Patent Document ID: 7707220
Application ID: 11537143

Base Claim:
1. A search method, comprising: A) causing a first information set to be generated, comprising a first plurality of items, wherein each item of the first plurality of items is associated with at least one characteristic; B) representing at least some of the first information set in a first presentation; C) receiving a first feedback based upon the first presentation from a user; D) applying an evolutionary algorithm to a plurality of characteristics associated with the first plurality of items to generate a first search query, wherein the evolutionary algorithm is based on the first feedback; E) causing the first search query to be executed to generate a second information set comprising a second plurality of items, wherein each item of the second plurality of items is associated with at least one characteristic; F) representing at least some of the second information set in a second presentation; G) in response to a user input, repeating step B and representing at least some of the first information set in the first presentation; H) receiving a second feedback based upon the second presentation from a user; I) applying an evolutionary algorithm to a plurality of characteristics associated with the second plurality of items to generate a second search query, wherein the evolutionary algorithm is based on the second feedback; J) causing the second search query to be executed to generate a third information set comprising a third plurality of items, wherein each item of the third plurality of items is associated with at least one characteristic; and K) representing at least some of the third information set in a third presentation; wherein at least one characteristic associated with each item is chosen from a group comprising: at least one descriptor made available by a search engine or web directory service; at least one tag; at least one keyword; at least one classification-oriented identifier; at least one categorization-oriented identifier; and at least one semantic web-oriented identifier; and wherein at least one characteristic associated with each item is not a word or phrase selected from text displayed as part of the item.

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Claim 13:
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic associated with at least one item of at least one plurality of items comprises a descriptor made available by the search engine or web directory service.