System and method for presenting search results

• US 10,262,067 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Zito, David, Essas, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Kimberly L
• Application Number:
  US14/589,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20150120449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 707734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

System and method for presenting search results. Search results may be mixed and/or prioritized based on one or more criteria. Search results may be mixed and/or prioritized based on user profile data, preferred advertiser/merchant rankings or a combination thereof. Search results may presented to a viewer on a display device simultaneously along with broadcast and/or streaming content. The search results may be “pushed” to a client-side device and presented along with related broadcast content. Alternatively, the search results may be based on one or more user-provided search criteria.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a personalization server, a plurality of user interactions with a remote control device, the plurality of user interactions received via a wireless communications channel established between the personalization server and the remote control device;

updating, by the personalization server, a user profile based on the user interactions;

receiving, by the personalization server, search criteria, the search criteria based on the user profile of a user;

generating, by the personalization server, search results based on the search criteria, the generating search results comprising retrieving content relevant to the search criteria;

prioritizing, by the personalization server, the search results based on the user profile;

assigning, by the personalization server, a keyword to broadcast content;

identifying, by the personalization server, matching content from the search results by comparing a set of keywords associated with the search results to the keyword assigned to the broadcast content;

transmitting, by the personalization server to the remote control device, the matching content for display on the remote control device during display of the broadcast content;

identifying, by the personalization server, one or more offers to be displayed to the user based on the user profile;

communicating, by the personalization server to the remote control device, the one or more offers; and

updating, by the personalization server, the user profile when the user purchases an item offered by the one or more offers communicated to the remote control device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing of the search results further comprises prioritizing the search results by the personalization server based on preferred advertiser rankings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing of the search results further comprises prioritizing the search results by the personalization server based on preferred merchant rankings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the matching content for display with the broadcast content further comprises communicating the matching content for display along with streaming content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing of the search results further comprises prioritizing sponsored results.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing of the search results based on the user profile of the user further comprises re-ordering the search results based on prioritization criteria.

7. A personalization server device comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory processor readable medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising;

interaction receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving a plurality of user interactions with a remote control device, the plurality of user interactions received via a wireless communications channel established between the personalization server device and the remote control device;

profile updating logic executed by the processor for updating a user profile based on the user interactions;

search criteria receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving search criteria, the search criteria based on the user profile of a user;

generating logic executed by the processor for generating search results based on the search criteria, the generating search results comprising retrieving content relevant to the search criteria;

prioritizing logic executed by the processor for prioritizing the search results based on the user profile of the user;

assigning logic executed by the processor for assigning a keyword to broadcast content;

identification logic executed by the processor for identifying matching content from the search results by comparing a set of keywords associated with the search results to the keyword assigned to the broadcast content;

transmitting logic executed by the processor for transmitting, to the remote control device, the matching content for display on the remote control device during display of the broadcast content;

identifying logic executed by the processor for identifying one or more offers to be displayed to the user based on the user profile;

communicating logic executed by the processor for communicating to the remote control device the one or more offers; and

updating logic executed by the processor for updating the user profile when the user purchases an item offered by the one or more offers communicated to the remote control device.

8. The personalization server device of claim 7, wherein the prioritizing logic for prioritizing the search results further comprises advertiser ranking prioritizing logic for prioritizing the search results based on preferred advertiser rankings.

9. The personalization server device of claim 7, wherein the prioritizing logic for prioritizing the search results further comprises merchant ranking prioritizing logic for prioritizing the search results by the processor based on preferred merchant rankings.

10. The personalization server device of claim 7, wherein the transmitting logic for transmitting the matching content for display with the broadcast content further comprises streaming content communicating logic for communicating the matching content for display along with streaming content.

11. The personalization server device of claim 7, wherein the prioritizing logic for prioritizing the search results further comprises sponsored results prioritizing logic for prioritizing sponsored results.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer program instructions capable of being executed by a computer processor of a personalization server device, the computer program instructions defining the steps of:

receiving, by the processor, a plurality of user interactions with a remote control device, the plurality of user interactions received via a wireless communications channel established between the processor and the remote control device;

updating, by the processor, a user profile based on the user interactions;

receiving, by the processor, search criteria, the search criteria based on the user profile of a user;

generating, by the processor, search results based on the search criteria, the generating search results comprising retrieving content relevant to the search criteria;

prioritizing, by the processor, the search results based on the user profile of the user;

assigning, by the processor, a keyword to broadcast content;

identifying, by the processor, matching content from the search results by comparing a set of keywords associated with the search results to the keyword assigned to the broadcast content;

transmitting, by the processor to the remote control device, the matching content for display on the remote control device during display of the broadcast content;

identifying, by the processor, one or more offers to be displayed to the user based on the user profile;

communicating, by the processor to the remote control device, the one or more offers; and

updating, by the processor, the user profile when the user purchases an item offered by the one or more offers communicated to the remote control device.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the prioritizing of the search results further comprises prioritizing the search results by the processor based on preferred advertiser rankings.