Browser Toolbar Search Preview Overlay System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face inefficiency in finding desired information on search engines due to the need to navigate back and forth between search results pages, as they cannot preview content before selecting a search result, leading to wasted time and effort.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to preview search results and advertisements by overlaying a web page preview on the browser, enabling quick preview without navigating away from the search results page, allowing users to assess content before selecting it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If users navigate to a web site to check its content, then they can view the full content, but they lose time navigating back to the search results page if the site does not contain desired information
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by fetching and preparing web page content in the background before the user actually requests to view it. When a user hovers over or selects a search result, the content is already available or nearly available, eliminating the need to navigate away and back. This preliminary fetching resolves the contradiction by providing content information without the time cost of actual navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the web page content and displays it within the search results interface rather than requiring users to leave the search page. The preview panel shows a copy of the web page content, allowing users to assess whether the full page is worth visiting. This copying approach provides complete content information while avoiding the time loss of navigation.
2Measurement precision
If users navigate to each search result to assess its content, then they can determine if it contains desired information, but the process becomes time-consuming and effort-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by providing a preview portion of the web page content rather than requiring users to view the entire page. The preview panel displays sufficient content (headings, paragraphs, key information) to enable accurate assessment without the time investment of visiting each result. This partial viewing achieves adequate measurement precision with reduced time cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Content is fetched and prepared in advance in the background before users need to evaluate it. This preliminary action ensures that when users hover over or select a search result, the content is already loaded and ready for immediate viewing in the preview panel, eliminating the time required to navigate to each result while maintaining accurate content assessment.
3Loss of information
If the browser navigates to each indicated search result for preview, then users can see the full page content, but navigation away from search results page prevents efficient comparison of multiple results
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the search results interface with the content preview functionality by displaying previews within a panel on the same search results page. Users can view full web page content in the preview panel while remaining on the search results page, allowing simultaneous viewing of multiple results and their previews. This merging eliminates the need to navigate away and back, making comparison of multiple results efficient and easy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a new dimension to the search interface by introducing a preview panel that overlays or appears alongside the search results. Instead of navigating to a separate page (one-dimensional transition), the preview content appears in an additional spatial dimension on the screen, allowing users to view full content while maintaining context of the search results page and enabling easy comparison of multiple results across different dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for previewing search results determined in response to search queries input into a browser toolbar search box are provided. Descriptors of search results determined to match the input search query are presented in a search results window that overlays a first portion of the browser web page. Upon receiving an indication that the user desires to view one of the presented search results, a preview of a web page associated with the indicated search result is presented overlaying a second portion of the browser page. If the user determines from the preview that the indicated search result does not provide the desired information, s/he may move the mouse pointer to a different search result. In response, a web page associated with the second indicated search result is presented overlaying the second portion of the browser page for the user to preview.