AUTOMATED CONTEXTUAL INDEX SUPPRESSION

Info

Publication number: 20190034541
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 25, 2018
Publication Date: Jan 31, 2019
Inventors: Jason Bosarge (South Jordan, UT), D. Levi King (San Mateo, CA)
Application Number: 16/045,069

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for identifying and requesting content related to a webpage. Such an exemplary computer-implemented method can include the acts of receiving instructions at the browser to request a first webpage, identifying content on the first webpage, generating and sending a search query to a search engine based on the identified content, and receiving search results from the search engine based on the search query. The search results can include a listing of webpages identified by the search engine, and without displaying the search results, a request can be initiated for a plurality of webpages from the listing of webpages.

Description

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/549,806, entitled “AUTOMATED CONTEXTUAL INDEX SUPPRESSION”, filed on Aug. 24, 2017, as well as U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/574,070, entitled “AUTOMATED CONTEXTUAL INDEX SUPPRESSION”, filed Oct. 18, 2017, as well as U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/536,851, entitled “PAGE COMPETE”, filed on Jul. 25, 2017, as well as U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/574,058, entitled “PAGE COMPETE”, filed on Oct. 18, 2017, as well as U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/538,451, entitled “DYNAMIC USER AGENT STRINGS”, filed on Jul. 28, 2017, as well as U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/574,063, entitled “DYNAMIC USER AGENT STRINGS”, filed on Oct. 18, 2017, and all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

Various systems and interfaces have been created for accessing and navigating content on the internet. For instance, when a user enters search terms into a browser interface, that browser will generate a search request that is sent to one or more search engines to identify indexed content corresponding with the search terms. When the browser receives search results back from the search engine(s), the browser will display the search results with controls for accessing and navigating through the search results.

Many browsers are distributed applications with interfaces that are configured to run on client machines and/or as services provided by remote hosts. Some browsers are also integrated into and hosted by the search engines. While other browsers are hosted by completely different domains than those that are hosting the search engines. Google, Bing and Yahoo are some non-limiting examples of search engines.

It is typical for search engines to utilize indexes that identify correlations between various search terms and the content that is available on different webpages. The indexes are formulated and updated in response to data obtained by web crawlers that identify and examine webpages. Each of the search engines utilize complex algorithms to weight the relevance between the search terms and the content identified in their indexes. Most search engines compile their search results into an ordered list, comprising a SERP (Search Engine Results Page). The SERP references different webpages containing content associated with the search terms. The browser presents the SERP, as a webpage to the user, with selectable links for each of the listed search result items. When a link is selected, the browser is redirected from the search engine domain to a different domain that is hosting the content corresponding to the selected link.

In some instances, the listing of content links identified in the SERP are sequenced in an order that is based on relevance, such as, for example, based on contextual correlations to the search terms provided by the browser and/or based on how recently the content was indexed and/or updated by the search engine web crawlers. The indexes for each search engine are formulated and updated in different ways. For instance, different search engines use different web crawlers at different times and they also use different algorithms for determining the significance or relevance between different terms. Accordingly, the results (e.g., SERP) returned by each of the different search engines will almost always be different. For instance, the SERP provided by one search engine might include references in a different order than the SERP provided by another search engine. Likewise, references in one SERP might be excluded from another SERP.

Some users are aware of the foregoing discrepancies and will sometimes go through the laborious process of interfacing with a plurality of different search engines to ensure that they are receiving the most appropriate content being searched for. This process, of interfacing with different search engines, however, is very time consuming and requires the user to navigate to the different domains of each search engine and to explicitly enter new user input for submitting separate requests to each of the search engines from those different webpages/domains.

Further, most browsers and search engines are configured to filter for and to distinguish between different types of content, such as image content, video content, shopping content, news content, general web content, etc. Accordingly, a user can select a particular content type filter on the browser interface to limit their search results to only the desired type(s) of content. However, the additional steps required for a user to filter their search to only a particular type of content, when comparing results from multiple search engines, can exacerbate the problems addressed above. In particular, the user will now need to perform the additional steps for navigating to and through the different filter menus/controls for each of the different search engines. This can be particularly problematic when the different search engines and browsers present their filter options differently, making it more difficult to navigate the content in a desired and consistent way. Each additional process and step required to perform this type of navigation will also incur additional computational expense and represents some of the technical difficulties associated with accessing content on the Internet.

In some instances, a user can navigate to a particular website by entering the URL of the web site into the browser. Once the browser navigates to the domain of that website, it will present content published by the host website, as well as links to secondary content published by the host web site and/or secondary web sites hosted by different domains. For instance, a host website might include links associated with a plurality of different articles published by the host. In these instances, when a user clicks on a link, the browser will access the corresponding content, which is often provided from the same host domain. In other instances, the link may redirect the browser to another domain that contains the webpage for the linked content. If a user wants to read/access all of the different linked content (particularly when it is hosted by different domains), they will be required to iteratively navigate back to the host domain website before they can access the different links to the different websites hosted by different domains. Even when the websites are all hosted by the same domain host, the back and forth navigation to the primary webpage represents wasted time and computational processing.

In some instances, a webpage may be configured to wrap the secondary linked content hosted by the secondary domain(s) into the webpage frame of a first domain, without requiring a user to navigate to the secondary domain(s). This can be accomplished, for example, by having the webpage of the first domain query for the content of the secondary domain(s) so that it is surfaced by the first domain within the frame of the first domain. However, such processing may result in undesired filtering of content and services provided by the second domain. This can also prevent the user's profile from being accurately updated to reflect navigation to the secondary domain(s) and/or while providing unnecessary attribution to the first domain.

In some instances, a user is directed to a secondary link or engages a hyperlink directly from another application, thereby accessing the linked web content through the default browser. However, should the user wish to view content related to the linked content, they are required to access a search engine and perform their own ad hoc search using their best judgment or guesses as to what search terms will return related content. This can be a difficult task, particularly when the linked content contains keywords relevant to multiple genres and/or topics, and a basic word search at an online search engine is likely to return irrelevant results and/or unfiltered results.

Problems associated with navigating content on the internet can be even more pronounced on mobile devices because some of the browser navigation controls are restricted, including the presentation of links to secondary content, adding to the difficulty for making the back and forth navigation between the primary webpage or SERP and the different linked sources. This is particularly true when the secondary links redirect the browser to different domains.

SUMMARY

Disclosed embodiments include systems, methods and devices for automatically identifying and requesting content related to a first webpage.

In some instances, a computer-implemented method can include receiving instructions at the browser to request a first webpage, identifying content on the first webpage, generating and sending a search query to a search engine based on the identified content, and receiving search results from the search engine based on the search query. The search results can include a listing of webpages identified by the search engine. The method can additionally include initiating a request for a plurality of webpages from the listing of webpages without displaying the search results.

In some instances, the instructions received at the browser originate from an activated hyperlink. The hyperlink can be activated by a user interaction such as a tap, click, or swipe. In some instances, the hyperlink is activated outside of the browser such as from within a non-browser mobile application. The instructions can also be received at the browser by a user entering a URL directly at the browser. The URL can be entered manually at, for example, an address bar of the browser, or in some instances, a series of commands (e.g., copy and paste) cause the URL to be entered at the browser.

The hyperlink and/or URL entered at the browser causes the browser to request a first webpage, and as provided above, content can be identified from the first webpage. In some instances, the content identified at the first webpage is filtered. This can include, for example, removing superfluous content (e.g., information found in the sidebar, footer, and/or navigation bar of the first webpage) and/or extracting desired content from the first webpage (e.g., the header or main content portions of the first webpage). In some instances, the identified content is associated with one or more of an H1 header, a title, an image, a keyword, a topic sentence, a metadata tag, an ad word, or combinations thereof found on or associated with the first webpage. The identified content can, for example, be text that is formatted as one or more of bolded, highlighted, italicized, or underlined.

The identified content can be parsed, in some instances, to remove duplicative content and/or to distill the identified content into one or more search terms. For example, the identified content can be header text, and parsing the header text removes duplicative content and/or non-descriptive text (e.g., prepositions, articles, etc.). The identified content—whether parsed and/or filtered—can be used to generate and send a search query to a search engine.

In some instances, the search results can contain a listing of webpages identified by the search engine, and without displaying the search results within the viewport, a request can be initiated for one or more webpages from the listing of webpages. The one or more requested webpages can be cached on the computing system (e.g., the mobile device) and/or within the browser such that in response to user interaction, one of the cached webpages is displayed within the viewport. The user input can include any user input that brings a formerly cached webpage into view at the viewport. This can include, for example, closing a current webpage, swiping to the cached webpage, tapping the cached webpage, or otherwise selecting the cached webpage. For example, a user can swipe from a webpage currently within the viewport to a cached webpage. The act of swiping to the cached webpage can be the user input that brings the cached webpage into view at the viewport.

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure include computing systems having one or more processors and one or more storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to implement a method for identifying and requesting content related to a webpage. The method can include, in response to an activated hyperlink, receiving instructions at a browser requesting a webpage. The method can additionally include identifying content on the webpage, and based on the identified content, generating and sending a search query to a search engine. The method further includes receiving search results from the search engine based on the search query, and without displaying the search results, initiating a request for one or more additional webpages from the search results. The method additionally includes caching the one or more additional webpages, and in response to user input received at the browser, accessing and displaying a first additional webpage of the one or more additional webpages.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the teachings herein. Features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features can be obtained, a more particular description of the subject matter briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting in scope, embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a browser interface on a mobile device in which a search field and plurality of pivot icons are displayed that correspond to different content types, including a general search pivot icon, a video pivot icon, an image pivot icon, a news pivot icon and a shopping pivot icon;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 1, in which a webpage is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field and/or in response to a user selecting a suggested search term;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 1, in which a webpage is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field and also in response to a selection of the general search pivot icon and in which a navigation control panel listing webpage links associated with a suppressed index;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 3, in which the navigation control panel has been updated with a link to the SERP and the SERP is displayed in response to user navigation to the SERP;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 4, in which the navigation control panel and the displayed webpage have been updated in response to user navigation to a second webpage link identified in the navigation control panel;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 5, in which the navigation control panel is updated to emphasize a webpage link corresponding to the displayed webpage in the navigation control panel;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 1, in which a webpage is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field and also in response to a selection of the video pivot icon;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 7, in which the webpage is displayed with a navigation control panel listing webpage links associated with a suppressed index;

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 8, in which the navigation control panel and the displayed webpage have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel;

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 1, in which a webpage is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field and also in response to a selection of the image pivot icon;

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 10, in which the webpage is displayed with a navigation control panel listing webpage links associated with a suppressed index;

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 11, in which the navigation control panel and the displayed webpage have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel;

FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 1, in which a webpage is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field and also in response to a selection of the news pivot icon;

FIG. 14 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 13, in which the webpage is displayed with a navigation control panel listing webpage links associated with a suppressed index;

FIG. 15 illustrates an example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 14, in which the navigation control panel and the displayed webpage have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel;

FIG. 16 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 1, in which a webpage is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field and also in response to a selection of the shopping pivot icon;

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 16, in which the webpage is displayed with a navigation control panel listing webpage links associated with a suppressed index;

FIG. 18 illustrates an example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 17, in which the navigation control panel and the displayed webpage have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel;

FIG. 19 illustrates an example of a browser interface illustrating another view of the plurality of pivot icons, including a general search pivot icon, a video pivot icon, an image pivot icon, a news pivot icon and a shopping pivot icon;

FIG. 20 illustrates an example of a browser interface that is displaying a webpage with a browser mode icon that is selectable to cause the browser to operate in a different mode;

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 20, after the browser mode icon has been selected;

FIG. 22 illustrates an example of a browser interface corresponding to the browser interface of FIG. 21, in which the webpage is displayed with a navigation control panel listing webpage links associated with a suppressed index;

FIG. 23 illustrates an example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 22, in which the navigation control panel and the displayed webpage have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel;

FIG. 24 illustrates a flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet content with a browser based on a suppressed index corresponding to the search results;

FIG. 25 illustrates a flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet search results with a browser without requiring a user to navigate the internet content from the SERP;

FIG. 26 illustrates components of a SERP and a parsed/suppressed index that is derived from the SERP or a sitemap file;

FIG. 27 illustrates a flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet content with a browser based on a suppressed index corresponding to the search results;

FIG. 28 illustrates a flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet content with a browser and for determining when/whether to display a SERP corresponding to the search results;

FIG. 29 illustrates a flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet content with a browser that includes a plurality of pivot icons that are each associated with different types of content and different sets of search engines configured to provide search results corresponding to a respective type of content associated with a selected pivot icon, and wherein the browser also includes links for directly navigating (with one step/input navigation) between the different search engine results;

FIG. 30 illustrates another a flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet content with a browser that includes a plurality of pivot icons that are each associated with different types of content and different sets of search engines configured to provide search results corresponding to a respective type of content associated with a selected pivot icon, and wherein the browser also includes links for directly navigating (with one step/input navigation) between the different search engine results;

FIG. 31 illustrates a flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for generating a suppressed index that is based off of a crawler protocol file and a linked sitemap file, as well as for facilitating navigation of the corresponding linked webpages with the suppressed index;

FIG. 32 illustrates a flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for utilizing and modifying a navigation control panel that includes links to a suppressed index and for navigating the corresponding webpages identified in the suppressed index; and

FIG. 33 illustrates a computer system that can be used to incorporate and/or to implement aspects of the disclosed embodiments, including embodiments related to the generation and use of suppressed indexes to facilitate navigation of content, as well as the embodiments related to the pivot icons and navigation controls described herein.

FIG. 34 illustrates a computer system that can be used to incorporate and/or to implement aspects of the disclosed embodiments, including embodiments related to identifying and requesting content related to a webpage.

FIG. 35 illustrates an exemplary logic flow for identifying and requesting content related to a webpage using various components of the computer system of FIG. 34.

FIG. 36 illustrates a flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for identifying and requesting content related to a webpage.

FIG. 37 illustrates another flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for identifying and requesting content related to a webpage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosed embodiments include systems, methods and devices for generating, suppressing and utilizing indexes for obtaining and navigating content, as well as for interfaces that are configured with unique features and controls for facilitating navigation of the content.

Some of the disclosed embodiments include the generation and suppression of indexes derived from SERP structures. The derived indexes are actively used to facilitate navigation of content referenced in the SERP structures, rather than utilizing the SERP structures directly. In some instances, a SERP is temporarily or selectively hidden from view, while presenting and navigating content referenced by the SERP. In some instances, a user is enabled to navigate to the SERP from another webpage that was linked in the SERP and that was displayed by the browser prior to the SERP ever being displayed by the browser.

In some instances, the suppressed indexes are built off of sitemap files identified in web crawler protocol files for particular webpages. Selectable icons are provided for modifying a mode of browsing and for directly accessing content linked in the particular webpages, without having to select the links from the particular webpages directly.

Some disclosed embodiments also provide unique pivot icons for facilitating direct navigation links between different sets of search results from different search engines and/or host domains, corresponding to search input entered by the user a single time at the browser, and without requiring the user to navigate to and enter the same search input at the different search engine interfaces to perform similar searches directly with each of the different search engines.

Some embodiments also provide a navigation control with links to webpages identified in suppressed indexes and which is displayed concurrently with content corresponding to one or more of the webpages. The navigation control is modified to reflect navigation between different linked webpages.

Some embodiments enable identification of content from a webpage from which a search request is generated. An index of search results is suppressed with content from the search being requested and/or pre-fetched concurrent with viewing the displayed webpage.

The disclosed embodiments are useful, in some instances, to reduce technical difficulties associated with navigating content with a browser, particularly content provided by disparate host domains and search engines. Some of the improvements include reductions in the amount of steps and processes that must occur to navigate the content and to filter out content that could be harmful. The disclosed embodiments can also facilitate improvements with navigating content on small screen and mobile devices, particularly touch screen devices, which sometimes limit browser control functionality.

In short, this disclosure helps to highlight some of the problems and deficiencies associated with existing internet navigation technologies and technical solutions for improving the efficiency and ease for performing internet navigation with a browser that interfaces with one or more search engine.

Attention will now be directed to FIGS. 1-23, 26 and 33-35 which illustrate various interfaces, systems, and structures that are incorporated by or utilized in the claimed embodiments. Then, a description of various methods for implementing claimed embodiments will be provided in reference to the flow diagrams illustrated in FIGS. 24, 27-32, 36, and 37.

SERP Suppression and Accessing and Navigating Internet Content with a Browser

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a browser interface 100 on a mobile device 102 in which a search field 103 and plurality of pivot icons are displayed that correspond to different content types, including a general search pivot icon 122, a video pivot icon 124, an image pivot icon 126, a news pivot icon 128 and a shopping pivot icon 129. Each of the different pivot icons correspond to a different type of content that can be searched for. In this regard, each of the different pivot icons represent a filter, which, when selected causes a search request to be formulated by the browser to search one or more search engines, designated by the browser, for content associated with that filter/content type. By way of example, after the user types the word cat into the search field, and before hitting submit or enter, the user can simply select the filter type or pivot icon corresponding to the type of content they want to see for the search term cat. The selection of the pivot icon will trigger the formulation of a search request for that corresponding type of content. Even more particularly, if a user selects the general search pivot icon 122, the browser will formulate a search request for content associated with cats (without restriction to a focused content type). That search will be sent to one or more search engines that are configured to provide results corresponding to the selected content type.

Alternatively, if the user were to select the video pivot icon 124, the browser would formulate a search for video content corresponding to cats or other terms in the search field 103, which would be sent to one or more predetermined search engines that are configured to obtain and filter search results corresponding to the requested content type (e.g., videos). Likewise, selection of the image pivot icon 126 will cause the browser to formulate a search for image content associated with cats or any other terms in the search field 103. Selection of the news pivot icon 128 will cause the browser to search for news content associated with cats or other term in the search field 103. Finally, selection of the shopping pivot icon 129 will cause the browser to formulate a search for content presenting items for sale or other shopping sites associated with cats or any other terms in the search field 103.

Once a search is formulated by the browser, it will be sent to a predetermined default search engine. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the search will be sent to multiple different search engines (e.g., Google, Bing, Yahoo, Giphy, YouTube, Amazon, Ebay, etc.). In this regard, it will be appreciated that the term search engine corresponds to any computing system or internet domain that is configured to receive a search request from a browser for one or more URLs (corresponding to a specified address in the request and/or one or more search terms identified in the request) and to identify and return a listing to the browser of one or more relevant URLs for websites containing relevant content related to the search request. In some embodiments, the search results returned from a search engine are composed in the form of a SERP (Search Engine Results Page), which may comprise a webpage and/or instructions for rendering the URLs identified in the SERP. The search results identified in the SERP or other result listing will typically include URLs that are presented by the browser as links to the corresponding web sites referenced by the URLs.

In some embodiments, the SERP or other indexed listing that is returned as the search results will not displayed to the user, as is typically the case for existing browsers. Instead, the SERP or other indexed URL listing is used to derive a new index that is suppressed in memory and that is used as the basis for navigating the content identified in the SERP. In some instances, the derived index excludes one or more references identified in the SERP, such that the derived/suppressed index comprises a subset of the URLs identified in the SERP (or other search result index).

Details associated with the derived index will be provided below, following a more detailed description of the techniques and embodiments associated with obtaining and navigating the search results with the pivot icons and other browser controls.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a browser interface 200 corresponding to the browser interface 100 of FIG. 1, in which a webpage 210 is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field and/or in response to a user selecting a suggested search term from the interface 100 of FIG. 1. The webpage 210 can also be accessed by typing the URL into the URL field 220.

As shown, the webpage 210 includes one or more titles, images and text. The webpage 210 is shown in abstract form, inasmuch as the makeup of the webpage will vary according to the types of content that are presented and the formats that are defined by the webpage. In this webpage 210, as in many typical webpages, the content of the webpage will include links to other webpages. In this instance, the image(s)/text 230 of the webpage comprise links (such as to explore more details about the content). Likewise, there are several articles (article 2, article 3 and article 4) that also comprise links to the referenced articles. When any of these links are selected, the browser will access and display the linked content. In some instances, the linked content is hosted by the same domain as the domain hosting the current webpage 210. In other instances, the linked content is hosted by a different domain and will cause the browser to leave the current domain and to access the new domain in order to access the linked content.

In this embodiment, the user typed cat into the search field 103 of webpage 103 in FIG. 1. The user also hit enter, submit or another button for triggering the search. This in turn, caused the browser to submit a search to one or more predetermined search engines for URLs associated with content about cats. When the results come back, in the form of a SERP structure or another index of URLs, the browser creates a derived index of the URLs and suppresses the derived index. The browser also automatically accesses the first listed URL in the derived index, without and prior to displaying the SERP. In this instance, the first listed URL in the derived index links to the webpage 210 shown in FIG. 2. In some instances, this may also be the first listed webpage in the SERP. In other instances, the first listed webpage in the SERP is excluded from the suppressed index and is not accessed/displayed.

In some instances, the browser provides controls for helping the user identify and navigate the content. For instance, the user is presented a content type icon 250 that identifies the scope/filter used to perform the search. In this instance, the type/filter identifies that ‘all results’ are included, meaning that the content is not focused on a type that is more exclusive (e.g., video, image, shopping, news, etc.).

The user is also provided navigation controls that provide a single input link to other webpage results and/or the SERP. In this embodiment, a forward control 260 and a backward control 262 are provided for accessing a next or previous webpage identified in the suppressed index. If there is no previous webpage identified in the suppressed index when the backward control 262 is selected, the browser will display the SERP (which effectively acts as the first webpage in such instances). The SERP may actually be linked and listed, in some instances, as the first entry in the suppressed index that is referenced by the browser when the browser receives a forward or backward navigation command.

The forward and backward navigation commands can also be triggered by the user entering a swipe gesture at any point on the touch screen display 264. For example, the user might touch the screen 264 at point 290 while swiping left (illustrated by arrow 292) or swiping right (illustrated by arrow 294). A swipe gesture of this type will register a forward or backward command with the browser, similar to how selection of links 262 and 264 will trigger navigation through referenced URLs (and the SERP) from the suppressed index.

A control 270 is also provided, when selected, to trigger an interface for sending the webpage 210. For instance, when a user selects control 270, the user is prompted to identify another entity address or name where the displayed webpage or corresponding URL will be sent. The browser then interfaces with the application associated with that entity address (e.g., Outlook, messenger, etc.) to send a message that includes the webpage and/or URL.

Control 274, when selected, triggers the browser to generate a new browser instance. In some embodiments, the new instance is a new browser tab within a same browser window that was displaying the webpage when the control 274 was selected. In other instances, the new browser instance is a new browser window, which contains the one or more tabs.

A pivot access icon/control 280 is also provided which, when selected, causes the browser to display the different pivot icons describe in reference to FIG. 1 (e.g., pivot icons 122, 124, 126, 128 and 129). The presentation of the pivot icons can occur with the display of the webpage (in some instances) and/or in an independent interface display (see FIG. 19).

In some instances, the coloring of the pivot access control 280 is modified to correspond with a coloring of the content type icon 250 that is currently selected/active for the corresponding search results that are being displayed. In this regard, different pivot icons will have different coloring to create an association between the content type and the color of the pivot icons. Different coloring/shading schemes can be used to accommodate different needs and preferences. In some embodiments, for example, the general search pivot icon is colored blue, the video pivot icon is colored red, the images pivot icon is colored yellow, the news pivot icon is colored purple and the shopping pivot icon is colored green.

In some embodiments, the configuration of the pivot icons within the display can also be modified in such a way as to list the most commonly selected/used pivot icons before less frequently selected/used pivot icons. The size of the pivot icons can also vary, to represent (with larger sizes, for example) the pivot icons that are utilized more frequently. The system will, in some instances, track the use of the different pivot icons and store this information for reference when considering how to present the different pivot icons when an input is received for triggering a display of the pivot icons.

Other types of user input can also be used for triggering a display of the pivot icons. For instance, in some embodiments, the content type icon 250 is selectable to trigger a display of the pivot icons. Detection of input being typed into the URL field 220 or a search field (if present) can also trigger the display of the pivot icons.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 3, which illustrates an example of a browser interface 300 showing a webpage 310 that is similar to the webpage 210 of FIG. 2. However, in this embodiment, the interface 300 is configured with a navigation control panel 305 that lists a plurality of webpage links to webpages that are identified by the suppressed index associated with the SERP. Notably, in some embodiments, the links can be sorted into a sequence/order that is defined by the suppressed index. Alternatively, the links can be sorted in a manner that is different than the sequence/order of URL links identified in the SERP, and which may omit one or more URL links that were included in the SERP listing, as described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 26.

When a link in the navigation control panel is selected, the browser will access and display the webpage associated with the selected link. In some instances, this requires the browser to access and display content from a different domain.

In some instances, the positioning of the links in the navigation control panel 305 conveys information to the user regarding the webpage that is being displayed. For instance, the left justified position of the Index Link 1 306 indicates that the webpage 310 corresponds to that link. When a new link is selected, that new link will be repositioned in the left justified position. In other embodiments, a central or right justification is used instead, to reflect the selected link and displayed webpage. Other modifications to the navigation control panel 305 can also be used to reflect the current/relevant link. For instance, highlighting and font changes can be used to emphasize the current/selected link. Other links can also be de-emphasized to, by reference, emphasize the selected/current link.

To accommodate the positioning of the navigation control panel 305, the webpage 310 may be formatted or reformatted in such a way as to accommodate the lost space given to the navigation control panel 305. Accordingly, the website 310 may collapse one or more webpage elements into a menu 307. Alternatively, other browser interface elements can be collapsed into a menu 307 that is displayed with the webpage.

A user can navigate to the different linked content (identified by the navigation control panel 305) by directly selecting links from the navigation control panel 305. Other single input navigation techniques can also be used, such as a selection of control 360 or 362, or the submission of a swipe gesture entered at the touch screen of the device. A user can enter a swipe gesture at point 390 (or another point) by moving their finger left (as illustrated by arrow 392) or right (as illustrated by arrow 394).

When the user navigates right (with a gesture or control selection), they will be directed to the next listed webpage link in the navigation control panel 305, based on referencing the suppressed index to identify the next listed webpage link, (in this case to index link 2, corresponding to the webpage shown in FIG. 5). Alternatively, when the user navigates left, they will be directed to the previously listed webpage link in the navigation control panel 305, based on referencing the sequence defined in the suppressed index. Currently, however, there is no previously listed webpage link, inasmuch as index link 1 (306) is the first listed webpage link in the navigation control panel. In this instance, the browser will display the SERP (which may be the first listed webpage link in the suppressed index).

Navigation input will, in some instances, cause the browser to initiate a query for the corresponding webpage to be displayed, based on the sequencing order in the suppressed index and based on stored index data. For instance, the index may store the URL of the different listed webpages, such that in response to detecting navigation input (e.g., a request for a next or previous page), the browser will identify the URL of the next or previous page from the suppressed index and will, responsively, send a request to the appropriate host/domain for the webpage. In some instances, the request is sent to an intermediary server/service that has cached or that will access the webpage and send the webpage to the browser for display on-demand.

While the above discussion focused on an “overall” suppressed list, other embodiments are configured to make use of a second, or rather a “derivative,” list. For instance, suppose the webpage 310 shown in FIG. 3 includes additional links of its own. By way of example, many webpages include hyperlinks to other webpages. As a result, a user can navigate from one webpage to another simply by clicking a link that is included within an existing webpage. Some of the current embodiments are able to analyze a webpage to extract some or all of the links/hyperlinks that are included within that webpage. Once extracted, then these embodiments are able to generate a “derivative” list of webpages. The webpages in this derivative list were all originally included in the one webpage that forms a part of the suppressed list. Accordingly, each webpage that is shown in the suppressed list, or rather the navigation control panel 305, may have a corresponding derivative list.

Once this derivative list is generated, then the user can navigate through the webpages in the derivative list according to the same principles that have been discussed with regard to the user's navigation through the webpages that are included in the navigation control panel 305. For instance, by swiping in a particular direction, the user is able to navigate through the webpages included in the derivative list. Here, it will also be appreciated that the user is able to navigate between the webpages in the derivative list and the webpages of shown in the navigation control panel 305 without having to perform backtrack actions, as is commonly required in the conventional technology. An example will be helpful. In the conventional technology, when a user drills down through the hyperlinks of a set of webpages (e.g., the user navigates to a first webpage, then selects a hyperlink within that first webpage in order to navigate to a second webpage, and so on in a “drill down” process), then the user will be required to backtrack through his/her sequence of navigations in order to return to the original webpage or to navigate to a next webpage that was originally included as part of the user's original search results.

In contrast to the conventional technology, the current embodiments are configured to enable a user to readily transition between navigating through the webpages of the derivative index, or any other index described herein (e.g., the SERP). For example, suppose a list of indexes is initially created (e.g., as shown by the list of indexes in the navigation control panel 305). This list of indexes makes reference to at least four different webpages (as shown in FIG. 3). Now suppose that one of the webpages includes a number of hyperlinks. The disclosed embodiments enable a user to drill down through the hyperlinks in any of the pages and to, thereafter, at any time, swipe or navigate to another linked webpage from the base suppressed index (e.g., the SERP, the derived index or other base index). For instance, by way of example, the embodiments are configured to enable a user to access a webpage that is included in the SERP (e.g., the Index Link 1 which corresponds to the webpage 310 shown in FIG. 3). After accessing the webpage, then the embodiments enable the user to selectively/progressively drill down into additional linked websites that are included in that first webpage. At any point throughout the progressive drilling operation, the embodiments are configured such that the user is able to immediately return to the original SERP by clicking a button or performing a swiping gesture. For instance, once the user accesses the first webpage, then the derivative list may be generated. By performing a swipe gesture, the user can then access the links in the derivative list (or any other list). Furthermore, at any point throughout the process, the user is able to immediately return to the list of indexes included in the SERP as shown in the list of indexes shown by the navigation control panel 305 of FIG. 3 by clicking a button or performing a swipe gesture.

In one embodiment, using the navigation techniques described herein (e.g., a swiping action), the user is able to navigate from the original webpage that is included in the list of indexes (e.g., as shown in the navigation control panel 305) directly into the first webpage included in the derived list. Once the derivative list is navigated into, the user is able to navigate through each of the remaining webpages of the derivative list. Even further, once the user has completed his/her desired navigations through the derivative list (e.g., either by navigating completely through the list or by navigating through only a part of the list until the user no longer desires to navigate through the derivative list), then the user can immediately return to the original list of indexes (i.e. the SERP which is illustrated by the navigation control panel 305) without having to backtrack. This return to the original list of indexes is performed in a variety of ways. For example, in one embodiment, after a user has navigated through all of the webpages in the derivative list, the next webpage in the original list of indexes becomes immediately available, and the user simply has to swipe to navigate to the next webpage. In an alternative situation in which the user did not navigate completely through the webpages of the derivative list, the user simply needs to click on one of the links included in the list of indexes in the navigation control panel 305 as shown in FIG. 3. By directly clicking on the link in the list of indexes in the navigation control panel 305, the user is able to navigate out of the derivative list and return to the original list of indexes (e.g., the list of indexes as shown in the navigation control panel 305). Accordingly, the current embodiments enable a user to navigate through both a list of indexes and a derivative list (and to navigate between those two lists) without requiring the user to perform a backtrack operation.

In other embodiments, the system pre-fetches and caches a predetermined number of webpages referenced in the suppressed index before and/or after the webpage that is being displayed, even before receiving navigation input from the user and/or at the browser. Then, when a request is made for the next/previous webpage, the browser simply accessed the cached webpage from the system memory/cache.

FIG. 4 illustrates a SERP webpage that might be accessed and displayed in response to a left navigation input when a first listed webpage in the suppressed index (other than the SERP) is currently being displayed. For instance, the browser will replace the display of the webpage 310 (FIG. 3) with a display of the SERP when a gesture corresponding to arrow 392 is received and/or when control 362 is selected. One or more dedicated control icons (not presently shown) can also be displayed for directly linking to the SERP.

As shown in FIG. 4, the displayed webpage 410 is a general SERP webpage. The navigation control panel 405 has also been updated to reflect that the ‘All Results’ link that is associated with the displayed webpage 410 is being displayed. In this embodiment, the displayed webpage 410 is a standard SERP webpage that might typically be returned from a search engine, with links 499 to one or more webpages. Notably, this webpage 410 was not displayed until after one of the linked webpages (e.g., Index Link 1) identified in the SERP was previously displayed.

The webpage 410 also includes a query bar provided by the search engine host. When a user types input into the query bar, the browser intercepts this input and triggers a display of the pivot icons described above with reference to FIG. 1, for helping to modify the search request being sent to the search engine(s).

Attention will now be directed to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a browser interface 500 similar to the browser interface 300 of FIG. 3, in which the navigation control panel 505 and the displayed webpage 510 have been updated in response to user navigation to a second webpage link identified in the navigation control panel 505, namely Index Link 2 506. Navigation to this linked webpage could occur from selecting the link 560 directly from the navigation control panel 505 or by selecting control 360, for example.

As shown, the link 506 to the displayed webpage 510 is mostly left justified in the navigation control panel 505, to emphasize that this is the link corresponding to the displayed webpage 510. However, as described earlier, the link 506 can also be emphasized in different ways, such as shown in FIG. 6, by centering and/or by changing a shading, coloring, font, size, or highlighting of the link 606. With continued reference to FIG. 6, the navigation control panel 605 shows a portion of another link on the right side of index link 3, indicating that there is another link beyond index link 3 that can be accessed. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, the navigation control panel 505 shows a portion of another link 507 to the left of the index link 2 (506), indicating that there is a link to be navigated to, if desired. In other embodiments, the links to the left of a selected link are not visible (including the SERP link, for example).

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a browser interface 700 corresponding to the browser interface 100 of FIG. 1, in which a webpage 710 is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field 110 and also in response to a selection of the video pivot icon 124 of FIG. 1.

Accordingly, the browser performed a search with one or more search engine(s) for video content. When the content type is a specialized or focused type (such as video, image, shopping, etc.) the browser will obtain multiple different search results from different search engines specializing in providing content of that type. For instance, the browser, in response to a request for video content will perform a search with Bing, Google, Yahoo, Youtube, and other video domains to identify URLs matching the terms submitted with the search. The search engine domains for each particular content type are predefined by the browser settings and can be modified in response to user input.

The search results from each of the search engines can include a SERP or other URL index. In these instances, the browser creates a corresponding suppressed/parsed index that is used for navigating the content. This suppressed index is also used to identify the links that are presented in the navigation control panel, as described earlier. However, rather than only listing particular webpages identified in a single SERP/index, this type of filtered search to multiple search engines will result in the browser obtaining search results (SERPs) from multiple search engines. When multiple different search engine results are received, the suppressed index will be built with multiple different entries in the suppressed index for the different SERP webpages (corresponding to the different search engines), such as with a link to the Google video SERP, a link to a YouTube SERP, a link to a Bing video SERP, and links to other specialized search engine SERPs or general/filtered search engine SERPs etc.

The navigation control panel (if displayed) will then show links for these different webpages (some of which may be SERPS or other search engine index pages). When one of those links is selected, or other navigation input is received, the browser will reference the suppressed index to identify, access, and display the linked content, which in some instances includes a SERP or other search engine index filtered for the particular type of content that was searched.

In the present embodiment, since the video pivot icon was selected for filtering search results to video content, the content type icon 750 has been updated to reflect the coloring/type associated with the selected pivot icon. The pivot access icon 780 has also been updated accordingly, with the same coloring and/or icon objects/labels.

The webpage 710 that is shown is currently a webpage SERP for video content, including multiple links 799 to video content available from a particular host search engine.

A user can navigate to other webpages referenced in the suppressed index, such as other search engine SERPs for video content, by providing a gesture (as previously discussed) or by selecting one of the navigation controls 760, 762.

FIG. 8 illustrates a similar browser interface to the interface of FIG. 7. However, in this embodiment, navigation control panel 805 is displayed and the webpage 810 has been updated to accommodate the space requirements needed for the navigation control panel 805. For instance, one of the links 799 has been dropped from the listing of links 899 (i.e., Video Host Link 4). However, in some embodiments, a user can scroll down to view the omitted link as well as other related links. As shown, the video host 1 link 806 is also left justified to reflect the webpage 810 that is being displayed. The user can then navigate to the results from another search engine (for similar video links) by selecting the link for that search engine from the navigation control panel 805 and/or by entering a swipe gesture or selection of control 860 or 862.

FIG. 9 illustrates another example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 8, in which the navigation control panel 905 and the displayed webpage 910 have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel, namely, video host N (wherein video host N could be video host 2, 3, 4, etc.) or any other webpage identified in the suppressed index and which the user has navigated to, utilizing any of the navigation techniques and/or controls described herein.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a browser interface 1000 corresponding to the browser interface 100 of FIG. 1, in which a webpage 1010 is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field 110 and also in response to a selection of the image pivot icon 126 of FIG. 1.

Accordingly, the browser performed a search with one or more search engine(s) for image content. As discussed above, with regard to the video content search, the browser obtains multiple different search results from different search engines specializing in providing content of the content type corresponding to the selected pivot icon. For instance, the browser, in response to a reqguest for image content, performs a search with Bing, Google, Yahoo, Giphy, and/or other image domains to identify URLs matching the terms submitted with the search. The search engine domains for each particular content type are predefined by the browser settings and can be modified in response to user input. For example, a user can select or deselect domains for performing various searches and can, in some embodiments, tailor the domains used for searching based on the category (e.g., Google and Giphy for image searches, YouTube and Vimeo for video searches, Amazon and eBay for shopping searches, etc.)

The search results from each of the search engines can include a SERP or other URL index of URLs having image content matching the search. The browser also creates a corresponding suppressed/parsed index that is used for navigating the content identified by/derived from the SERP/URL indexes. This suppressed index is also used to identify the links that are presented in the navigation control panel, as described earlier. However, rather than only listing particular webpages identified in a single SERP/index, this type of filtered search to multiple search engines will result in the browser obtaining search results (SERPs) from multiple search engines. When multiple different search engine results are received, the suppressed index will be built with multiple different entries in the suppressed index for the different SERP webpages (corresponding to the different search engines), such as with a link to the Google image SERP, a link to a Giphy SERP, a link to a Bing image SERP, and links to other specialized image search engine SERPs or general/filtered search engine SERPs etc.

The navigation control panel (if displayed) will also show links for these different webpages (some of which may be SERPS or other search engine index pages). When one of those links is selected, or other navigation input is received, the browser will reference the suppressed index to identify, access and display the linked content, which in some instances includes a SERP or other search engine index filtered for the particular type of content that was searched.

In the present embodiment, since the image pivot icon was selected for filtering search results to image content, the content type icon 1050 has been updated to reflect the coloring/type associated with the selected pivot icon. The pivot access icon 1080 has also been updated accordingly, with the same coloring and/or icon objects/labels.

The webpage 1010 that is shown is currently a webpage SERP for image content (e.g., Google images), including multiple links 1099 to image content available from a particular host search engine (i.e., Image Host 1).

A user can navigate to other webpages referenced in the suppressed index, such as other search engine SERPs for image content, by providing a gesture (as previously discussed) or by selecting one of the navigation controls 1060 or 1062.

FIG. 11 illustrates a similar browser interface to the interface of FIG. 10. However, in this embodiment, navigation control panel 1105 is displayed and the webpage 1110 has been updated (reformatting content presentations) to accommodate the space requirements needed for the navigation control panel 1105. As shown, the image host 1 link 1106 is also left justified to reflect the webpage 1110 that is being displayed. The user can then navigate to the results from another search engine (for similar image links) by selecting the link for that search engine from the navigation control panel 1105 and/or by entering a swipe gesture or selection of control 1160 or 1162.

FIG. 12 illustrates another example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 11, in which the navigation control panel 1205 and the displayed webpage 1210 have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel, namely, image host N 1206 (wherein image host N could be image host 2, 3, 4, etc. from FIG. 11) or any other webpage identified in the suppressed index and which the user has navigated to, utilizing any of the navigation techniques and/or controls described herein.

As shown in FIG. 12, the user may scroll through images displayed within the webpage 1210 with a side scrolling gesture. In some embodiments, the user may scroll through images displayed within webpage 1210 using a vertical scrolling gesture.

FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a browser interface 1300 corresponding to the browser interface 100 of FIG. 1, in which a webpage 1310 is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field 110 and also in response to a selection of the news pivot icon 128 of FIG. 1.

Accordingly, the browser performed a search with one or more search engine(s) for image content. As discussed above, with regard to the news content search, the browser obtains multiple different search results from different search engines specializing in providing content of the content type corresponding to the selected pivot icon. For instance, the browser, in response to a request for news content will perform a search with any of Bing, Google, Yahoo, AP, CNN, and/or other news domains to identify URLs matching the terms submitted with the search. The search engine domains for each particular content type are predefined by the browser settings and can be modified in response to user input. For example, a user can select CNN and AP in the user settings, and when the user elects to search news content within the browser, the browser will obtain search results from CNN and AP and display the results as described above or otherwise as described with respect to FIG. 13.

For example, the search results from each of the search engines can include a SERP or other URL index of URLs having news content matching the search. The browser also creates a corresponding suppressed/parsed index that is used for navigating the content identified by/derived from the SERP/URL indexes. This suppressed index is also used to identify the links that are presented in the navigation control panel, as described earlier. However, rather than only listing particular webpages identified in a single SERP/index, this type of filtered search to multiple search engines will result in the browser obtaining search results (SERPs) from multiple search engines. When multiple different search engine results are received, the suppressed index will be built with multiple different entries in the suppressed index for the different SERP webpages (corresponding to the different search engines), such as with a link to the Google news SERP, a link to a Yahoo news SERP, a link to a Bing news SERP, and links to other specialized news search engine SERPs (e.g., CNN) or general/filtered search engine SERPs etc.

The navigation control panel (if displayed) will also show links for these different webpages (some of which may be SERPS or other search engine index pages). When one of those links is selected, or other navigation input is received, the browser will reference the suppressed index to identify, access and display the linked content, which in some instances includes a SERP or other search engine index filtered for the particular type of content that was searched.

In the present embodiment, since the news pivot icon was selected for filtering search results to news content, the content type icon 1305 has been updated to reflect the coloring/type associated with the selected pivot icon. The pivot access icon 1380 has also been updated accordingly, with the same coloring and/or icon objects/labels.

The webpage 1310 that is shown is currently a webpage SERP for news content (e.g., Yahoo News), including multiple links 1399 to news content available from a particular host search engine (i.e., News Host 1).

A user can navigate to another webpages referenced in the suppressed index, such as other search engine SERPs for news content, by providing a gesture (as previously discussed) or by selecting one of the navigation controls 1360 or 1362.

FIG. 14 illustrates a similar browser interface to the interface of FIG. 13. However, in this embodiment, navigation control panel 1405 is displayed and the webpage 1410 has been updated (reformatting content presentations) to accommodate the space requirements needed for the navigation control panel 1405. As shown, the news host 1 link 1406 is also left justified to reflect the webpage 1410 that is being displayed. The user can then navigate to the results from another search engine (for similar news links) by selecting the link for that search engine from the navigation control panel 1405 and/or by entering a swipe gesture or selection of control 1460 or 1462.

FIG. 15 illustrates another example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 14, in which the navigation control panel 1505 and the displayed webpage 1510 have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel, namely, news host N 1506 (wherein news host N could be news host 2, 3, 4, etc.) or any other webpage identified in the suppressed index and which the user has navigated to, utilizing any of the navigation techniques and/or controls described herein.

FIG. 16 illustrates an example of a browser interface 1600 corresponding to the browser interface 100 of FIG. 1, in which a webpage 1610 is displayed in response to user input entered in the search field 110 and also in response to a selection of the shopping pivot icon 129 of FIG. 1.

Accordingly, the browser performed a search with one or more search engine(s) for shopping content. As discussed above, with regard to the news content search, the browser obtains multiple different search results from different search engines specializing in providing content of the content type corresponding to the selected pivot icon. For instance, the browser, in response to a request for shopping content will perform a search using one or more of Bing, Google, Yahoo, Amazon, Ebay, and/or other shopping domains to identify URLs matching the terms submitted with the search. The search engine domains for each particular content type are predefined by the browser settings and can be modified in response to user input.

The search results from each of the search engines can include a SERP or other URL index of URLs having shopping content (e.g., items for sale) matching the search. The browser also creates a corresponding suppressed/parsed index that is used for navigating the content identified by/derived from the SERP/URL indexes. This suppressed index is also used to identify the links that are presented in the navigation control panel, as described earlier. However, rather than only listing particular webpages identified in a single SERP/index, this type of filtered search to multiple search engines will result in the browser obtaining search results (SERPs) from multiple search engines. When multiple different search engine results are received, the suppressed index will be built with multiple different entries in the suppressed index for the different SERP webpages (corresponding to the different search engines), such as with a link to the Google shopping SERP, a link to a Yahoo shopping SERP, a link to a Bing shopping SERP, and links to other specialized shopping search engine SERPs (e.g., Amazon, Ebay, etc.) or general/filtered search engine SERPs etc.

The navigation control panel (if displayed) will also show links for these different webpages (some of which may be SERPS or other search engine index pages). When one of those links is selected, or other navigation input is received, the browser will reference the suppressed index to identify, access and display the linked content, which in some instances includes a SERP or other search engine index filtered for the particular type of content that was searched.

In the present embodiment, since the news pivot icon was selected for filtering search results to news content, the content type icon 1650 has been updated to reflect the coloring/type associated with the selected pivot icon. The pivot access icon 1680 has also been updated accordingly, with the same coloring and/or icon objects/labels.

The webpage 1610 that is shown is currently a webpage SERP for shopping content (e.g., Amazon), including multiple links 1699 to shopping content available from a particular host search engine (i.e., Shopping Host 1).

A user can navigate to other webpages referenced in the suppressed index, such as other search engine SERPs for shopping content, by providing a gesture (as previously discussed) or by selecting one of the navigation controls 1660 or 1662.

FIG. 17 illustrates a similar browser interface to the interface of FIG. 16. However, in this embodiment, navigation control panel 1705 is displayed and the webpage 1710 has been updated (reformatting content presentations) to accommodate the space requirements needed for the navigation control panel 1705. As shown, the shopping host 1 link 1706 is also left justified to reflect the webpage 1710 that is being displayed. The user can then navigate to the results from another search engine (for similar shopping links) by selecting the link for that search engine from the navigation control panel 1705 and/or by entering a swipe gesture or selection of control 1760 or 1762.

FIG. 18 illustrates another example of a browser interface similar to the browser interface of FIG. 17, in which the navigation control panel 1805 and the displayed webpage have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel, namely, shopping host N 1806 (wherein shopping host N could be shopping host 2, 3, 4, etc. from FIG. 17) or any other webpage identified in the suppressed index and which the user has navigated to, utilizing any of the navigation techniques and/or controls described herein.

FIG. 19 illustrates an example of a browser interface 1900 that includes a presentation of the plurality of pivot icons 1922, 1924, 1926, 1928 and 1929, which correspond to the pivot icons discussed in FIGS. 1-18. These pivot icons include a general search pivot icon 1922, a video pivot icon 1924, an image pivot icon 1926, a news pivot icon 1928, and a shopping pivot icon 1929. The pivot icons may also include one or more additional and similar pivot icons (represented by icon 1901) for other content types, such as sports content, financial content, social content, etc.

The presentation of the pivot icons in browser interface 1900 may be triggered by a user selecting one of the pivot access icons (e.g., 280, 380 . . . 1880, etc.). The presentation order and format of the pivot icons can be controlled by the access history of the user with the browser, which is stored and referenced when presenting the pivot icons. Selection of a pivot access icon may also cause the browser to, alternatively, display the pivot icon array that was shown and described in the other images, along with a display of other content (e.g., a webpage).

A user can sequentially select different pivot icons (e.g., by selecting the pivot access icon) between the examination of different search results corresponding to the different federated/filtered searches. For example, the user can first examine image content for a particular search query and then access/select the video pivot icon to view video content corresponding to the same search query/terms, without having to resubmit the same search query/terms. Even more particularly, the user can navigate between different types of content for a same search term (e.g., cat), without having to retype the term cat for each content type search. Instead, the user can navigate between the different types of search content types by accessing and selecting the different pivot icons. Each time a different pivot icon is selected, the browser will formulate and send an appropriate search to the correspondingly relevant search engines or other sources, as described above. Alternatively, the system may preform and send searches for different content types, even before the user selects a different pivot icon, such as based on determining a user preference or setting for causing the browser to perform such a search on different content types.

In some embodiments, the pivot icons may also include (rather than just federated filters to different content types) one or more links to specialized websites (e.g., Amazon, Ebay, etc.). This may be beneficial, for example, when a user preference is to shop with a particular entity (e.g., Amazon). In this instance, the shopping pivot icon can be replaced by an icon to Amazon or may link directly to Amazon. In some instances, the pivot icon is changed to reflect branding/labeling associated with the particular website in some instances. In other instances, the pivot icon does not change from a default and universal presentation format, even when it links to a particular website.

For instances when the pivot icons are supplemented by or replaced by one or more specific webpages, then the methods of the invention will include providing index generation and suppression for the particular websites when the corresponding pivot icon for that website is selected from the pivot icon menu control. For instance, if the shopping icon was replaced by an icon linking to Amazon, rather than linking to a federated search for a plurality of search sources, then a search would be generated by the browser for the website (e.g., Amazon). Then, the results (e.g., Amazon SERP) would be used to generate a suppressed/derivative index of links/citations from the Amazon result page. The Amazon result page would then be hidden from view, automatically, while the first result from the suppressed index would be displayed, similar to the functionality described in FIGS. 3-6, enabling navigation to the different links associated with the results and also enabling navigation to the hidden Amazon SERP.

FIG. 20 illustrates an example of a browser interface 2000 that is displaying a webpage 2010 with a browser mode icon 2050 that is selectable to cause the browser to operate in a different mode, as will be described in more detail below. The current webpage 2010 includes various content, including titles, images and links, as provided by the webpage host. The user can navigate to the webpage by accessing a link from one of the previous interfaces or by typing a URL of the webpage into the URL field 2020.

Then, if the user wants to access any of the linked content, the user will have to click on one of the links. Thereafter, if the user wants to access another link, the user will have to navigate back to the webpage 2010 to access another link.

In some embodiments, however, the user can automatically navigate through the different linked content without having to return to the webpage identifying the content. This is accomplished by the browser creating and/or referencing a derivative index for the webpage and then enabling the user to navigate through the different links of the page directly from the derived index. The links that are indexed can be reflected in a navigation control panel, similar to the navigation control panels discussed above.

A user can trigger the navigation of the derived index by selecting the browser mode icon 2050 or the browser mode indicator 2080 or by selecting another interface object (not shown), or by performing a particular type of gesture on the display screen associated with the different browser mode (e.g., drawing a letter ‘C’ on the display screen).

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a browser interface 2100 corresponding to the browser interface 2000 of FIG. 20, after the browser mode icon 2050 has been selected. Browser mode icon 2150 and browser mode indictor 2180 have a different color, highlighting, size, or other format from the format used in the browser mode icon 2050 and browser mode indicator 2080 shown in FIG. 20, to reflect that the new browser mode is being used, wherein the new browser mode is based on the derived index referenced above.

In the new browser mode, the browser automatically accesses and displays a first listed webpage from the derived/suppressed index. In this case, the first listed webpage is webpage 2110 with specific content 2199 of that webpage 2110.

FIG. 22 illustrates an example of a browser interface 2200 corresponding to the browser interface 2100 of FIG. 21, in which the webpage 2210 is displayed with a navigation control panel 2205 listing webpage links associated with a suppressed index and which includes a link 2206 to the displayed webpage and which is highlighted/emphasized to reflect the link 2206 that is associated with the displayed webpage 2210.

FIG. 23 illustrates an example of a browser interface 2300 similar to the browser interface 2200 of FIG. 22, in which the navigation control panel 2305 and the displayed webpage 2310 have been updated in response to user navigation to a different webpage link identified in the navigation control panel 2305, corresponding to a next webpage in the suppressed/derived index, utilizing any of the navigation techniques/controls described previously.

Methods of Accessing and Navigating Internet Content with a Browser

The following discussion now refers to a number of methods and method acts that may be performed. Although the method acts may be discussed in a certain order or illustrated in a flow chart as occurring in a particular order, no particular ordering is required unless specifically stated, or required because an act is dependent on another act being completed prior to the act being performed. It will further be appreciated that each of the foregoing methods may include more or less acts than those that are illustrated. Accordingly, it is not necessary for each embodiment illustrated in a particular flow diagram to include each of the illustrated acts. Furthermore, some embodiments include acts from multiple different flow diagrams. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that disclosed and claimed embodiments include any combination of the functionality and features described herein. Some features, for example, of the different browser interfaces may be combined.

FIG. 24 illustrates a flow diagram 2400 of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet content with a browser based on a suppressed index corresponding to the search results. As shown, the disclosed embodiments include acts of generating and sending one or more search query to one or more search engine(s) (2410), such as based on user input entered into a browser search field. The browser also receives search results from the search engine(s) based on the search query, the search results including a particular listing of webpages identified by the search engine (2420). In some instances, the search results comprise a SERP of one or more search engine(s) and/or a listing of a specialized website (e.g., Amazon, Ebay, Youtube, etc.). The one or more search result index can include, for example, the SERP shown in FIG. 26.

The disclosed methods also include, prior to and (sometimes) without rendering the particular listing(s), identifying a particular webpage identified in the search results (act 2430). The particular webpage can be identified, for example, by referencing a derivative index that is built from the search engine results and that is suppressed in memory. This derivative index can include, for example, the parsed and suppressed index of FIG. 26.

Next, the system initiates a request for the particular webpage, still prior to rendering the particular listing that was returned from the search results (e.g., the SERP) (act 2440), and without rendering the derived index. The particular webpage is also accessed and displayed automatically (without a specific user request for the webpage initiated from interfacing with the SERP/search result index) (act 2450). Links to one or more other webpages, sometimes even webpages that are hosted by different domains, are presented (such as in the navigation control panel discussed above). In some instances, the webpage is displayed and the link(s) to other webpages are displayed while the browser also provides a one input link to the particular search result index/listing of webpages (e.g., the SERP).

In some embodiments, the search query is based on user input entered at browser of the search engine hosted by a first domain (e.g., search engine domain) and the particular webpage is rendered independently from the first domain and by a second domain (e.g., a domain other than the search engine domain).

In some instances, the one input link to the particular search result index/listing comprises an undisplayed swipe gesture link. In other embodiments, the one input link comprises a displayed object/icon that, when selected, causes the browser to display the SERP or other index. Such an icon can be a navigation control panel icon and/or a navigation arrow icon.

FIG. 25 illustrates a flow diagram 2500 of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet search results with a browser without requiring a user to navigate the internet content from the SERP. As shown, the embodiments include a browser suppressing and utilizing a SERP (search engine results page) to facilitate the navigation of content. For instance, some disclosed embodiments include the browser generating and sending a search query to a search engine (act 2510), as well as receiving search results from the search engine based on the search query, wherein the search results include at least one SERP (search engine result page) (act 2520). Sometimes, the results also include multiple SERPs from multiple search engines hosted by different domains.

Then, the system/browser parses the SERP(s) prior to and without rendering the SERP(s), to generate a new parsed index of one or more webpage links (e.g., URLs) (act 2530). An example of a SERP and the corresponding parsed index is shown in FIG. 26.

This parsed index is suppressed in memory, without being displayed. But, it is referenced by the browser to control access to a next website in response to navigation input detected by the browser. It will be noted that the list of web sites in the suppressed index is loaded into memory on the computer system outside of the document object model (DOM) used by the web browser to generate the displayed web page. Accordingly, operations that use the suppressed list including parsing and navigation take place outside of the DOM on a different layer in memory. As such, users may be prevented from accessing the suppressed indexes using a web scripting language.

Furthermore, as illustrated, at least one link in the SERP (i.e., link 2) is omitted from the parsed/suppressed index. One or more links will be omitted, in some instances, in response to determining that the links are associated with undesired content or black listed domains/websites. As previously noted, navigating forward or backward between different webpages associated with the displayed webpage links in the browser interfaces, response to user input entered at the browser interfaces, will be based on a sequence of the listing of webpage links defined by the new parsed index, rather than a different sequence of the listing of webpage links defined by the SERP. This is important, particularly when the parsed index omits links, or when the parsed index reorders links based on predetermined criteria (e.g., alphabetical, how recent the documents have been indexed, user profile preferences, previous access logs, etc.). While navigating the listed webpages, the browser continues to refrain from displaying the new parsed index. It simply references the parsed index to identify a next or previous webpage.

In some instances, parsers filter the list of the links from the search results (e.g., SERP) to omit or one or more of the search results from being loaded into memory as part of the suppressed index and/or from being displayed. In some instances, the filtering is used to filter/omit particular types of content from being loaded/displayed, such as pornographic or offensive content. The filtering may be done upfront, or may be based on blacklisted URLs, on content descriptions, and/or dynamically upon or during the loading of the content into memory. For instance, the content may be examined during and after the loading of content into memory, based on further examination of content terms, image profiles, metadata, etc. Content that is determined to be offensive will trigger the removing the corresponding search result from the suppressed list. In some instances, the search result remains in the suppressed list, but it is simply skipped during navigation. This may include preventing the undesired website links from beimg displayed in the navigation control panel. This type of filtering can be beneficial because it prevents a user from accidentally stumbling across content that they may not have desired to navigate to. This can also improve functioning of the computer by filtering/omitting results that are associated with malware, by preventing a user from unwittingly navigating to a website having associated malware that is detected during the parsing.

Once the suppressed index is built, the browser identifies a particular webpage identified in the search results, such as, for example, from the derived/suppressed index. Typically, system identifies the first listed link. In other instances, when the suppressed index is configured to include the SERP as a first identified link, the browser may automatically identify and load the first link after the SERP. In some instances, the browser identifies and precaches a predetermined number of webpages, such as corresponding to each link displayed in the navigation control panel, or another quantity (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5 or another quantity. The SERP may also be preloaded and cached, but hidden from view, until the user navigates to the SERP, as described above.

In some instances, when the search results include multiple SERPs based on searches to multiple search engines corresponding to a filtered pivot search. In such instances, the derived and suppressed index may identify and list a plurality of web sites comprising the SERPs and then the browser, in such instances, may automatically render the first SERP as the identified webpage, as generally described above.

In instances where the index is derived from a single SERP, the identified webpage (act 2540) is accessed and displayed (act 2550) while also providing a one input link to the SERP, which is initially hidden from view. (act 2560). Links to other webpages are also provided (act 2570).

FIG. 27 illustrates another flow diagram 2700 of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating interne content with a browser based on a suppressed index corresponding to the search results. In this embodiment, the illustrated acts include a browser generating and sending a search query to a search engine (act 2710). Search results are also received from the search engine based on the search query, the search results comprising a SERP (search engine result page) (act 2720). Thereafter, the system/browser parses the SERP and generates a new parsed index of webpage links that comprises a subset of webpage links from a listing of webpage links identified by the SERP which omits at least one webpage link identified by the SERP (act 2730). The system then accesses and displays a particular webpage identified in the search results with links for navigating forward or backward to other webpages identified in the search results. Then, upon receiving user input for activating the links for navigating forward or backward to the other webpages identified in the search results (act 2740) the system references the new parsed index of webpage links to determine which next webpage to display, rather than referencing the SERP (act 2750). This includes the system accessing and displaying the next webpage based on the new parsed index and without displaying the new parsed index.

In some instances, however, a link to the SERP is created and presented with the web browser, such as a one input link previously described, which may be rendered in the navigation control panel, with other object and or that is accessible through an unseen gesture. Then, in response to input selecting the link, the SERP will be displayed.

In some instances, the SERP is modified to reflect, with highlighting, coloring, or other techniques, that a link to a previously displayed webpage (linked and displayed through navigation with the suppressed index) was already accessed, even though it was not accessed from the SERP.

Once a user navigates to a next webpage, identified in the suppressed index, the browser will present a link to the particular webpage the user navigated away from (e.g., in the navigation control panel) while simultaneously displaying the next webpage and link to the SERP.

Disclosed embodiments also include generating and displaying a pivot link which, when selected, causes a display of a plurality of pivot icons, wherein each pivot icon is selectable and corresponds to a different content type, and wherein selection of any pivot icon of the plurality of pivot icons will cause the browser interface to identify one or more search engines that are capable of filtering for and providing search results of a corresponding content type related to said any selected pivot icon. In some instances, a first pivot icon included in the plurality of pivot icons corresponds to a first set of search engines and a second pivot icon included in the plurality of pivot icons corresponds to a second set of search engines that is different than the first set of search engines.

The plurality of pivot icons include, in at least some embodiments, at least three of: a general search pivot icon which corresponds to a set of search engines configured for obtaining and filtering internet search results associated with a plurality of content types; an image search pivot icon which corresponds to a set of search engines configured for obtaining and rendering internet search results associated with image content as a plurality of images that are selectable links to webpages associated with the images; a video search pivot icon which corresponds to a set of search engines configured for obtaining and rendering internet search results associated with video content as a plurality of video links to webpages associated with the video content; a shopping search pivot icon which corresponds to a set of search engines configured for obtaining and rendering internet search results associated with items available for sale; and a news search pivot icon which, when selected, identifies a first set of search engines configured to obtain and filter search results for news content.

FIG. 28 illustrates another flow diagram 2800 of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet content with a browser and for determining when/whether to display a SERP corresponding to the search results. In this embodiment, a browser dynamically controls when a SERP is displayed in response to a search request.

First, the browser interface is presented (act 2802), which generates and sends a search query to a search engine (act 2804) based on user input. The browser also receives search results from the search engine based on the search query, the search results including a SERP (act 2806). Then, prior to rendering the SERP, the browser determines whether to display or suppress the SERP based on one or more rules, the one or more rules defining predetermined criteria that must be met prior to displaying the SERP (act 2808). Thereafter, in response to determining the one or more rules are met, the browser displays the SERP, or else, in response to determining the one or more rules are not met, the browser automatically accesses and displays a webpage identified in the SERP (as referenced from the parsed/suppressed index, which is also generated from the SERP) prior to and without rendering the SERP.

In some instances, the one or more rules are not met. In other instances, they are met. Sometimes, the rules include determining that the search results correspond to a particular type of content, such as map content or contact information. This may be accomplished by parsing the SERP when the SERP is received and/or by detecting signals in the SERP that identify particular data to display with the SERP URL listing.

FIG. 29 illustrates another flow diagram of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating internet content with a browser that includes a plurality of pivot icons that are each associated with different types of content and different sets of search engines configured to provide search results corresponding to a respective type of content associated with a selected pivot icon, and wherein the browser also includes links for directly navigating (with one step/input navigation) between the different search engine results.

In these embodiments, the browser presents a browser interface with a search field (act 2910). Then, the browser identifies input provided in the search field (act 2920). This triggers (in some instances) the displaying a plurality of pivot icons, wherein each pivot icon is selectable and corresponds to a different content type (and corresponding/different set of search engines, in some instances), and wherein selection of any pivot icon of the plurality of pivot icons will cause the browser interface to identify a plurality of correspondingly related search engines that are capable of filtering for and providing search results of a corresponding content type related to said any selected pivot icon (act 2930). In other instances, the pivot icons are displayed with the search field and prior to receiving/detecting user input.

Then, in response to user input selecting a particular pivot icon of the plurality of pivot icons, the browser identifies a particular set of search engines that are each configured to filter for and present a unique set of search results of a particular content type corresponding to the particular pivot icon which was selected. This is part of the act of forming and sending one or more query based on the input to each of the particular set of search engines (act 2940).

Next, the browser obtains and caches content from each of a predetermined quantity of search engines from the particular set of search engines, wherein the content includes a first set of search results obtained and filtered by a first search engine responsive to the query (act 2950). The predetermined number of search engines may be different for each of the different pivot icons and may be customizable by a user specifying which search engines correspond to which pivot icons in one or more menu settings (not currently displayed in the drawings).

Then, the browser displays the first set of search results while simultaneously refraining from displaying a second set of search results that were obtained and filtered by a second search engine responsive to the user input, the first set of search results being displayed in a primary display frame of the browser interface (act 2960). This is shown in the drawings described above. Thereafter, in response to second user input for navigating to the second set of search results (e.g., selecting a link in the navigation control panel or in response to another navigation input), the browser replaces the first set of search results that were obtained and filtered by the first search engine with the second set of search results that were obtained and filtered by the second search engine, based on referencing the suppressed index that lists the different search engine results (e.g., SERP webpages). The second set of search results is also rendered in the in the primary display frame of the browser interface, effectively replacing the first set. However, in other embodiments, the second set of results is rendered in another window or tab of the primary browser window.

After displaying the first search results, the browser may also obtain and cache content from one or more predetermined quantity of different search engines included in the predetermined quantity of search engines (as referenced by the suppressed index) after displaying the first set of search results and prior to receiving the second user input.

In some embodiments, the browser also hides the plurality of pivot icons while displaying the first set of search results. The browser may also render a pivot access icon to the plurality of pivot icons. This pivot icon may be configured to change colors, in some embodiments, to reflect the selection state of a matching colored pivot icon.

In response to receiving user input directed at the pivot access icon/link, the browser renders a new display of the plurality of pivot icons, wherein the new display of the plurality of pivot icons renders the plurality of pivot icons with at least one of a different size or configuration than the plurality of pivot icons were initially presented with the initial presentation of the pivot icons with the search field.

FIG. 30 illustrates another flow diagram 3000 of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for accessing and navigating interne content with a browser that includes a plurality of pivot icons that are each associated with different types of content and different sets of search engines configured to provide search results corresponding to a respective type of content associated with a selected pivot icon, and wherein the browser also includes links for directly navigating (with one step/input navigation) between the different search engine results.

In these embodiments, a browser presents a browser interface with a search field (act 3010). Then, in response to first user input entered at the search field, the browser presents a plurality of pivot icons, wherein each pivot icon is selectable and corresponds to a different content type, and wherein selection of any pivot icon of the plurality of pivot icons will cause the browser interface to identify a plurality of correspondingly related search engines that are capable of filtering for and providing search results of a corresponding content type related to said any selected pivot icon (act 3020).

Thereafter, in response to second user input selecting a particular pivot icon of the plurality of pivot icons, the browser identifies a particular set of search engines that that are each configured to filter for and present a unique set of search results of a particular content type corresponding to the particular pivot icon which was selected (act 3030). The browser also obtains and displays a listing of the particular set of search engines in a first presentation area of the browser interface (e.g., the navigation control panel that is built with links identified in the suppressed index) while simultaneously displaying a first set of search results obtained from a first search engine of the particular set of search engines in a different presentation area of the browser interface (based on referencing the suppressed index), the displayed first set of search results comprising search results that were obtained and filtered by the first search engine. (act 3040).

Then, in response to detecting input selecting (act 3060) another displayed pivot icon (act 3050), such as pivot access link, and/or in response to detecting input selection one of the plurality of presented pivot icons corresponding to different content types (act 3070), which are presented in response to the selection of the pivot access link and/or in response to other navigation input, the system identifies a second set of search engines that are configured for rendering content of the newly selected content type (e.g., new pivot icon). In this regard, the user is able to pivot between different types of content, as described above. This type of pivoting may include storing different suppressed indexes, one for each type of content type, each of which may correspond to different sets of search indexes and webpages in the suppressed indexes. The different indexes may be generated dynamically, in response to a user selecting a different pivot and which triggers a new search based on the content type of the selected pivot.

It will be noted that is a different type of pivot than the pivoting between links of search engines listed in a single suppressed index and that correspond to a single pivot/content type.

Each search and suppressed index may be based on results from a predetermined quantity of search engines, which may be the same or different than the search engines used to obtain results for the first pivot search and corresponding suppressed index.

FIG. 31 illustrates another flow diagram 3100 of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for generating a suppressed index that is based off of a crawler protocol file and a linked sitemap file, as well as for facilitating navigation of the corresponding linked webpages with the suppressed index.

In these embodiments, the system identifies a particular webpage that includes a plurality of links to other webpages (act 3110). The system also accesses a crawler protocol file (such as a robots.txt file) for the particular webpage (act 3120) and parses the crawler protocol file to find an index file (such as a sitemap.XML file) from among other listed webpage files identified in the crawler protocol file (act 3130). The sitemap.XML file or other identified index file is associated with the particular webpage and identifies webpage addresses for the other webpages that are linked to by the particular webpage. Once the system accesses the sitemap.XML file or other index file (act 3140), the system parses the index/sitemap file to identify a plurality of webpage links corresponding to the other webpages (act 3150).

The system also generates an index that identifies the plurality of webpages and suppresses that index in memory, without displaying the index by the browser (act 3160). The suppressed index is also filtered, in some instances, to omit one or more webpage links from the suppressed index, as previously described (act 3170).

After the index is suppressed, the browser renders a webpage identified in the suppressed link, such as a first referenced webpage (act 3180). This act may include corresponding sub-acts of displaying a particular webpage with a browser mode icon (act 3182), detecting input selecting the browser mode icon (act 3184), accessing the suppressed index in response to detecting the input selecting the browser mode icon (act 3186).

The system also accesses and displays a set of one or more webpages identified in the suppressed index (in one or more corresponding tabs, for example), which are linked/referenced by the particular webpage, and prior to receiving user input selecting the one or more of the plurality of links to those webpages from the particular webpage. This is shown and described in reference to FIGS. 21-23.

In some embodiments, the system can also access and display the particular set of one or more webpages prior to displaying the particular webpage. This could occur, for example, in response to starting the browser in the Cake browser mode before entering the URL of the particular webpage into the URL field.

In some instances, the system only accesses and parses the index file and accessing and displaying the particular set of one or more webpages only occurs in response to the system determining/identifying a predetermined quantity of webpage addresses exist for the referenced/other webpages that are linked to in the particular webpage. This way, the system conserves resources when, for instance, the webpage does not link a sufficient quantity of related links/webpages to justify the parsing of the web crawler and sitemap files.

In some instances, the different webpages identified in the sitemap.XML file are hosted by the same domain that is hosting the particular webpage. In other instances, the linked/referenced webpages are hosted by different domains.

When multiple webpages are linked and identified in the sitemap file, the suppressed index is built and used to generate and display a navigation control panel with selectable links to at least some of the multiple different webpages included in the listing of webpages in the sitemap file and suppressed index. Each link in the navigation control panel is a selectable object that, when selected, each causes the browser to navigate to a different webpage associated with the corresponding selected link/object. In this manner, the suppressed index is used to control navigation of the linked content, even though the suppressed index is not displayed and, in some instances, without requiring the user to select the linked content from the initial webpage that references the linked content.

FIG. 32 illustrates another flow diagram 3200 of various acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for utilizing and modifying a navigation control panel that includes links to a suppressed index and for navigating the corresponding webpages identified in the suppressed index.

In these embodiments, the system identifies an index to a plurality of webpages (act 3202). This index can include a SERP (3204) or an index built off of a webpage (as described in FIG. 31) (3206). The system also accesses and renders a first webpage identified in the index (act 3208). The system also generates and renders a navigation control panel that lists a plurality of webpage links corresponding to the plurality of webpages identified in the index, each of the plurality of webpage links being configured, when selected, to cause the browser to navigate to a webpage corresponding to a selected webpage link (act 3210).

Then, in response to receiving input for navigating from the first webpage to a particular webpage identified in the index and that corresponds to a particular webpage link in the navigation control panel (act 3212), the system updates the navigation control panel to present a new webpage link in response to navigation to the particular webpage (act 3214). This is shown in many of the Figures described above.

The system also emphasizes, in some embodiments, one or more webpage links in the navigation control panel relative to one or more other webpage links in the navigation control panel (act 3216), such as by centering or justifying a webpage link in the navigation control panel and/or changing a font and/or size of a webpage link in the navigation control panel (act 3218).

In some embodiments, the system also emphasizes a link by deemphasizing one or more other webpage links, such as by changing a font, size, transparency and/or position of the one or more other webpage links (act 3220).

The system also, in some embodiments, updates the navigation control panel by removing at least one webpage link from the navigation control panel (act 3222).

In some embodiments, the navigation control panel or other component of the browser interface also includes a selectable link to the suppressed index, SERP, or the webpage that was used to form the suppressed index (act 3224). This link may be presented with at least one secondary webpage that was linked to by the primary webpage and that was displayed without a user selecting a link to the secondary webpage from the primary webpage (which was used to form the suppressed index).

Computing Systems for Accessing and Displaying Internet Content

Attention will now be directed to FIG. 33, which illustrates an example of a computing environment with a computing system 3300 that may be used to implement aspects of the invention, including embodiments related to the generation and use of suppressed indexes to facilitate navigation of content, as well as the embodiments related to the pivot icons and navigation controls described herein.

As shown, the computing system 3300 (comprising a distributed or standalone computing system) includes one or more processors (e.g., CPU(s), GPU(s), etc.) 3310 and various I/O devices 3320 (e.g., I/O displays, including touch sensitive screens, interfaces, speakers, cameras, microphones and/or keyboards, etc.). The computing system 3300 can be a mobile device, a cell phone, a phablet, a tablet, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a kiosk, a television or any other device configured with the components described herein and that is configured to implement the functionality described herein.

The processors 3310 access and execute computer-executable instructions stored within the storage 3330 (which may be volatile and/or non-volatile storage) and which may include system memory, to cause various functions to be performed, such as the acts recited in the embodiments described herein.

The storage 3330 also contains code and stored data structures, for example, to instantiate or operate the browsers and browser components described herein, as well as to generate and utilize the suppressed indexes and navigation controls described herein.

The storage 3330 also contains sitemap files 3331, cached content 3332 from remote systems and locally generated data, UI/Browser content 3333, SERP structures 3334, suppressed indexes 3335, rules for displaying SERP 3336 and other indexes, as well as other structures and modules that are used for implementing the claimed functionality, including browsing histories, pivot access histories, user preferences and profiles that are referenced for controlling the manner in which the interfaces are presented to the user(s). The storage can also include parsing instructions and pivot routing instructions, which may also be stored in an edge server or other remote server (e.g., other system 3397) between the browser system 3300 and other remote servers that contain the content that is provided to the browser system 3330. In some instances, the storage is a distributed storage and some of the stored contents are maintained in one or more remote computing systems (e.g., 3380, 3397, etc.).

The computing system interfaces through one or more network connections 3370 with one or more remote computing systems 3380 and/or other system(s) 3397 to perform search queries, to obtain search results, to parse search results, to generate indexes, to navigate indexed content and to perform the other functionality described herein. The remote servers/systems 3380 may include various dedicated or distributed domain hosts, including search engines and the systems hosting the search engines described herein. Communications passing between the browser system 3300 and the remote systems 3380 include search requests 3375, webpages 3390 and other related content, display instructions 3392, SERP structures, crawler protocol files 3396, sitemap files 3398 and other content that is utilized to implement the aspects of the invention described herein.

The browser system 3300 also includes an XML reader 3340, a parser 3350, browser 3360 and other applications and modules that may be stored in the storage and/or that may be implemented by specialized hardware (e.g., NIC, ASIC or other hardware). The XML reader 3340 is configured to read sitemap XML files and other XML structures. When the sitemap files described herein are in a format other than XML, the XML reader 3340 is configured with code that corresponds to and that is capable of parsing and reading the sitemap files. The parser 3350 is configured to parse different structures, including SERP structures, web crawler protocol files and the indexes described herein to identify links to content and to identify instructions for rendering content. The browser 3360 is configured as an application with interfaces and components, as described herein, that accept user input and that display output corresponding to the user input. The browser is also configured to interface with the other system 3300 components and remote systems to perform the functionality described herein.

Generation of Contextual Search Requests and Access of Related Content

As described herein, systems are provided for enabling a user to navigate content between search engine results, to navigate SERP results, and to navigate linked content on a webpage, without requiring the user to submit multiple queries and/or without requiring the user to continually return to the original SERP or webpage to access the linked content. However, in many instances, the systems described above presuppose the user performing an Internet search within the browser. For example, as described in FIG. 1 above, the search term “cat” was received at the search field 103, and a search was initiated based on the received search term. The SERP indexes that were obtained (and in some embodiments suppressed) and the content that was accessed was based on the search term being supplied by the user.

In some instances, the user enters the browser through a non-browser application (e.g., via a hyperlink) and is directed to a particular URL. For example, a user may be reading an email from a colleague who suggested the user read an article. The colleague may provide the user with a selectable hyperlink in the email that, when selected, causes the computer system to request the associated linked content within the browser (e.g., a webpage displaying the suggested article). Alternatively, the user may access a particular webpage directly by entering a webpage-specific URL at the browser's address bar. In either case, the user circumvents the search processes described above. This can be advantageous, as it quickly provides the user with requested content. However, by circumventing the search process, current systems prevent the user from navigating to a SERP to access additional related content, or as described above, navigating to related content derived from a suppressed SERP.

Instead, upon activating the hyperlink and/or entering the URL, only a single webpage is requested and displayed. Should the user wish to view related content, the user is required to perform a number of subsequent actions. For example, the user can review content found within the navigation bar, sidebar, and/or footer of the first webpage and identify whether related content is accessible through such a medium, or the user can access a search engine and perform an ad hoc search for related content—which may not return relevant content. In either case, the user is required to spend additional time and resources searching for related content.

As described in more detail below, systems and methods provided herein enable access to content related to a first webpage without requiring the user to actively perform an additional search or to otherwise navigate away from the first webpage. In some embodiments, the browser identifies content from the first webpage, and by utilizing systems and methods described above, the browser can automatically request webpages from a suppressed index generated by a search request for the related content.

By the browser identifying and requesting content related to a first webpage, the user can save time and resources by navigating directly to the related content instead of navigating to a search engine, generating a search request, and serially clicking through the indexed results. Furthermore, because implementations of the present disclosure request webpages ascertained from a search request and cache the webpage content, it advantageously allows a user to quickly swipe through or otherwise view multiple sites without requiring an intervening loading time for each webpage. This is particularly advantageous, as the load times for the related content can be passively experienced while the user is engaged with the first webpage.

Additionally, implementations of the present disclosure enable a more dynamic and responsive browsing experience. For example, a user may start a browsing session by performing a search, as provided above with respect to FIGS. 1-23. While browsing the results, the user may activate a secondary link. Through implementations of systems and methods of automated contextual index suppression, the browser can identify content on the webpage related to the secondary link, and the process of generating and sending a search query to a search engine, receiving a listing of webpages identified by the search engine, and initiating a request for a plurality of webpages from the listing can be performed based on content identified from the secondary-linked-webpage. In this fashion, the user can be continually presented with content related to their browsing session without manually initiating their own independent search request for related content. This greatly improves the efficiency for navigating internet content, particularly on mobile devices and particularly when the linked content is hosted by different domains.

Additionally, implementations of the present disclosure make the browser more dynamic and responsive. For example, when a webpage is requested via a hyperlink, implementations of the present disclosure similarly enable the browser to pre-fetch content related to the hyperlinked webpage. In some embodiments, this is done automatically, thereby anticipating the user's desire for related content. In some embodiments, this is done at the request of a user (e.g., by activating a browser mode) to provide on demand access to related content from any webpage.

Accordingly, by identifying and requesting content related to a first webpage, implementations of the present disclosure enable a responsive and dynamic user experience in a simple, streamlined manner, and by allocating loading times of related content to time periods when linked (or manually entered) content is initially being viewed by a user, the browser becomes more responsive to user requests for additional related content. In short, embodiments disclosed herein help to highlight some of the problems and deficiencies associated with existing internet navigation technologies and technical solutions for improving the efficiency and ease for performing internet navigation with a browser that interfaces with one or more search engine.

Attention will now be directed to FIG. 34, which illustrates an example of a computing environment with a computing system 3400 that may be used to implement aspects of the invention, including embodiments related to identifying and accessing content related to a webpage.

As shown, the computing system 3400 (comprising a distributed or standalone computing system) includes one or more processors (e.g., CPU(s), GPU(s), etc.) 3410 and various I/O devices 3420 (e.g., 110 displays, including touch sensitive screens, interfaces, speakers, cameras, microphones, keyboards, etc.). The computing system 3400 can be a mobile device, a cell phone, a phablet, a tablet, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a kiosk, a television or any other device configured with the components described herein and that is configured to implement the functionality described herein.

It should be appreciated that in some embodiments the browser system 3400 is similar to or enables some (or all) of the functionality of browser system 3300 of FIG. 33, described above. For the ease of illustration some of the components have been omitted from browser system 3400; however, it should be appreciated that browser system 3400 can include the same components, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc. as browser system 3300.

For example, the processors 3410 access and execute computer-executable instructions stored within the storage 3430 (which may be volatile and/or non-volatile storage) and which may include system memory, to cause various functions to be performed, such as the acts recited in the embodiments described herein. Further, the storage 3430 also contains code and stored data structures, for example, to instantiate or operate the browsers and browser components described herein, as well as to generate and utilize the suppressed indexes and navigation controls described herein.

As with browser system 3300 described above, the browser system 3400 interfaces through one or more network connections 3470 with one or more remote computing systems (e.g., computing systems such as servers hosting various webpages 3480 and/or with computing systems hosting and/or implementing search engines 3477) to perform search queries, to obtain search results, to parse search results, to generate indexes (e.g., a SERP or index derived from a SERP), to navigate indexed content and to perform the other functionality described herein. The remote servers/systems may include various dedicated or distributed domain hosts, including search engines 3477 and the systems hosting the search engines 3477 described herein. Communications passing between the browser system 3300 and the remote systems include, among other things, search requests 3475, webpages 3480 and related content 3490, display instructions 3492, SERP structures, crawler protocol files, sitemap files, and other content that is utilized to implement the aspects of the invention described herein.

In some instances, instructions are received at the browser system 3400 requesting a first webpage 3472. The first webpage 3472 is fetched and can be automatically rendered at a viewport in response to the request. Content 3474 can be identified on the first webpage 3472, and a search request 3475 can be generated and sent to a search engine 3477 based on the identified content 3474. The search results can be received from the search engine 3477, where the search results include a listing of webpages 3435 identified by the search engine 3477 based on the search request 3475. Without displaying the search results 3435, a request 3480 for a plurality of webpages 3480 can be initiated.

In some instances, the instructions received at the browser system 3400 originate from an activated hyperlink 3467 located outside the browser 3460 (e.g., found within an email, text message, or other electronic communication). The hyperlink 3467 can be activated by a user interaction such as a tap, click, or swipe, and in some instances, the hyperlink 3467 is activated within a non-browser application 3465.

For example, a user may receive an email within a mail application (i.e., a non-browser application) on the user's mobile device. The email can contain a hyperlink to a sports article, which the user taps, thereby activating the hyperlink. The activated hyperlink causes the user's mobile device to open the browser and initiate a request for the webpage associated with the hyperlink. Alternatively, the user can copy the URL within the email and paste it within the address bar of the browser, similarly initiating a request for the linked webpage from a hyperlink originating from a non-browser application.

In some embodiments, the instructions received at the browser system 3400 originate from an activated hyperlink 3462 or URL 3464 entered directly within the browser 3460. Through network connections 3470, the first webpage 3472 associated with the activated hyperlink 3462 or directly entered URL 3464 can be fetched and displayed within the viewport of browser system 3400. Instead of being a dead end from the user's ability to view related content, the browser system 3400 can automatically identify content 3474 from the first webpage 3472 (e.g., using parser 3450, processor(s) 3410, or similar hardware and/or software components), and based on the identified content 3474, the browser system 3400 can generate and send a search request 3475 to one or more search engines 3477, returning a SERP to the browser system 3400, which can be modified (or unmodified) as a suppressed index of related content 3435. Based on the suppressed index of related content 3435, which in some embodiments is not displayed to the user, a page request 3480 can be initiated to one or more webpages 3480, from which the webpage content 3490 is returned to the browser system 3400 for storage or display, as described above.

It should be appreciated that although not shown, the search request 3475, page request 3480, suppressed index of related content 3435, and/or webpage content 3490 can be communicated through network connections 3470, which may be the same or different network connections described above.

In some embodiments, the system described in FIG. 34 can implement any of the methods disclosed above after the search request is made. Instead of obtaining the search criteria directly from the user, as provided farther above, implementations of FIG. 34 generates a search request based on the content 3474 identified within the first webpage 3472. In both instances, systems disclosed herein can perform a search within a browser and receive webpages associated with the resulting suppressed SERP. Upon browsing the pre-fetched webpages, however, a user may access a hyperlink contained therein, and as can be expected, activating the hyperlink causes a divergence from the previously obtained SERP and/or other pre-fetched content within the browser system. Implementations of browser system 3400 shown in FIG. 34, for example, enable identification and presentation of relevant content to dynamically adjust to user behavior without requiring the user to once again engage the browser search functionality manually.

To further illustrate the foregoing, FIG. 35 provides a graphical representation of an exemplary data flow instantiated by a request for a first webpage 3572. The request can be derived from an activated hyperlink 3562 or user entered URL 3564 within the browser 3560, itself, or from an HTML hyperlink 3567 activated in a non-browser application 3565. Upon requesting the first webpage 3572, content 3574 can be identified from the first webpage 3572, including, for example, the title and/or text of the article. The identified content 3574 can be any content from the first webpage 3572, including, for example, content associated with one or more of an H1 header, a title, an image, a keyword, a topic sentence, a metadata tag, an ad word, or combinations thereof found on or associated with the first webpage. The identified content can, for example, be text that is formatted as one or more of bolded, highlighted, italicized, or underlined.

In some instances, the content 3574 is identified by a user selection of the content from the first webpage 3572, which is being rendered to a user at a UI. In other embodiments, the content 3574 is automatically identified (without being selected by a user from the displayed webpage) by a parser or identification module associated with or part of the browser and that is trained to identify key terms or content in response to detecting the first webpage 3572. In yet other embodiments, the content 3574 is identified from tags or metadata associated with the first webpage 3572 and that is distinguished from a URL to a related or linked page.

In some embodiments, upon identifying the content 3574, the identified content 3574 can be parsed and/or filtered (e.g., using parser 3550). Parsing and/or filtering the content can remove superfluous content (e.g., remove prepositions or articles such as “a” and/or “the”) obtain or remove data from particular locations on the webpage (e.g., information found in the sidebar, footer, and/or navigation bar of the first webpage), and/or extract predefined content from the first webpage (e.g., the header or main content portions of the first webpage).

Additionally, or alternatively, the identified content 3574 can be parsed to remove duplicative content and/or to distill the identified content into one or more search terms. In an embodiment, the title may be identified, from which duplicative content and non-descriptive text are removed (e.g., repeated words, prepositions, articles, etc.). The identified, parsed content can then be used to generate and send a search request 3575 to a search engine. In some embodiments, the foregoing steps of identifying content on the first webpage, filtering, parsing, generating a search query, and sending the search query can individually and/or collectively be done automatically without any outward indication to the user.

The results from the search request can be suppressed as a modified or unmodified index of related content 3535. In some embodiments, the suppressed index of related content 3535 includes an index of webpages that include content related to the search request. Per the embodiments described herein, the related content found within the suppressed index 3535 may be categorically constrained (e.g., images, video, news, shopping, etc.) or filtered in such a manner after the search is performed, thereby enabling the search results to be differentially or iteratively filtered.

Based on the suppressed index of related content 3535, a page request 3580 is made of one or more webpages 3580 representing related content. The pre-fetched content 3590 can be stored within the browser system and displayed in accordance with display instructions 3592. As shown in FIG. 35, the display instructions 3592 can include displaying a subsequent webpage in response to user interaction (as described above). For example, the one or more requested webpages can be cached on the mobile device and/or within the browser such that in response to user interaction one of the cached webpages is displayed within the viewport. The user input can include any user input that brings a formerly cached webpage into view at the viewport. This can include, for example, closing a current webpage, swiping to the cached webpage, tapping the cached webpage, or otherwise selecting the cached webpage. For example, a user can swipe from a webpage currently within the viewport to a cached webpage. The act of swiping to the cached webpage can be the user input that brings the cached webpage into view at the viewport.

In some embodiments, the foregoing functionality of identifying and fetching related content can be manually activated by the user. For example, the browser may have a selectable browser mode similar to that described above with respect to FIG. 20. Alternatively, activating the pivot access icon (e.g., 180, 280, 380, etc.) can provide the user with an option to activate the foregoing functionality on any web site currently displayed within the viewport. In such a manner, the ability to identify content on a webpage and create a search request based on that content does not necessarily need to be initiated by recognition of an activated hyperlink and/or by directly entering a URL within the address bar of the browser. Instead, in some embodiments, the user may manually request the browser identify, search, and pre-fetch content related to that identified on the webpage displayed within the viewport.

The user may also be able to filter the related content in any manner described herein. It should be appreciated that although the search request can return results in the form of a listing of webpages, the search request can also be performed so that it returns images, videos, or other categorical content. In some embodiments, the identified content can be filtered before the search request is made and/or after the search results are obtained. The filter can include, for example, a genre filter that increases the likelihood that relevant content is returned. In some embodiments, the filters are preset. Alternatively, the filters can be situationally specific and/or dependent upon the content of the first webpage or the context surrounding the activated hyperlink. This can be advantageous because it enables the user to exclude or predetermine certain genres or categories of information to be searched, thereby increasing the relevance of results to the user. This may increase the efficiency of the system by eliminating irrelevant content and may also act to clarify the relevant content (e.g., to the user) from potentially ambiguous or complicated search terms.

For example, a hyperlink could connect a user to an ESPN article titled “King James Slays the Warriors in an Overtime Win Late Last Night,” and upon activating the hyperlink and requesting the associated webpage, implementations of the present disclosure enable parsing the title and pre-caching webpages having related content (as determined by search results based on the parsed title). The parsed title may, for example, result in the search terms “King James Slays Warriors” being passed to the search engine to obtain relevant search results. In some embodiments, the search results are additionally filtered to increase the likelihood relevant content is returned. In the above working example, the search terms “King James Slays Warriors” are likely to return not only webpages reporting on the recent Cavaliers and Warriors basketball game but also webpages having historical and/or biblical content related to King James or kings who have slain warriors. Accordingly, a sports filter may be applied to the search results so that the webpages requested are more likely to be relevant to the user's original webpage.

As an additional example, a user may activate a hyperlink to a webpage detailing a recent scandal between a professional athlete and her movie star husband. Absent a filter, the search results may return information about the professional athlete's sports statistics or upcoming schedule in addition to the movie star's filmography or reviews about his latest blockbuster appearance. A pop culture filter may be applied to the search request and/or search results to winnow away irrelevant results and instead focus on the user's interest in the celebrity scandal.

In some embodiments, a filter can be determined based on an inferred genre or topic of the first webpage, from metadata tags, ad words, the domain name, etc. In some embodiments, the filter is determined based on the domain where the webpage is hosted. For example, if the webpage is from ESPN, a sports filter can be applied. If the webpage is from the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), a movie filter or pop culture filter can be applied. This can be particularly useful, for example, when a webpage has information from multiple genres or which may return conflated results, such as a webpage with content devoted to conflicting genres (as in the sports star and movie icon example above). If the webpage is from a celebrity news source (e.g., US Magazine, E! Online, etc.), the search results may be filtered for similar content. In some embodiments, the filter is dependent upon the content of the webpage.

In some embodiments, the choice of filter is related to the origin of the hyperlink. For example, if the hyperlink was part of an email that expressed interest in recent technological advances, a technology filter may be applied. In some embodiments, the choice of filter is dependent upon multiple factors that can be weighted evenly or have a distributed weighting scheme according to user and/or computer-defined metrics. For example, in the aforementioned embodiment of applying a technology filter, the technology filter may be chosen if (i) the content of the email supported consideration of a technology filter and (ii) if the content of the hyperlink supported consideration of a technology filter. Accordingly, in some embodiments, filters can be applied to search terms and/or search results based on one or more metrics that are individually or collectively determinative of whether the filter is to be applied.

Methods of Generating Contextual Search Requests and Accessing Related Content

The following discussion now refers to a number of methods and method acts that may be performed. Although the method acts may be discussed in a certain order or illustrated in a flow chart as occurring in a particular order, no particular ordering is required unless specifically stated, or required because an act is dependent on another act being completed prior to the act being performed. It will further be appreciated that each of the foregoing methods may include more or less acts than those that are illustrated. Accordingly, it is not necessary for each embodiment illustrated in a particular flow diagram to include each of the illustrated acts. Furthermore, some embodiments include acts from multiple different flow diagrams. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that disclosed and claimed embodiments include any combination of the functionality and features described herein. Some features, for example, of the different browser interfaces and/or systems may be combined.

FIG. 36 illustrates a flow diagram 3600 of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for identifying and requesting content related to a first webpage. As shown, the disclosed embodiments include acts of identifying content on a webpage (act 3610), generating a search query based on the identified content (act 3620), receiving a search engine results page (SERP) based on the search query (act 3630), and automatically initiating a request for one or more webpages from the SERP without navigating away from the webpage (act 3640).

The act of identifying content on a webpage (act 3610) can be implemented in any of browser system 3300 of FIG. 33 and/or browser system 3400 of FIG. 34. In some embodiments, the XML reader 3340 of browser system 3300 reads site map XML files and other XML structures within the webpage to identify content such as a title, header, or bodies of text. In some embodiments, the parser 3450 from browser system 3400 identifies and parses content from the webpage. In other embodiments, the content is identified by a user selecting or focusing on the content (e.g., detected eye gaze or hoovering a mouse prompt over content without actually selecting the content).

Based on identified content, search query can be generated (act 3620). The parser 3450 and/or processors 3410 of browser system 3400 can, for example, implement act 3620. The search query can be communicated to one or more search engines over a network connection (e.g., network connection 3470) through which a SERP can be received (e.g., at browser system 3400) based on the search query. The method can include automatically initiating request for one or more webpages from the SERP without navigating away from the webpage (act 3640). In some embodiments, browser system 3400 can implement act 3640 by processing each of one or more page requests using processor 3410 and communicating the requests over network connection 3470 to webpages 3480 while maintaining display of first webpage 3472 within the viewport of browser system 3400.

Referring now to FIG. 37, illustrated is a flow diagram 3700 of different acts that are associated with disclosed embodiments for identifying and requesting content related to a first webpage. As shown, the disclosed embodiments include acts of receiving instructions that are browser requesting the webpage (act 3702), which can be received, for example, browser system 3400 of FIG. 34. For example, an activated HTML hyperlink 3467 from a non-browser application 3465 or an HTML hyperlink 3462 or user entered URL 3464 within browser 3460 of browser system 3400 can include computer-executable instructions received at browser 3460 to request a first webpage 3472 through network 3470.

The method of FIG. 37 can additionally include acts of identifying content on the webpage (act 3704) and generating and sending a search query to a search engine based on the identified content (act 3710), which in some embodiments are substantially similar to acts 3610 and 3620 of FIG. 36. Accordingly, the same foregoing components and/or modules can be used to implement these method acts, as described above.

The method 3700 of FIG. 37 optionally includes the acts of parsing the identified content (act 3706) and applying a filter to the identified content (act 3708). Parsing the identified content (act 3706) can be implanted by, for example parser 3450 of browser system 3400. In some embodiments, applying a filter to the identified content (act 3708) can be implanted by browser system 3400 using one or more of processor 3410 and predefined filter(s) stored within storage 3430.

The method 3700 additionally includes receiving a SERP from the search engine based on the search query. The SERP can be received at browser system 3400 from search engines 3477 through network connection 3470. The act of applying a filter to webpages received in the SERP (act 3714) can optionally be implemented at browser system 3400 by, for example, processors 3410 in predefined filter(s) stored within storage 3430.

The method 3700 can additionally include initiating a request for one or more webpages from the SERP without displaying the SERP. In some embodiments, browser system 3400 can implement act 3716 by processing each of one or more page requests using processor 3410 and communicating the requests over network connection 3470 to webpages 3480 while maintaining display of first webpage 3472 within the viewport of browser system 3400.

The method 3700 can additionally include caching the requested webpages (act 3718). Within browser system 3400 of FIG. 34, storage 3430, and particularly cached content 3432, can implement act 3718 of caching the requested webpages. The cashed webpages can be accessed and displayed in response to user input (act 3720). I/O devices 3420 of browser system 3400 can be used to receive user input at browser system 3400, and in conjunction with display instructions 3492, browser system 3400 can respond to user inputs received through I/O device 3420 that meet the requirements of display instructions 3492 to access cached content 3432 of storage 3430, thereby accessing and displaying a cached webpage in response to user input (act 3720).

In some embodiments, accessing and displaying a cached webpage in response to user input (act 3720) can be reiterated (e.g., as a user swipes through cached content). This reiteration is represented by a looped arrow in FIG. 37. In the event the user accesses some or all of the cached content, the method 3700 additionally provides that a request for one or more webpages from the SERP can be initiated without displaying the SERP (act 3716). In this manner, a system, such as browser system 3400, can continually provide a user with cached content related to the first webpage.

In some embodiments, a user may access a hyperlink displayed on one or more of the cashed webpages. In such an embodiment, method 3700 provides that the system, such as browser system 3400, receives instructions at the browser requesting the webpage associated with the hyperlink (act 3702) to essentially restart method 3700.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing embodiments provide significant advantages over tools like the I'm Feeling Lucky tool by Google which randomizes or modifies a search to provide a result that the engine believes is a desired target by simply providing a highest matching result or that is based on a targeted profile setting and which does this without suppressing any index, particularly an index that continues to be navigable (and suppressed from view, while one or more of the index results are loaded into memory for expedited navigation). Instead, if the results are not what the user wants, they have to go back to the browser's main page or a SERP to navigate to another page. The I'm Feeling Lucky tool and other similar tools do not provide any mechanism for accessing and caching, in memory, the results from a search query, while also suppressing the SERP index from the user, and while enabling the user to navigate through the cached content, as described by the methods and systems provided in this disclosure.

The disclosed embodiments are also quite different than the Stumble Upon tools/widgets that enable a user to click a button to navigate to a random page. While this tool may enable navigation without displaying a SERP index, this tool also fails to provide a user the ability to query for a desired search result that is associated with an index that is navigable (while being suppressed).

The disclosed embodiments are also quite different than a frame or other interface tool that is simply layered over a browser. While there are embodiments of the disclosure that can certainly utilize frames for presenting content, the disclosed querying, parsing, and (sometimes) navigation are, preferably, performed above the page DOM (Document Object Model), as part of the browser. This is beneficial, because it enables suppression of the index and controlled display of the navigated content through the browser, which might otherwise be capable of breaking out of a frame.

In some alternative embodiments, however, a frame may be used to intercept content being displayed and to suppress the content (e.g., index) before it is displayed, while redirecting the display to linked content associated with the suppressed content. The navigation dashboard may also be provided with a frame, or alternatively, be presented directly as part of the browser tool palette.

Embodiments of the present invention may comprise or utilize a special purpose or general-purpose computer including computer hardware, as discussed in greater detail below. Embodiments within the scope of the present invention also include physical and other computer-readable media for carrying or storing computer-executable instructions and/or data structures. Such computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer system. Computer-readable media that store computer-executable instructions are physical storage media. Computer-readable media that carry computer-executable instructions are transmission media. Thus, by way of example, and not limitation, embodiments of the invention can comprise at least two distinctly different kinds of computer-readable media: physical computer-readable storage media and transmission computer-readable media.

Physical computer-readable storage media includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage (such as CDs, DVDs, etc.), magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

A “network” is defined as one or more data links that enable the transport of electronic data between computer systems and/or modules and/or other electronic devices. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a computer, the computer properly views the connection as a transmission medium. Transmissions media can include a network and/or data links which can be used to carry computer-executable instructions without storing the computer-executable instructions in a recordable-type media. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

Further, upon reaching various computer system components, program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures can be transferred automatically from transmission computer-readable media to physical computer-readable storage media (or vice versa). For example, computer-executable instructions or data structures received over a network or data link can be buffered in RAM within a network interface module (e.g., a “NIC”), and then eventually transferred to computer system RAM and/or to less volatile computer-readable physical storage media at a computer system. Thus, computer-readable physical storage media can be included in computer system components that also (or even primarily) utilize transmission media.

Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. The computer-executable instructions may be, for example, binaries, intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, or even source code. Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the described features or acts described above. Rather, the described features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced in network computing environments with many types of computer system configurations, including, personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, message processors, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile telephones, PDAs, pagers, routers, switches, and the like. The invention may also be practiced in distributed system environments where local and remote computer systems, which are linked (either by hardwired data links, wireless data links, or by a combination of hardwired and wireless data links) through a network, both perform tasks. In a distributed system environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

Alternatively, or in addition, the functionality described herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, and without limitation, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Program-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Program-specific Standard Products (ASSPs), System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), etc.

It will be appreciated that the scope of this disclosure includes computer program products comprising one or more storage devices having stored computer-executable instructions which are executable by one or more processors of a computing system for causing the computing system to implement the methods and functionality described herein. Likewise, the disclosed embodiments include computing system(s) comprising one or more processors and one or more storage devices having stored computer-executable instructions which are executable by the one or more processors for causing the computing system(s) to implement the methods and functionality described herein.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method implemented by a browser for identifying and requesting content related to a first webpage, the method comprising:

receiving instructions at the browser to request a first webpage;

identifying content on the first webpage;

generating and sending a search query to a search engine based on the identified content;

receiving search results from the search engine based on the search query, the search results including a listing of webpages identified by the search engine; and

without displaying the search results, initiating a request for a plurality of webpages from the listing of webpages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions received at the browser originate from an activated hyperlink.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the activated hyperlink was activated by a user interaction initiated in an application outside the browser.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the activated hyperlink was activated by a user interaction associated with an object displayed at the browser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving instructions at the browser comprises receiving a URL entered at the browser by a user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified content is derived from one or more of a header, a title, an image, a keyword, a topic sentence, a metadata tag, an ad word, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the identified content comprises text that is formatted as one or more of a bolded text, a highlighted text, an italicized text, or an underlined text.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the identified content before generating and sending the search query.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a filter to the identified content before generating and sending the search query.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a filter to the search results such that the request for the plurality of webpages returns webpages sharing a similar type of content as the first webpage.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the similar type of content comprises one or more of sports, entertainment, music, technology, politics, business, or pop culture.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a second webpage in response to a user input sufficient to render the second webpage in a viewport, the second webpage being selected from the plurality of requested webpages, wherein the user input comprises one or more of: closing the first webpage currently rendered in the viewport, swiping to the second webpage, tapping the second webpage, or otherwise selecting the second webpage.

13. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to implement a method for identifying and requesting content related to a first webpage, the method comprising: receiving instructions at the browser to request a first webpage; identifying content on the first webpage; generating and sending a search query to a search engine based on the identified content, and without the identified content being selected by a user from the first webpage; receiving search results from the search engine based on the search query, the search results including a listing of webpages identified by the search engine; and without displaying the search results, initiating a request for a plurality of webpages from the listing of webpages.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the instructions received at the browser originate from a hyperlink activated outside of the browser by a user interaction.

15. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the identified content is derived from one or more of a header, a title, an image, a keyword, a topic sentence, a metadata tag, an ad word, or combinations thereof.

16. The computing system of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the computing system to parse the identified content before generating and sending the search query.

17. The computing system of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further configure the computing system to display a second webpage in response to a user input sufficient to render the second webpage in a viewport, the second webpage being selected from the plurality of webpages.

18. The computing system as in claim 17, wherein the user input comprises one or more of closing the first webpage currently rendered in the viewport, swiping to the second webpage, tapping the second webpage, or otherwise selecting the second webpage.

19. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the computing system to implement a method for identifying and requesting content related to a webpage, the method comprising: in response to an activated hyperlink, receiving instructions at a browser requesting a webpage; identifying content on the webpage; based on the identified content, generating and sending a search query to a search engine; receiving search results from the search engine based on the search query; without displaying the search results, initiating a request for one or more additional webpages from the search results; caching the one or more additional webpages; and in response to user input received at the browser, accessing and displaying a first additional webpage of the one or more additional webpages.