Mark E Walter

US Patent:

20060173880, Aug 3, 2006

Filed:

Jan 28, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/044160

Inventors:

Amy Alberts - Seattle WA, US
Fabrice Canel - Redmond WA, US
Mark Walter - Renton WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/00
G06F 7/00

US Classification:

707101000

Abstract:

A system and related techniques generate a survey to capture user feedback about the quality of search results, in a continuous context with the user's Web page or other search activity. According to embodiments, a survey frame inviting the user to undertake a set of search questions may be presented within the same set of page frames which display the search results, so that the user may choose to answer the survey while still viewing their search results, or selected Web sites or other hits. According to further embodiments, rather than being presented within the frame structure of a page, the survey may be presented from within a browser toolbar extension, side-by-side or otherwise arranged within the environment of the user's search activity. Unlike other feedback gathering platforms which may force the user to navigate to a new page to view and respond to questions, or transmit email questionnaires after the fact, according to the invention in one regard the user may be prompted into a dialogue to supply feedback about their search experience, while still within the contextual workflow of that experience, and still being able to view or review results or content which they have received. User distraction is therefore minimized while feedback quality may be improved. The user feedback which rates the quality or accuracy of the search results or search experience may in embodiments be stored and used to train search intelligence, or for other purposes.