Method and means for browsing by walking

Abstract

Mobile search may be provided by acquiring a current location; transmitting, in parallel at a query time, first and second queries (including the current location) to a search service; receiving first and second sets of search results responsive, respectively, to the first and second queries, wherein the first set of search results identify a first set of facilities that are within a given proximity range from the current location and the second set of search results identify a second set of facilities that are within the given proximity range from the current location; displaying a first predefined number of the first set of search results according to a first ranking; and displaying, simultaneously with the first predefined number of the first set of search results, a second predefined number of the second set of search results according to a second ranking.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor enable the system to:
 acquire a first location of the system; 
 acquire one or more search query terms from a human user; 
 transmit, at a query time, a first query to a search service, the first query including the first location; 
 transmit a second query at a later time, different from the first query in location and time, to the search service in parallel to the first query at the later time, the second query including a second location of the system at the later time; 
 receive a first set of search results responsive to the first query, wherein the first set of search results identify a first set of facilities that are within a given proximity range of the system from the first location; 
 receive, in parallel to the first set of search results, a second set of search results responsive to the second query, wherein the second set of search results identify a second set of facilities that are within the given proximity range of the system from the second location; 
 display a first predefined number of the first set of search results according to a first ranking; and 
 display, simultaneously with the first predefined number of the first set of search results, a second predefined number of the second set of search results according to a second ranking. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display of the first set of search results and the second set of search results is provided in conjunction with a map based on coordinates of the first set of search results and the second set of search results. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first set of search results and the second set of search results is updated without user input based on an updated location of the system at a time subsequent to the query time. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first ranking and the second ranking is based on:
 a first click-through rate selected from a plurality of historic click-through rates based on a frequency at which search results are selected by users at individual times of day, wherein the first click-through rate is selected based on the query time.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first ranking and the second ranking is based on:
 an operating hours of a facility matching the query time; and   whether the facility has vacant capacity.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein entry fields of the first set of search results are pre-filled by the system with user data, except one entry field, wherein the user data are different from terms submitted in the first query from the system. 
     
     
         7 . A software program product that, when executed by a processor, enable a computing system to perform operations comprising:
 acquiring a first location of the computing system;   acquire one or more search query terms from a human user;   transmitting, at a query time, a first query to a search service, the first query including the first location;   transmitting a second query at a later time, different from the first query in location and time, to the search service in parallel to the first query at the later time, the second query including a second location of the computing system at the later time;   receiving a first set of search results responsive to the first query, wherein the first set of search results identify a first set of facilities that are within a given proximity range of the computing system from the first location;   receiving, in parallel to the first set of search results, a second set of search results responsive to the second query, wherein the second set of search results identify a second set of facilities that are within the given proximity range of the computing system from the second location;   displaying a first predefined number of the first set of search results according to a first ranking; and   displaying, simultaneously with the first predefined number of the first set of search results, a second predefined number of the second set of search results according to a second ranking.   
     
     
         8 . The software program product of  claim 7 , wherein displaying the first set of search results and the second set of search results is provided in conjunction with a map based on coordinates of the first set of search results and the second set of search results. 
     
     
         9 . The software program product of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first set of search results and the second set of search results is updated without user input based on an updated location of the computing system at a time subsequent to the query time. 
     
     
         10 . The software program product of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first ranking and the second ranking is based on:
 a first click-through rate selected from a plurality of historic click-through rates based on a frequency at which search results are selected by users at individual times of day, wherein the first click-through rate is selected based on the query time.   
     
     
         11 . The software program product of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first ranking and the second ranking is based on:
 an operating hours of a facility matching the query time; and   whether the facility has vacant capacity.   
     
     
         12 . The software program product of  claim 7 , wherein entry fields of the first set of search results are pre-filled by the computing system with user data, except one entry field, wherein the user data are different from terms submitted in the first query from the computing system.