Method for personalized search
First Claim
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1. In a multi-user computer system that provides user access to a database of items, a method of providing personalized search results from the database, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
- (a) generating a data structure which maps individual search queries in a database to corresponding sets of similar queries where similarity is based at least in part upon correlations between queries made by users of the search engine;
(b) generating a data structure which maps individual search result items in a database to corresponding sets of similar items in which similarities between items are based at least in part upon correlations between items viewed by users of the search engine;
(c) for a search query, accessing the data structure in step (a) to identify a corresponding set of similar queries;
(d) for search result items, accessing the data structure in step (b) to identify a corresponding set of similar search result items; and
(e) modifying search results for a given search query based at least in part on similar queries and similar search result items;
wherein step (a)-(b) is performed in an off-line mode, and steps (c)-(e) are performed substantially in real time in response to an online action by the user.
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Abstract
A search tool provides a means of finding a set of items in a large collection of items using a search query. Personalized search generates different search results to different users of the search engine based on their interests and past behavior. The invention describes a method of providing personalized search using previous search queries of the user, pages viewed from previous search results, and the pages viewed by other users with similar searches.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. In a multi-user computer system that provides user access to a database of items, a method of providing personalized search results from the database, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
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(a) generating a data structure which maps individual search queries in a database to corresponding sets of similar queries where similarity is based at least in part upon correlations between queries made by users of the search engine;
(b) generating a data structure which maps individual search result items in a database to corresponding sets of similar items in which similarities between items are based at least in part upon correlations between items viewed by users of the search engine;
(c) for a search query, accessing the data structure in step (a) to identify a corresponding set of similar queries;
(d) for search result items, accessing the data structure in step (b) to identify a corresponding set of similar search result items; and
(e) modifying search results for a given search query based at least in part on similar queries and similar search result items;
wherein step (a)-(b) is performed in an off-line mode, and steps (c)-(e) are performed substantially in real time in response to an online action by the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of modifying results from a database of items comprised the computer-implemented steps of:
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(a) accessing the database using a search query;
(b) accessing a database containing a history of queries and search results viewed by the user;
(c) accessing a database containing similar search queries for any given search query;
(d) accessing a database containing the most popular search result items for any given search query;
(e) accessing a database containing similar search result items for any given search result item;
(f) modifying the search results produced in step (a) using the set from step (b);
(g) modifying the search results produced in step (a) using the set from step (c);
(h) modifying the search results produced in step (a) using the set from step (d);
(i) modifying the search results produced in step (a) using the set from step (e);
(j) combining the modified search results from steps (f)-(i). - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of searching a database of items where the search results are modified based on previous similar search queries, the method comprising of:
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(a) finding similar search queries at least in part by analyzing correlations between the searches of users of the search engine;
(b) increasing the rank of search result items for the current search query that were frequently viewed by other users of the search engine when they executed a search query similar to the current user'"'"'s search query.
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15. A method of searching a database of items where the search results are modified based on previous similar search queries, the method comprising of:
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(a) finding similar search queries at least in part by analyzing correlations between the searches of users of the search engine;
(b) decreasing the rank of search result items for the current search query that were previously seen by the user on similar search queries.
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16. A method of searching a database of items where the search results are modified based on similarities between search result items, the method comprising of:
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(a) finding similar search result items at least in part by analyzing correlations between the search result items viewed by users of the search engine;
(b) finding similar search queries at least in part by analyzing correlations between the searches of users of the search engine;
(c) increasing the rank of a search result items for the current search query that are similar to a search result item previously viewed by the user on the same or a similar search query.
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Specification