APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING SEARCH RESULTS USING STACKS

1 . A graphical user interface, comprising:

stacks organizing different classes of search results derived in response to the processing of a query, wherein 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.

2 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein each stack includes documents with common attributes associated with a tab.

3 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein each stack includes text to characterize a different class of search results.

4 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein each stack includes an image to characterize a different class of search results.

5 . The graphical user interface of claim 4 wherein the image includes an icon.

6 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 further comprising sub-stacks within a stack.

7 . The graphical user interface of claim 6 further comprising a second order sub-stack within a sub-stack.

8 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 further comprising dynamically grouping documents into stacks in response to the query.

9 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents with similar conceptual propositions.

10 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents with common information.

11 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents in accordance with distance metrics.

12 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents in accordance with semantic criteria.

13 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents in accordance with statistical criteria.

14 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents in accordance with clustering criteria.

15 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents in accordance with induced metrics.

16 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents in accordance with lexical criteria.

17 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents in accordance with ontological criteria.

18 . The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein dynamically grouping includes forming a stack of documents in accordance with mention frequency.

19 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein the stacks include characterization information.

20 . The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the characterization information includes text characterizing stack content.

21 . The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the characterization information includes an image characterizing stack content.

22 . The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the characterization information includes an icon characterizing stack content.

23 . The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the characterization information is dynamically derived.

24 . The graphical user interface of claim 23 wherein the characterization information includes text selected from a document in a stack.

25 . The graphical user interface of claim 23 wherein the characterization information includes text that is automatically generated to characterize content within a stack.

26 . The graphical user interface of claim 23 wherein the characterization information is derived from source referencing documents in a stack.

27 . The graphical user interface of claim 23 wherein the characterization information is selected from a library of images.

28 . The graphical user interface of claim 23 wherein the characterization information is selected from redundant images in a stack.

29 . The graphical user interface of claim 23 wherein the characterization information is selected from a label associated with an image.

30 . The graphical user interface of claim 23 wherein the characterization information is selected from an HTML label associated with an image.

31 . The graphical user interface of claim 23 wherein the characterization information is an icon selected from a library of icons.

32 . The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the characterization information is accumulated in parallel processes and is then combined to form a stack.

33 . The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the characterization information is accumulated in a single process to form a stack.

34 . The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the characterization information includes text characterizing similar classes of search results represented in stacks.

35 . The graphical user interface of claim 19 wherein the characterization information includes a number specifying the number of related documents in a stack.

36 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein documents in a stack are displayed with a flip through menu.

37 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein documents in a stack are displayed with a drop down list menu.

38 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein documents in a stack are displayed with a scroll over pop-up screen.

39 . The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein related information in a stack is designated with contrast criteria.

40 . The graphical user interface of claim 39 wherein the contrast criteria is selected from strikethrough, highlighting, underlining, bolding, italics, and font color.

41 . The graphical user interface of claim 39 wherein related information in a stack is designated with second order similarity criteria.