Computer searching with associations

• US 20040254938A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, Chaudhuri, Surajit, Marcjan, Cezary, Kott, Ryszard
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing

Abstract

A search of an index database or another search method is conducted to identify as a preliminary results listing one or more selected computer objects having selected identifying information stored in an index database. In addition, one or more selected computer objects of the preliminary search results are correlated with one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results. Integrated search results are then returned and include the preliminary search results and one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results. The associations may be determined by a association system and represent relationships between computer files based upon user or other interactions between the objects. The associations between the objects may include similarities between them and their importance.

Claims

1. In a computer readable medium, software for an indexing and searching system, comprising:

software for conducting a search of an index database to identify as a preliminary results listing one or more selected computer objects having identifying information stored in the index database;

software for correlating the one or more selected computer objects of the preliminary search results with one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results; and

software for returning integrated search results that include the preliminary search results with one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

2. The medium of claim 1 in which the associations include relationships between computer objects based upon related interactions other than a search by the indexing and searching system.

3. The medium of claim 1 in which the associations are discerned automatically based upon user activity on a computer.

4. The medium of claim 1 in which the integrated search results include first and second information levels, the first information level corresponding to the preliminary search results and the second information level corresponding to the one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

5. The medium of claim 1 in which the integrated search results list the preliminary search results in a single information level with the one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

6. The medium of claim 1 in which the one or more selected computer objects include computer files that are stored on a selected computer or network site.

7. The medium of claim 1 in which the one or more selected computer objects include computer files that correspond to a network site of linked files.

8. An indexing and searching method, comprising:

conducting a search of an index database to identify as a preliminary results listing one or more selected computer objects having identifying information stored in the index database;

correlating the one or more selected computer objects of the preliminary search results with one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results, the associations including relationships between computer objects based upon related interactions other than a search by the indexing and searching system; and

returning integrated search results that include the preliminary search results with one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the associations are discerned automatically based upon user activity on a computer.

10. The method of claim 8 in which the integrated search results include first and second information levels, the first information level corresponding to the preliminary search results and the second information level corresponding to the one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

11. The method of claim 8 in which the integrated search results list the preliminary search results in a single information level with the one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

12. The method of claim 8 in which the one or more selected computer objects include computer files that are stored on a selected computer or network site.

13. A computer display having rendered thereon results of a search by an indexing and searching system, comprising:

a first search results component that includes one or more selected computer objects having identifying information stored in an index database of the indexing and searching system; and

a second search results component that includes one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the first search results component.

14. The display of claim 13 in which the first and second search results components are rendered as first and second information levels, respectively.

15. The display of claim 13 in which the first and second search results components are rendered as a single, integrated information level.

16. The display of claim 13 in which the one or more selected computer objects include computer files that are stored on a selected computer or network site.

17. In a computer readable medium, software for an indexing and searching system, comprising:

software for conducting a search of an index database to identify as a preliminary results listing one or more selected computer objects having identifying information stored in the index database;

software for correlating the one or more selected computer objects of the preliminary search results with one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results; and

software for returning search results that include one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

18. In a computer readable medium, software for a searching system, comprising:

software for conducting a search of plural computer objects to identify as a preliminary results listing one or more selected computer objects having specified characteristics;

software for correlating the one or more selected computer objects of the preliminary search results with one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results; and

software for returning integrated search results that include the preliminary search results with one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

19. The medium of claim 18 in which the associations include relationships between computer objects based upon related interactions other than a search by the indexing and searching system.

20. The medium of claim 18 in which the associations are discerned automatically based upon user activity on a computer.

21. The medium of claim 18 in which the integrated search results include first and second information levels, the first information level corresponding to the preliminary search results and the second information level corresponding to the one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

22. The medium of claim 18 in which the integrated search results list the preliminary search results in a single information level with the one or more other computer objects that have associations with the selected computer objects of the preliminary search results.

23. The medium of claim 18 in which the one or more selected computer objects include computer files that are stored on a selected computer or network site.

24. The medium of claim 18 in which the one or more selected computer objects include computer files that correspond to a network site of linked files.