Product Browsing System Using Shelf-Based Interface Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users often need to sift through multiple pages of search results to find a desired product, as current search engines, despite their sophistication, do not effectively guide users to relevant items.
Innovation Solution
A method that presents search results in a first interface allowing vertical scrolling, with selection leading to a second interface displaying related items like a 'shelf' from a retail location, allowing horizontal scrolling, thereby diversifying and reordering results to include items from different shelves, enhancing user navigation and discovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional search engines are used to evaluate queries and identify relevant products, then search results with high likelihood of relevance are provided, but users are required to sift through various pages of results to find the desired item
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the search results into multiple virtual shelves, each representing a category or group of related products. Instead of presenting a flat list requiring pagination, results are organized into structured shelves that can be navigated simultaneously, allowing users to explore multiple product categories in parallel without sifting through multiple pages sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the traditional one-dimensional linear search results list into a two-dimensional shelf-based interface. Users can navigate horizontally across shelves and vertically through product listings within each shelf, creating a multi-dimensional navigation space that increases information density and reduces the need for pagination.
2Loss of information
If traditional search result pages are displayed, then relevant products are identified, but the interface requires scrolling through multiple pages which increases navigation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple product categories and search result pages into a unified shelf interface. Different product types and categories are combined into adjacent shelves within a single view, allowing users to access diverse product information without navigating between separate pages or tabs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where multiple shelves are contained within a single interface view. Each shelf acts as a container for related products, and multiple shelves are nested together in the main interface, creating a hierarchical organization that fits comprehensive product information within one navigable space.
Data Source
AI summary
A query is input to a search engine and search results, such as product records, are identified as relevant to the query. The results are presented to a user in a first interface, such as one allowing scrolling in a first direction. On selection of a result, a second interface is displayed of a “shelf” for the selected result, the shelf including related items such as might be located on a same shelf as the selected result in a retail location. The second interface may allow scrolling in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.