Method, system, and graphical user interface for alerting a computer user to new results for a prior search

1. A computer-implemented method, performed on a search engine system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors to perform the method, comprising:

accessing Internet usage data for a particular individual computer user, wherein the usage data include a plurality of search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user;

using at least some of the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user, identifying multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user in the plurality of search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user,

wherein the multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user meet a plurality of predefined query selection criteria for previously submitted queries that correspond to continuing interests of the particular individual computer user,

wherein the identifying of the multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user is performed without explicit input from the particular individual computer user identifying previously submitted search queries that are continuing interests of the particular individual computer user;

rerunning, without explicit input by the particular individual computer user requesting the rerunning, at least some of the identified multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user;

evaluating search results from the rerun queries to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria; and

sending links corresponding to at least some of the selected search results to a computer associated with the particular individual computer user for display.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined query selection criteria include a score derived from combination of at least some of the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user include for a given query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user: the number of query terms, the number of clicks by the particular individual computer user on the results of the query, and/or the number of refinements by the particular individual computer user of the query.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user are grouped into query sessions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rerunning is performed automatically by the search engine at predefined times.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the predefined query selection criteria is: (i) the number of query terms in a given query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (ii) the number of clicks by the particular individual computer user on the results of a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (iii) the number of refinements by the particular individual computer user of a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (iv) a match between a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user and the particular individual computer user's interests as determined from the particular individual computer user's past queries and clicks, (v) whether a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user is a navigational query, (vi) whether a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user has been repeated multiple times, (vii) duration of query session for a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (viii) topic of a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (ix) the number of long clicks by the particular individual computer user on the results of a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, or (x) whether a query session for a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user ended with a refinement of the query.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the predefined query selection criteria is: (i) the number of query terms in a given query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (ii) the number of refinements by the particular individual computer user of a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (iii) whether a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user is a navigational query, or (iv) whether a query session for a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user ended with a refinement of the query.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the predefined search result selection criteria includes a requirement that the selected search results do not include search results sent to the particular individual computer user before the rerunning.

9. A computer-implemented method, performed on a client having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:

at a client computer:

sending Internet usage data for a particular individual computer user to a server computer, wherein the usage data include a plurality of search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, and

wherein the server computer:

using at least some of the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user, identifies multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user in the plurality of search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user,

wherein the multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user meet a plurality of predefined query selection criteria for previously submitted queries that correspond to continuing interests of the particular individual computer user,

wherein the identifying of the multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user is performed without explicit input from the particular individual computer user identifying previously submitted search queries that are continuing interests of the particular individual computer user,

automatically reruns, without explicit input from the particular individual computer user requesting the reruns, at least some of the identified multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, and

evaluates search results from the rerun queries to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria;

receiving links corresponding to at least some of the selected search results from the server computer; and

displaying at least some of the received links.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predefined query selection criteria include a score derived from combination of at least some of the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user include for a given query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user: the number of query terms, the number of clicks by the particular individual computer user on the results of the query, and/or the number of refinements by the particular individual computer user of the query.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user are grouped into query sessions.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the rerunning is performed automatically by the server computer at predefined times.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the predefined query selection criteria is: (i) the number of query terms in a given query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (ii) the number of refinements by the particular individual computer user of a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (iii) whether a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user is a navigational query, or (iv) whether a query session for a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user ended with a refinement of the query.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the predefined search result selection criteria includes a requirement that the selected search results do not include search results sent to the particular individual computer user before the rerunning.

16. A system comprising at least one server, wherein the at least one server includes:

memory; and

one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, wherein the system is configured to:

access Internet usage data for a particular individual computer user, wherein the usage data include a plurality of search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user;

using at least some of the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user, identify multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user in the plurality of search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user,

wherein the multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user meet a plurality of predefined query selection criteria for previously submitted queries that correspond to continuing interests of the particular individual computer user,

wherein the identifying of the multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user is performed without explicit input from the particular individual computer user identifying previously submitted search queries that are continuing interests of the particular individual computer user; and

automatically rerun, without explicit input from the particular individual computer user requesting the rerun, at least some of the identified multiple search queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user;

evaluate search results from the rerun queries to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria; and

send links corresponding to at least some of the selected search results to a computer associated with the particular individual computer user for display.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the predefined query selection criteria include a score derived from combination of at least some of the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user include for a given query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user: the number of query terms, the number of clicks by the particular individual computer user on the results of the query, and/or the number of refinements by the particular individual computer user of the query.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the Internet usage data for the particular individual computer user are grouped into query sessions.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the rerunning is performed automatically by the search engine at predefined times.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the predefined query selection criteria is: (i) the number of query terms in a given query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (ii) the number of refinements by the particular individual computer user of a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user, (iii) whether a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user is a navigational query, or (iv) whether a query session for a query in the plurality of queries previously submitted by the particular individual computer user ended with a refinement of the query.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the predefined search result selection criteria includes a requirement that the selected search results do not include search results sent to the particular individual computer user before the rerunning.