Methods and systems for providing a response to a query

• US 20050125391A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Curtis, Andy, Gerasoulis, Apostolos, Levin, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• 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 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a response to a query. Multiple users'"'"' search engine activity in regard to a query is correlated. A response is provided based upon this correlated search engine activity information. For one embodiment of the invention, in the context of search engine result optimization, the user activity and/or user information of multiple users, during a search session, is correlated with queries to effect an evolving association between queries and the organization and presentation of documents. Systems in accordance with such embodiments employ the ability to store users'"'"' activity over the entire search session, thus making possible the correlation of a number of different types of user activity and user information. The use of correlated user input allows such systems to provide relevant search results without the limitations imposed by the key-word-based systems of the prior art.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a query from a user;

correlating search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users in regard to the received query, the search engine activity information pertaining to a search session of a respective independent user; and

providing a response to the query based upon the correlated search engine activity information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-pick information.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query has multiple meanings and the response to the query is based upon a particular one of the multiple meanings.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query is an erroneous spelling of a supposed intended query and the response to the query is based upon the supposed intended query.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query has multiple representations and the response to the query is based upon a particular one of the multiple representations.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query contains more relevant portions and less relevant portions and the response to the query is based upon the more relevant portions.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the particular characteristic of the query is that the query is associated with a plurality of result product types and the response to the query is based upon the association.

8. A machine-readable medium that provides executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a query from a user;

correlating search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users in regard to the received query, the search engine activity information pertaining to a search session of a respective independent user; and

providing a response to the query based the correlated search engine activity information.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-pick information.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query has multiple meanings and the response to the query is based upon a particular one of the multiple meanings.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query is an erroneous spelling of a supposed intended query and the response to the query is based upon the supposed intended query.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 9 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query has multiple representations and the response to the query is based upon a particular one of the multiple representations.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 9 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query contains more relevant portions and less relevant portions and the response to the query is based upon the more relevant portions.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 9 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query is associated with a plurality of result product types and the response to the query is based upon the association.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a user query;

correlating search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users in regard to the received query, the search engine activity information pertaining to a search session of a respective independent user; and

providing one or more query suggestions to the user, the one or more query suggestions based upon the correlated search engine activity information.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-query information.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-query equivalent combination information.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the query-to-query equivalent combination information is selected from the group consisting of a combination of query-to-pick information with pick-to-query information and a combination of query-to-query information with query-to-query information.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more query suggestions are provided via a link provided along with search results for the received query.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining one or more of the query suggestions is a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query; and

indicating to the user which of the provided query suggestions have been determined to be a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the evaluation of one or more of the query suggestions as a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query is based on criteria selected from the group consisting of textual similarity to the received query, more common than the received query, issued subsequently to the received query more often than issued prior to the received query, and results in a greater number of user picks than the received query.

22. A machine-readable medium that provides executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a user query;

correlating search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users in regard to the received query, the search engine activity information pertaining to a search session of a respective independent user;

providing one or more query suggestions to the user, the one or more query suggestions based upon the correlated search engine activity information.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-query information.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-query equivalent combination information.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the query-to-query equivalent combination information is selected from the group consisting of a combination of query-to-pick information with pick-to-query information and a combination of query-to-query information with query-to-query information.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the one or more query suggestions are provided via a link provided along with search results for the received query.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the method further comprises:

determining one or more of the query suggestions is a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query; and

indicating to the user which of the provided query suggestions have been determined to be a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the evaluation of one or more of the query suggestions as a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query is based on criteria selected from the group consisting of textual similarity to the received query, more common than the received query, issued subsequently to the received query more often than issued prior to the received query, and results in a greater number of user picks than the received query.

29. A method comprising:

receiving an initial search request from a first user;

presenting an initial search result to the first user, the initial search result based upon the initial search request;

receiving a modified search request from the first user;

presenting a modified search result to the first user, the modified search result based upon the modified search request;

receiving the initial search request from a second user; and

presenting the modified search result to the second user.