Apparatus and method for displaying search results using tabs

Abstract

A graphical user interface includes tabs representative of different classes of search results. The tabs are derived in response to the processing of a query. The different classes of search results group content by meaning, such that a query term with different meanings produces different classes of search results with different meanings.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A system comprising:
 one or more devices to:
 identify a plurality of meanings associated with a term of a search query; 
 identify a plurality of related queries associated with the plurality of meanings,
 each related query, of the plurality of related queries, corresponding to 
 
 a respective meaning of the plurality of meanings,
 each related query, of the plurality of related queries, including the term and one or more additional terms; and 
 
 provide, for display in a browser window, information identifying a plurality of search results relating to the search query and the plurality of related queries,
 when providing the information identifying the plurality of search results, the one or more devices are to:
 provide the information identifying the plurality of search results for display in a plurality of tabs of the browser window, 
  each tab, of the plurality of tabs, identifying a related query of the plurality of related queries, 
  each tab, of the plurality of tabs, including information identifying one or more search results of the plurality of search results. 
 
 
   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , where, when providing the information identifying the plurality of search results for display in the plurality of tabs, the one or more devices are to:
 provide a plurality of terms with a particular tab of the plurality of tabs,
 the plurality of terms refining the search query. 
   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 29 , where, when providing the information identifying the plurality of search results for display in the plurality of tabs, the one or more devices are to:
 provide a plurality of categories for display with a particular tab of the plurality of tabs,
 each category, of the plurality of categories, including one or more terms that refine the search query. 
   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , where, when providing the information identifying the plurality of search results, the one or more devices are further to:
 provide information relating to a manner in which snippets of text, associated with the plurality of search results, are to be displayed.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , where the information relating to the manner in which the snippets of text are to be displayed includes information identifying a plurality of different sizes for the snippets of text. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32 , where the information relating to the manner in which the snippets of text are to be displayed includes information identifying a quantity of columns for displaying the plurality of search results. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 29 , where a particular tab, of the plurality of tabs, is associated with an advertiser, and
 where, when providing the information identifying the plurality of search results for display in the plurality of tabs, the one or more devices are to:
 provide with the particular tab:
 information identifying the advertiser, and 
 content obtained from a web site of the advertiser. 
 
   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , where the content includes:
 one or more categories of information refining the search query, and   the information identifying the one or more search results, of the plurality of search results, included in the particular tab.   
     
     
         37 . A method comprising:
 identifying, by one or more devices, a plurality of meanings associated with a term of a search query;   identifying, by the one or more devices, a plurality of related queries associated with the plurality of meanings,
 each related query, of the plurality of related queries, corresponding to a respective meaning of the plurality of meanings, 
 each related query, of the plurality of related queries, including the term and one or more additional terms; and 
   providing, by the one or more devices and for display in a browser window, information identifying a plurality of search results relating to the search query and the plurality of related queries,
 providing the information identifying the plurality of search results including:
 providing the information identifying the plurality of search results for display in a plurality of tabs of the browser window,
 each tab, of the plurality of tabs, identifying a related query of the plurality of related queries, 
 each tab, of the plurality of tabs, including information identifying one or more search results of the plurality of search results. 
 
 
   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 obtaining content from a web site of an advertiser,
 where a particular tab, of the plurality of tabs, is associated with the advertiser, and 
 where providing the information identifying the plurality of search results for display in the plurality of tabs includes:
 providing the content in the particular tab. 
 
   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , where providing the content includes at least one of:
 providing pricing information for one or more items identified by the information identifying the one or more search results, of the plurality of search results, included in the particular tab;   providing information identifying an available quantity of the one or more items; or   providing information identifying a condition of the one or more items.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , where providing the information identifying the plurality of search results for display in the plurality of tabs includes:
 providing, for display with a particular tab of the plurality of tabs, information identifying a plurality of categories for refining the search query.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , where a particular category, of the plurality of categories, is associated with an advertiser, and
 where the method further comprises:
 detecting selection of information identifying the particular category; and 
 providing, based on detecting the selection, for display:
 information identifying the advertiser, 
 information regarding one or more items, for sale, associated with the particular category. 
 
   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , where providing the information identifying the plurality of search results includes:
 providing information relating to a manner in which snippets of text, associated with the plurality of search results, are to be displayed,
 where providing the information relating to the manner in which the snippets of text are to be displayed includes at least one of: 
 providing information identifying a plurality of different sizes for the snippets of text; or 
 providing information identifying a quantity of columns for displaying the plurality of search results. 
   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 37 , where a first tab, of the plurality of tabs, is associated with an advertiser, and
 where providing the information identifying the plurality of search results for display in the plurality of tabs includes:
 visually distinguishing the first tab from a second tab of the plurality of tabs based on the first tab being associated with the advertiser. 
   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , where visually distinguishing the first tab includes at least one of:
 including one or more advertisements, relating to the advertiser, in the first tab, or   including a logo or a brand, associated with the advertiser, in the first tab.   
     
     
         45 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
 a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 identify a plurality of meanings associated with a term of a search query; 
 identify a plurality of search results relating to the search query; 
 identify a plurality of groups of search results,
 each group of search results, of the plurality of groups of search results, corresponding to a different meaning of the plurality of meanings; and 
 
 provide, for display in a browser window, information identifying the plurality of search results,
 one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to provide the information identifying the plurality of search results including:
 one or more instructions to provide, for display in the browser window, the plurality of groups of search results, 
  each group of search results, of the plurality of groups of search results, including information identifying one or more search results of the plurality of search results. 
 
 
   
     
     
         46 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 45 , where the one or more instructions to provide the information identifying the plurality of search results include:
 one or more instructions to provide information identifying a plurality of categories for refining the search query,
 the information identifying the plurality of categories being provided for display with the information identifying the plurality of search results. 
   
     
     
         47 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 45 , where the one or more instructions to provide the information identifying the plurality of search results include:
 one or more instructions to provide information relating to a manner in which snippets of text, associated with the plurality of search results, are to be displayed,
 where the information relating to the manner in which the snippets of text are to be displayed includes information identifying a quantity of columns for displaying the snippets of text. 
   
     
     
         48 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 45 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions to obtain information from a web site of an advertiser, and   where the one or more instructions to provide the information identifying the plurality of search results for display include:   one or more instructions to provide the information obtained from the web site.