Patent ID: 7467232

Claim:
A process implemented on a network, comprising the steps of: displaying a screen for explicitly entering a quantized relevance value by a user at a user terminal of at least one general search parameter in regard to at least one subject matter, the screen comprising at least one general parameter value entry window for entering a general search parameter and at least one entry field for entering a quantized relevance value by the user to be associated with an entered general search parameter; obtaining from the user a set of one or more general search parameters; receiving at least one quantized relevance value explicitly entered by the user through the at least one entry field of the screen; storing the set of obtained general search parameters and the received quantized relevance values for refinement of at least one subsequent search initiated by the user; receiving a search query from the user, the search query comprising one or more query parameters other than and/or in addition to one or more previously obtained general search parameters; determining a subject matter of the received search query; selecting one or more of the stored and/or previously obtained general search parameters based upon the entered quantized relevance values of the stored and/or previously obtained general search parameters with the determined subiect matter of the received search query, wherein the selection is at least partially based on at least one of the stored quantized relevance values; and providing a refined search, wherein the refinement comprises any of: using the selected ones of the stored and/or previously obtained general search parameters in conjunction with the received query parameters to perform the search, performing the search with the received query parameters and subsequently refining search results with the selected ones of the stored and/or previously obtained general search parameters, and performing the search with the received query parameters and subsequently providing any of organizing and sorting of the search results with the selected ones of the stored and/or previously obtained general search parameters.