data is created to output information related to the first set of search results to the external environment through the communication interface;receive user interaction data from the external environment, the user interaction data indicating some level of user interaction with the first set of search results;process the user interaction data to obtain a second set of search results selected from at least one maxima category and a second category within the at least one maxima category where this at least one maxima category was identified at least in part from analyzing the user interaction data, wherein a second set of communication data is created to output information related to the second set of search results to the external environment through the communication interface; anditeratively repeat the process of analyzing user interaction data and selecting other sets of search results from maxima that are favorably associated with user interaction data and provide corresponding output to the external environment via the communication interface.