Blending enterprise content and web results

• US 10,176,232 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Coll, Alexander O., Qian, Richard J., Marantz, Daniel, Ke, Yan, Li, Yi, Flynn, Javier Garcia, Zhang, Longfei
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrison, Jay A
• Application Number:
  US15/057,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20170255627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/334 Query execution G06F16/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Web search results and enterprise search results are combined into a single presentation. A search query is received from a user associated with a tenant of an enterprise cloud computing platform. Web search results are retrieved based on the search query. The Web search results are ranked and sent to the search engine user interface. An intent of the search query is determined. It is determined that the search query is related to the tenant'"'"'s enterprise data. An instruction containing the search query keywords and intent is sent to the search engine user interface, and is configured to cause the search engine user interface to submit the keywords intent to an enterprise search engine within the enterprise cloud computing platform. A content template is communicated to the search engine user interface. The content template is configured to display enterprise search results received at the search engine user interface.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having embodied thereon computer-usable instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, perform a method of generating a combined presentation of Web search results and enterprise search results, the method comprising:

hosting enterprise data in an enterprise cloud computing platform, wherein respective portions of secure enterprise data correspond to tenants that utilize the enterprise cloud computing platform;

receiving login credentials from a user by way of a user device, wherein the login credentials are associated with a tenant that utilizes the enterprise cloud computing platform;

receiving, via a search engine user interface on the user device, a first search query from the user;

based on the user'"'"'s login credentials, identifying the tenant;

retrieving, by way of a Web-based search engine, Web search results based on the first search query;

ranking the Web search results based on information specific to the tenant;

determining an intent of the first search query;

determining that the intent of the first search query is associated with the portion of the enterprise data that corresponds to the tenant;

communicating the Web search results to the search engine user interface for presentation to the user;

communicating an instruction to the search engine user interface on the user device, wherein the instruction includes one or more keywords from the first search query and the intent of the first search query, and wherein the instruction is configured to cause the search engine user interface on the user device to submit a second query, comprising the one or more keywords and the intent of the first search query, to an enterprise search engine within the enterprise cloud computing platform;

at the enterprise search engine, receiving the one or more keywords and the intent of the first search query from the search engine user interface;

retrieving the enterprise search results from the portion of the enterprise data that corresponds to the tenant, based on the second search query comprising the one or more keywords and the intent of the query;

accessing an enterprise graph associated with the tenant;

ranking the enterprise search results based on information from the enterprise graph; and

communicating the enterprise search results to the search engine user interface for presentation to the user.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the information specific to the tenant includes one or more of publicly available information about the tenant, Web search histories for users associated with the tenant, user interests of users associated with the tenant, and/or user group behavior on a per-tenant basis.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the intent of the search query is determined based at least in part on one or more of information about the tenant, a log of Web search queries submitted by the general public, a log of Web search queries submitted by users associated with the tenant, and/or a semantic analysis of the search query.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the enterprise search engine utilizes the intent of the search query to select and/or filter the enterprise search results.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein utilizing the intent of the search query to select and/or filter the enterprise search results includes searching for content specifically within one or more categories specified by the search query intent.

6. A method of generating a combined presentation of Web search results and enterprise search results, comprising:

hosting enterprise data in an enterprise cloud computing platform, wherein respective portions of secure enterprise data correspond to tenants that utilize the enterprise cloud computing platform;

receiving login credentials from a user by way of a user device, wherein the login credentials are associated with a tenant that utilizes the enterprise cloud computing platform;

receiving, via a search engine user interface on the user device, a first search query from the user;

based on the user'"'"'s login credentials, identifying the tenant;

retrieving, by way of a Web-based search engine, Web search results based on the first search query;

ranking the Web search results based on information specific to the tenant;

determining an intent of the first search query;

determining that the intent of the first search query is associated with the portion of the enterprise data that corresponds to the tenant;

communicating the Web search results to the search engine user interface for presentation to the user;

communicating an instruction to the search engine user interface on the user device, wherein the instruction includes one or more keywords from the first search query and the intent of the first search query, and wherein the instruction is configured to cause the search engine user interface on the user device to submit a second query, comprising the one or more keywords and the intent of the first search query, to an enterprise search engine within the enterprise cloud computing platform;

at the enterprise search engine, receiving the one or more keywords and the intent of the first search query from the search engine user interface;

retrieving the enterprise search results from the portion of the enterprise data that corresponds to the tenant, based on the second search query comprising the one or more keywords and the intent of the query;

accessing an enterprise graph associated with the tenant;

ranking the enterprise search results based on information from the enterprise graph; and

communicating the enterprise search results to the search engine user interface for presentation to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information specific to the tenant includes one or more of publicly available information about the tenant, Web search histories for users associated with the tenant, user interests of users associated with the tenant, and/or user group behavior on a per-tenant basis.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the intent of the search query is determined based at least in part on one or more of information about the tenant, a log of Web search queries submitted by the general public, a log of Web search queries submitted by users associated with the tenant, and/or a semantic analysis of the search query.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the enterprise search engine utilizes the intent of the search query to select and/or filter the enterprise search results.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein utilizing the intent of the search query to select and/or filter the enterprise search results includes searching for content specifically within one or more categories specified by the search query intent.

11. A system for generating a combined presentation of Web search results and enterprise search results, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media having embodied thereon computer-usable instructions which, when executed by the one or processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

host enterprise data in an enterprise cloud computing platform, wherein respective portions of secure enterprise data correspond to tenants that utilize the enterprise cloud computing platform;

receive login credentials from a user by way of a user device, wherein the login credentials are associated with a tenant that utilizes the enterprise cloud computing platform;

receive, via a search engine user interface on the user device, a first search query from the user;

based on the user'"'"'s login credentials, identify the tenant;

retrieve, by way of a Web-based search engine, Web search results based on the first search query;

rank the Web search results based on information specific to the tenant;

determine an intent of the first search query;

determine that the intent of the first search query is associated with the portion of the enterprise data that corresponds to the tenant;

communicate the Web search results to the search engine user interface for presentation to the user;

communicate an instruction to the search engine user interface on the user device, wherein the instruction includes one or more keywords from the first search query and the intent of the first search query, and wherein the instruction is configured to cause the search engine user interface on the user device to submit a second query, comprising the one or more keywords and the intent of the first search query, to an enterprise search engine within the enterprise cloud computing platform;

at the enterprise search engine, receive the one or more keywords and the intent of the first search query from the search engine user interface;

retrieve the enterprise search results from the portion of the enterprise data that corresponds to the tenant, based on the second search query comprising the one or more keywords and the intent of the query;

access an enterprise graph associated with the tenant;

rank the enterprise search results based on information from the enterprise graph; and

communicate the enterprise search results to the search engine user interface for presentation to the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information specific to the tenant includes one or more of publicly available information about the tenant, Web search histories for users associated with the tenant, user interests of users associated with the tenant, and/or user group behavior on a per-tenant basis.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the intent of the search query is determined based at least in part on one or more of information about the tenant, a log of Web search queries submitted by the general public, a log of Web search queries submitted by users associated with the tenant, and/or a semantic analysis of the search query.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the enterprise search engine utilizes the intent of the search query to select and/or filter the enterprise search results.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein utilize the intent of the search query to select and/or filter the enterprise search results includes search for content specifically within one or more categories specified by the search query intent.