Categorical exploration facilitation responsive to broad search queries
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSungro Yoon, Soo-Min Pantel, Opeyemi Akanji, Vivek Kumar
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Abstract
A search results user interface enables a user conducting a search of an electronic catalog to identify and access browse nodes (item categories) associated with the search query when the search query is determined to be broad. In one embodiment, if the catalog items that are responsive to the search query fall within more than a threshold number of browse nodes, a search results page is presented that provides functionality for the user to view the browse nodes associated with the search query and to navigate to associated browse node pages.
Claims20
A computing system comprising one or more hardware processors, the computing system programmed with executable instructions to respond to a submission, from a user device, of a search query by performing a process that comprises:
- identifying a plurality of catalog items that are responsive to the search query;
- identifying one or more catalog browse nodes corresponding to the catalog items that are responsive to the search query;
- determining whether the number of the identified catalog browse nodes exceeds a threshold, said number representing a breadth of the search query, wherein the threshold is at least three;
- and
- generating, and outputting to the user device in response to the search query, a search results user interface that displays search query results, wherein generating the search results user interface comprises:
- when the number of the identified catalog browse nodes exceeds the threshold, incorporating into the search results user interface a plurality of browse node exploration sections, each browse node exploration section corresponding to a respective one of the identified catalog browse nodes and including (1) a user selectable link to a browse node page corresponding to the respective catalog browse node, and (2) a display of one or more representative items from the respective catalog browse node;
- and
- when the number of the identified catalog browse nodes does not exceed the threshold, generating the search results user interface without inclusion of any of said browse node exploration sections.
A computer-implemented method performed under control of program instructions executed by one or more computing devices, the method comprising:
- receiving a search query submitted by a user device;
- identifying a plurality of catalog items that are responsive to the search query;
- identifying one or more catalog browse nodes corresponding to the catalog items that are responsive to the search query;
- determining whether the number of the identified catalog browse nodes exceeds a threshold, said number representing a breadth of the search query, wherein the threshold is at least three;
- and
- generating, and outputting to the user device in response to the search query, a search results user interface that displays search query results, wherein generating the search results user interface comprises, in response to determining that the number of the identified catalog browse nodes exceeds the threshold, incorporating into the search results user interface a plurality of browse node exploration sections, each browse node exploration section corresponding to a respective one of the identified catalog browse nodes and including (1) a user selectable link to a browse node page corresponding to the respective catalog browse node, and (2) a display of one or more representative items from the respective catalog browse node.
Non-transitory computer storage which stores executable program instructions that direct a computing system to respond to a submission, from a user device, of a search query by at least:
- identifying catalog items that are responsive to the search query;
- identifying item categories corresponding to the catalog items that are responsive to the search query;
- determining whether a search query breadth condition is satisfied;
- and
- generating, and outputting to the user device in response to the search query, a search results user interface, wherein generating the search results user interface comprises, in response to the search query breadth condition being satisfied, incorporating into the search results user interface a plurality of category exploration sections, each category exploration section corresponding to a respective one of the identified item categories and including a user selectable link to a category page corresponding to the respective item category.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.