Mobile Search Result Categorization and Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile computing devices face limitations in screen size and input interfaces, making it difficult to efficiently navigate and display exhaustive lists of search results, which are suboptimal for their smaller displays and inferior input devices.
Innovation Solution
A server computer with a search engine that categorizes search results and transmits them to mobile devices, allowing for a partial list to be displayed under each category with selectable links to view full results, optimizing the display for mobile devices by reducing the number of selections needed to find relevant information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If an exhaustive list of search results is provided to users, then the completeness of information is improved, but the difficulty of navigation and the number of selections required increases due to smaller screen size and inferior input devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the exhaustive search results into multiple pages, with each page displaying a manageable subset of results. This segmentation allows users to navigate through large result sets without being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information on a single screen, thus maintaining information completeness while improving navigability on mobile devices with limited display areas and inferior input devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides thumbnail previews of search results before users select them for full viewing. This preliminary action allows users to quickly scan and identify relevant results without having to navigate through every item in detail, reducing the number of selections required while ensuring no information is lost
2Loss of information
If the number of search results displayed at once is increased, then the completeness of information is improved, but the readability and usability decrease due to smaller screen size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments search results into multiple pages, with each page containing a optimized number of results that balance information completeness with readability. This allows the system to display more total results without overwhelming the user's view on each individual screen, maintaining usability while preserving access to the full result set
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces pagination as an additional dimension for navigating search results. Instead of trying to fit all results on a single screen (two-dimensional constraint), the system adds a temporal dimension through multiple pages, allowing users to access comprehensive results while maintaining optimal display density and readability on each page
3Ease of operation
If a full-sized keyboard and pointing device are provided, then the ease of text input and interface navigation is improved, but the portability and compactness of the device decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual thumbnails as copies or representations of the actual search results. Instead of requiring physical interaction with each result item, users can view thumbnail copies that convey essential information, reducing the need for extensive text input and complex navigation that would require larger input devices
Data Source
AI summary
Search results are provided for mobile computing devices. Search results are retrieved based on a search term. Each of the search results is assigned to one or more categories. The categories and the assigned search results are provided to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device is adapted to display each of the categories and a partial list of the search results for each of the categories.