This invention relates to webpage searching.
Many users find that interactive website search fields lack ease of accessibility for a number of different reasons. One reason is when a user types a query into a search box he may be redirected to a second webpage where he is prompted to choose from a list of webpages. Some users, however, would prefer to view the list of webpages while remaining on the current webpage.
Also, many times a user types a query into a website search box, and is presented with a large list of different webpages to choose from. This may confuse a user who would prefer an answer to the query he presented, as opposed to an entire list of results where the answer to his or her query may or may not be found.
Therefore, there is a need for an interactive webpage searching display window, which may enable a user to remain on the current webpage while viewing the list of webpages responsive to the query. The list of available webpages should preferably include at least one webpage which contains the answer to the user's query, or a short list of related webpages, to simplify the user's searching experience.
An apparatus for navigational searching of a webpage is provided. The apparatus may include a webpage. The apparatus may include a processor. The apparatus may include an interactive searching display window. The interactive searching display window may include a search box. The search box may enable a user to type in a query. The interactive searching display window may include an answer box. The answer box may be configured to display an answer to the user's query. The answer to the user's query may be determined by the processor. The interactive searching display window may include a minimize button. The minimize button may be configured to reduce the display area of the interactive searching display window. The interactive searching display window may include a maximize button. The maximize button may be configured to increase the display area of the interactive searching display window. The interactive searching display window may include a pin button. The pin button may be configured to allow the user to pin the interactive display window to a specific place on the browser document window.
The processor may be configured to redirect the user to a second webpage. The redirection may be in response to the processor determining that greater than a threshold probability exists that the answer to the user's query is found on the second webpage. The processor may be configured to electronically notify the user, via a message in the answer box, that he has been redirected to the second webpage. The processor may be further configured to display the interactive searching display window about a central location of the second webpage for a pre-determined time period. The time period may be not less than 1.5 seconds and not more than 3.5 seconds.
The objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
Apparatus and methods for navigational searching of a webpage are provided. Such apparatus and methods may include computer hardware and software that are compatible with the internet and the worldwide web.
The apparatus may be configured to display a webpage on a user's workstation display. The apparatus may include a processor. The apparatus may include an interactive searching display window. The interactive searching display window may include a search box. The search box may enable a user to type in a query.
In another embodiment, the search box may enable a user to enter a query in a different manner, such as, a voice command device, a handwriting recognition touch interface, a touch screen or any other suitable input/output device. The search box may also function using type-ahead functionality.
The interactive searching display window may include an answer box. The answer box may be configured to display an answer to the user's query. The answer may be determined by the processor.
In another embodiment, the answer may be displayed to the user in a different manner, such as, an audio output device, or any other suitable input/output device.
The interactive searching window may include a minimize button. The minimize button may be configured to reduce a display area of the interactive searching display window.
The interactive searching display window may include a maximize button. The maximize button may be configured to increase a display area of the interactive searching display window.
The interactive searching display window may include a pin button. The pin button may be configured to allow a user to pin the interactive searching display window to a specific place on the webpage.
The processor may be configured to redirect the user to a second webpage in response to the processor determining that greater than a threshold probability exists that the answer to the user's question may be found on the second webpage.
The processor may be configured to electronically notify the user that he has been redirected to the second webpage. The electronic notification may be a message in the answer box.
The processor may be configured to display the interactive searching display window about a central location, or any other suitable location, of the second webpage for a pre-determined time period. The time period may be not be less than 1.5 seconds and not more than 3.5 seconds. The time period of not less than 1.5 seconds and not more than 3.5 seconds may allow the brain of the user to comprehend that he has been redirected to the second webpage, but not to be frustrated by the ongoing at least partial concealment of the second webpage.
The processor may be further configured to move the interactive searching display window to one side of the second webpage after the time period of not less than 1.5 seconds and not more than 3.5 seconds has elapsed. Moving the interactive searching display window after the time period has elapsed may enable a user to view the second webpage without requiring the user to manually move the interactive searching display window. The time period of between 1.5 until 3.5 seconds may be enough time to enable the user to comprehend the redirection that has taken place, but not conceal the user's view of the second webpage for too long. This is because concealment of the second webpage for an extended period of time—e.g. more than 3.5 seconds—may disturb the user's view of the second webpage, and may frustrate the user. The shift of the interactive searching display window after the elapse of the time period of between 1.5 and 3.5 seconds may be enough time to enable the user to comprehend that the interactive searching display window can be pinned to the side of the webpage, and can be unpinned using the pin button.
The processor may be further configured to display the interactive searching display window pinned to one side of the second webpage. The side of the second webpage may be a right side, a left side, a top side, or a bottom side.
The processor may be configured to determine that there is insufficient display area on the second webpage for pinning of the interactive searching display window. The processor may be configured not to display the pin button to the user upon the determination that there is insufficient display area on the second webpage for pinning.
The answer to the user's question may be based in part on the user's personal information, for example, the user's name, phone number, address, the number of accounts associated with the user, the monetary size of the user's accounts, the monetary size of the user's home equity loan or mortgage, user's account history, etc.
The answer to the user's questions may be based in part on prior user searches, or any other suitable general or specific user information.
The processor may be configured to retain the state of the search box and the answer box, following redirection from the first webpage to the second webpage.
In another embodiment, the processor may be configured to display a plurality of webpage links in the answer box. The links may be displayed in response to the processor determining that greater than a threshold probability exists that the answer to the user's question may be found on each of the webpages. In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to display the probability, as a percentage, that the answer may found on the individual webpage.
In this embodiment, the processor may be configured to redirect the user, for each webpage, to a second webpage in response to the user clicking on one of the plurality of webpage links. The webpage link which the user clicks on may correspond to the second webpage.
Illustrative embodiments of apparatus and methods in accordance with the principles of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural, functional and procedural modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
The memory 115 may be comprised of any suitable permanent storage technology—e.g., a hard drive. The memory 115 stores software including the operating system 117 any application(s) 119 along with any data 111 needed for the operation of the system 100. Alternatively, some or all of computer executable instructions may be embodied in hardware or firmware (not shown). The computer 101 executes the instructions embodied by the software to perform various functions.
Input/output (“I/O”) module may include connectivity to a microphone, keyboard, touch screen, and/or stylus through which a user of computer 101 may provide input, and may also include one or more speakers for providing audio output and a video display device for providing textual, audiovisual and/or graphical output.
System 100 may be connected to other systems via a LAN interface 113.
System 100 may operate in a networked environment supporting connections to one or more remote computers, such as terminals 141 and 151. Terminals 141 and 151 may be personal computers or servers that include many or all of the elements described above relative to system 100. The network connections depicted in
It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are illustrative and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used. The existence of any of various well-known protocols such as TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like is presumed, and the system can be operated in a client-server configuration to permit a user to retrieve web pages from a web-based server. Any of various conventional web browsers can be used to display and manipulate data on web pages.
Additionally, application program(s) 119, which may be used by computer 101, may include computer executable instructions for invoking user functionality related to communication, such as email, Short Message Service (SMS), and voice input and speech recognition applications.
Computer 101 and/or terminals 141 or 151 may also be devices including various other components, such as a battery, speaker, and antennas (not shown).
Terminal 151 and/or terminal 141 may be portable devices such as a laptop, cell phone, Blackberry™, or any other suitable device for storing, transmitting and/or transporting relevant information. Terminals 151 and/or terminal 141 may be other devices. These devices may be identical to system 100 or different. The differences may be related to hardware components and/or software components.
Apparatus 200 may include one or more of the following components: I/O circuitry 204, which may include a transmitter device and a receiver device and may interface with fiber optic cable, coaxial cable, telephone lines, wireless devices, PHY layer hardware, a keypad/display control device or any other suitable encoded media or devices; peripheral devices 206, which may include counter timers, real-time timers, power-on reset generators or any other suitable peripheral devices; logical processing device 208, which may compute data structural information, structural parameters of the data, quantify indices; and machine-readable memory 210.
Machine-readable memory 210 may be configured to store in machine-readable data structures: information pertaining to a user, information pertaining to an account holder and the accounts which he may hold, the current time, information pertaining to a credit or debit card user and any other suitable information or data structures.
Components 202, 204, 206, 208 and 210 may be coupled together by a system bus or other interconnections 212 and may be present on one or more circuit boards such as 220. In some embodiments, the components may be integrated into a single chip. The chip may be silicon-based.
Close button 312 may enable the user to close the interactive searching display window. Maximize button 314 may enable the user to increase the size of the interactive searching display window. Minimize button 316 may enable the user to reduce the size of the interactive searching display window. Pin button 318 may enable the user to pin the interactive searching display window to one side of webpage 300.
In response to the processor's determination that the answer to the user's question may be found on webpage 600, the user may be electronically notified, via message 508 in answer box 506 that he has been redirected to a second webpage.
The amount of time which the interactive searching display window is shown on top of webpage 800 may be dynamic, based on historical user experience. For example, if the processor determines that the user has interacted with the interactive searching window a predetermined number of times, and is pre-conditioned to recognize the display of the interactive searching window, the processor may display the interactive searching window on top of webpage 800 for a shorter period of time—i.e. 1.5, 1.6 or 1.7 seconds. If the processor determines that the user has not interacted with the interactive searching display window more than a predetermined number of times, the processor may display the interactive searching window on top of webpage 800 for a longer period of time—i.e. 3.3, 3.4 or 3.5 seconds. In some embodiments, the amount of display time may be shifted between the upper time limit and lower time limit depending on either historical experience or other factors.
Interactive searching display window 602 may contain maximize button 606, minimize button 608 and pin button 610. Pin button 610 may not be visible because the processor may have determined that there is not sufficient room on webpage 600 for interactive searching display window 602 to be pinned to one side of webpage 600.
Tab 708 may pertain to transfers. Box 710 may describe transferring of money in more detail. Transferring of money may be the answer to the user's question on webpage 700 of “transfer money”.
Interactive searching display window 802 may contain close button 804, maximize button 806 and minimize button 808. A pin button may not be visible because the processor may have determined that there is not enough room on webpage 800 for interactive searching display window to be pinned to one side of webpage 800.
As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the invention described herein may be embodied in whole or in part as a method, a data processing system, or a computer program product. Accordingly, the invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software, hardware and any other suitable approach or apparatus.
Furthermore, such aspects may take the form of a computer program product stored by one or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable program code, or instructions, embodied in or on the storage media. Any suitable computer readable storage media may be utilized, including hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, and/or any combination thereof. In addition, various signals representing data or events as described herein may be transferred between a source and a destination in the form of electromagnetic waves traveling through signal-conducting media such as metal wires, optical fibers, and/or wireless transmission media (e.g., air and/or space).
The invention may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or store or process data structures, objects and other data types. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by separate (local or remote) processing devices that are linked through a communications network.
In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices. In a distributed computing environment, devices that perform the same or similar function may be viewed as being part of a “module” even if the devices are separate (whether local or remote) from each other.
Thus, methods and apparatus for navigational searching of a webpage are provided. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration rather than of limitation, and that the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow.
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