Temporal visualization of query results

1. A method for constructing a storyline from a temporal-distribution of query results, comprising:

receiving query results associated with a query;

creating a temporal distribution of the query results based upon timestamps associated with respective query results;

identifying a set of date slots within the temporal distribution based upon respective date slots within the set of date slots being assigned numbers of query results above a threshold concentration number;

for respective date slots within the set of date slots:

selecting a query result from a date slot based upon the query result having a desired relevancy ranking for the date slot; and

extracting a visualization associated with the query result based upon the visualization representing the query result;

constructing a storyline for the query based upon respective visualizations; and

presenting the storyline in response to a user selection of at least one of:

a time span;

one or more date slots, or

one or more date ranges.

2. The method of claim 1 , the query result corresponding to a social network post, and the visualization corresponding to a social network image.

3. The method of claim 1 , the query result comprising a video, and the visualization comprising a portion of the video.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

constructing a temporal visualization of the query results using the temporal distribution.

5. The method of claim 1 , the query result corresponding to a local file, and the visualization corresponding to a description of the local file.

6. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

associating a visual indicator with one or more query results assigned to a first date slot within the temporal visualization.

7. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

identifying a concentration of query results assigned to a first date slot within the temporal visualization based upon the first date slot being assigned a number of query results above a threshold number; and

associating a visual indicator with at least one of the query results assigned to the first date slot.

8. The method of claim 1 , the query result comprising an image, and the visualization comprising at least a portion of the image.

9. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

identifying a subset of query results assigned to a first date slot within the temporal visualization based upon the subset of query results being assigned one or more desired relevancy rankings.

10. The method of claim 1 , the presenting comprising:

animating the storyline.

11. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

receiving a zoom-in command; and

constructing a second temporal visualization based upon the zoom-in command.

12. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

receiving a zoom-out command; and

constructing a second temporal visualization based upon the zoom-out command.

13. The method of claim 1 , the user selection comprising

a hover command.

14. The method of claim 1 , the constructing comprising:

constructing the storyline in real-time during a search query session.

15. A system for constructing a storyline from a temporal-distribution of query results, comprising:

one or more processing units; and

memory comprising instructions that when executed by at least one of the one or more processing units implement at least some of:

a visualization component configured to:

receive query results associated with a query;

create a temporal distribution of the query results based upon timestamps associated with respective query results;

identify a set of date slots within the temporal distribution based upon respective date slots within the set of date slots being assigned numbers of query results above a threshold concentration number;

for respective date slots within the set of date slots:

select a query result from a date slot based upon the query result having a desired relevancy ranking for the date slot; and

extract a visualization associated with the query result based upon the visualization representing the query result;

construct a storyline for the query based upon respective visualizations; and

present the storyline in response to a user selection of at least one of:

a time span;

one or more date slots, or

one or more date ranges.

16. The system of claim 15 , comprising:

an interaction component configured to:

receive a zoom command; and

construct a second storyline based upon the zoom command.

17. The system of claim 15 , the query result corresponding to a social network post, and the visualization corresponding to a social network image.

18. The system of claim 15 , the query result comprising at least one of an image or a video, and the visualization comprising at least one of a portion of the image or a portion of the video.

19. The system of claim 15 , the query result comprising a representation of a consumer product, and the visualization comprising an image of the consumer product.

20. A computer readable storage device comprising computer executable instructions that when executed via a processing unit perform a method for constructing a storyline from a temporal distribution of query results, comprising:

receiving query results associated with a query;

creating a temporal distribution of the query results based upon timestamps associated with respective query results;

identifying a set of date slots within the temporal distribution based upon respective date slots within the set of date slots being assigned numbers of query results above a threshold concentration number;

for respective date slots within the set of date slots:

selecting a query result from a date slot based upon the query result having a desired relevancy ranking for the date slot; and

extracting a visualization associated with the query result based upon the visualization representing the query result;

constructing a storyline for the query based upon respective visualizations; and

presenting the storyline in response to a user selection of at least one of:

a time span;

one or more date slots, or

one or more date ranges.