Web browser accessible search engine that identifies search result maxima through user search flow and result content comparison

Abstract

A search server searches web sites based upon a search term. Maxima categories are provided that sort search results based upon popularity and/or context similarity. A web browser displays the search result pages. A maxima determination module within the search server responds to the delivery of the initial search term by first categorizing search results applicability to the search term on the basis of maxima or by generating maxima categories with search results that correlated to the search term. Search results within each applicable maximum are then sorting on the basis of popularity within each of the maxima categories to effectuate popularity ranks for each search result or web page. User interaction with search results are monitored to better select search maxima and popularity ranks for subsequent search result requests for this search term, whereby the desirability of search results provided to the user improves over time.

1 . A computing device comprising:
 a communication interface;   memory; and   processing circuitry coupled to the communication interface and to the memory, the processing circuitry, memory, and communication interface configured to:
 receive a search request from a user device, the search request including a search term; 
 determine first search results using the search request, the search results selected from a first maxima category and a second maxima category within a plurality of maxima categories of searchable data organized based on content similarity and relative popularity, wherein of the first and second maxima categories include hierarchically ordered sub-maxima categories that further organize the searchable data within the maxima categories based on content similarity; 
 deliver the first search results to the user device; 
 receive user interaction data from the user device indicating user interaction within the first maxima category and the second maxima category; 
 process the user interaction data to identify second search results selected from a first sub-maxima category and a second sub-maxima category of the first maxima category; and 
 deliver the second search results to the user device.