Interactive search graphical user interface systems and methods

1. A system comprising:

at least one computing device configured to

display an interactive search graphical user interface having at least a first viewing pane and a second viewing pane;

display a search results list within said second viewing pane, said search results list including a plurality of entries each related to a search term provided by a user and corresponding to one or more media content instances;

transfer, in response to a selection by a user of an entry that is included within the plurality of entries and that is representative of a person related to the search term, said display of said search results list to said first viewing pane;

display, subsequent to the search results list being displayed in the first viewing pane and in response to a selection by a user of an option to enter a name of an additional person, a character entry field; and

display, within said second viewing pane in response to an entry of the name of the additional person into the character entry field by the user, a list of one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person and unrelated to the search term.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of entries within said search results list comprise one or more folders containing related content, one or more titles of said one or more media content instances, and one or more names of people related to said one or more media content instances.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one computing device is further configured to dynamically display said list of one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person and unrelated to the search term as one or more characters representative of the name of the additional person are input into said character entry field.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said at least one computing device is further configured to display an interactive keypad configured to facilitate said entry of said name of said additional person into said character entry field.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one computing device is further configured to display an interactive scrolling character wheel configured to facilitate said entry of said name of said additional person into said character entry field.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one computing device is further configured to display at least one selectable search history tab configured to graphically represent a number of corresponding search levels within a search thread taken by the user during a search session.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said at least one selectable search history tab comprises a plurality of selectable search history tabs that are vertically aligned.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein said at least one search tab comprises an expandable search history tab that expands into a number of additional search history tabs when selected.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first and second viewing panes are vertically aligned.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to:

display the character entry field within the first viewing pane; and

display the list of the one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person within the second viewing pane while the character entry field is displayed within the first viewing pane.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a graphics engine configured to generate one or more graphics that are displayed by a display device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to said graphics engine, said processor configured cause said graphics engine to

generate an interactive search graphical user interface that is displayed by said display device, said search graphical user interface having at least a first viewing pane and a second viewing pane;

generate a search results list that is displayed within said second viewing pane, said search results list including a plurality of entries each related to a search term provided by a user and corresponding to one or more media content instances;

transfer, in response to a selection by a user of an entry that is included within the plurality of entries and that is representative of a person related to the search term, said display of said search results list to said first viewing pane;

display, subsequent to the search results list being displayed in the first viewing pane and in response to a selection by a user of an option to enter a name of an additional person, a character entry field; and

display, within said second viewing pane in response to an entry of the name of the additional person into the character entry field by the user, a list of one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person and unrelated to the search term.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of entries within said search results list comprise one or more folders containing related content, one or more titles of said one or more media content instances, and one or more names of people related to said one or more media content instances.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said list of one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person and unrelated to the search term is dynamically displayed as one or more characters representative of the name of the additional person are input into said character entry field.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said processor is further configured to cause said graphics engine to generate and display an interactive scrolling character wheel configured to facilitate said entry of said name of said additional person into said character entry field.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said processor is further configured to cause said graphics engine to generate and display at least one selectable search history tab configured to graphically represent a corresponding search level within a search thread taken by the user during a search session.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said at least one selectable search history tab comprises a plurality of search history tabs that are vertically aligned.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said at least one selectable search history tab comprises a plurality of search history tabs and wherein at least one of said plurality of search history tabs comprises an expandable search history tab that expands into a number of additional search history tabs when selected.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said first and second viewing panes are vertically aligned.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the graphics engine to:

display the character entry field within the first viewing pane; and

display the list of the one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person within the second viewing pane while the character entry field is displayed within the first viewing pane.

20. A method comprising:

displaying, by at least one computing device, an interactive search graphical user interface having at least a first viewing pane and a second viewing pane;

displaying, by the at least one computing device, a search results list within said second viewing pane, said search results list including a plurality of entries each related to a search term provided by a user and corresponding to one or more media content instances;

transferring, by the at least one computing device in response to a selection by a user of an entry that is included within the plurality of entries and that is representative of a person related to the search term, said display of said search results list to said first viewing pane;

displaying, by the at least one computing device subsequent to the search results list being displayed in the first viewing pane and in response to a selection by a user of an option to enter a name of an additional person, a character entry field; and

displaying, by the at least one computing device within said second viewing pane in response to an entry of the name of the additional person into the character entry field by the user, a list of one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person and unrelated to the search term.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said plurality of entries within said search results list comprise one or more folders containing related content, one or more titles of said one or more media content instances, and one or more names of people related to said one or more media content instances.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising dynamically displaying, by the at least one computing device, said list of one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person and unrelated to the search term as one or more characters representative of the name of the additional person are input into said character entry field.

23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising displaying, by the at least one computing device, at least one selectable search history tab configured to graphically represent a number of corresponding search levels within a search thread taken by the user during a search session.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein:

the displaying of the character entry field comprises displaying the character entry field within the first viewing pane; and

the displaying of the list of the one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person comprises displaying the list of the one or more media content instances related to both the person and the additional person within the second viewing pane while the character entry field is displayed within the first viewing pane.