Framework reactive search facility

• US 20050278312A1
• Filed: 06/10/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kraft, Reiner, Pourmirzaie, Farrokh E., Plow, Gregory M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A search request from a user is received wherein the search request comprises a search framework profile and at least one search term. An accumulated result set of identifiers is generated wherein each identifier within the set of identifiers facilitates access to a corresponding unit of information in a data store, and wherein the corresponding unit of information comprises the at least one search term. The identifiers of the accumulated result set are ranked in accordance with the degree of affinity of each of the corresponding units of information to the search framework profile to form a final result set. The final result set is then delivered to the user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for delivering search results responsive to a user search request, comprising:

receiving a search request from a user wherein said search request comprises a search framework profile and at least one search term;

generating an accumulated result set of identifiers wherein each identifier within said set of identifiers facilitates access to a corresponding unit of information in a data store, and wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises said at least one search term;

ranking the identifiers of said accumulated result set in accordance with the degree of affinity of each of said corresponding units of information to said search framework profile to form a final result set; and

delivering said final result set to said user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises a web page.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said data store comprises a computing network.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said computing network comprises a World Wide Web.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said data store comprises a computer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said search framework profile comprises non-topical data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said ranking further comprises deleting at least one identifier from said set of identifiers when said degree of affinity is below a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said search framework profile comprises a plurality of search framework profiles.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving comprises:

receiving a search framework identifier; and

retrieving said search framework profile from a repository utilizing said search framework identifier.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said repository is a computer file.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said repository is a relational database and said search framework profile is in the form of a database table.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a search engine to at least partially generate said accumulated result set wherein said search engine selection is based at least partially on said search framework profile.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said search engine is a plurality of search engines.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said degree of affinity is based at least partially on a unit level composite relative strength value associated with said corresponding unit of information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said unit level composite relative strength value is less than an average relative strength value if at least one threshold for a relative strength value associated with a search framework profile characteristic for said corresponding unit of information is not achieved.

16. A computer implemented method for creating a search framework profile for use with a framework reactive search facility, comprising:

activating an SFP Wizard responsive to a user request;

receiving user input responsive to data displayed by said SFP Wizard; and

saving said user input in a repository wherein said search framework profile comprises said user input.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said search framework profile is a plurality of search framework profiles.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said search framework profile has a framework identifier wherein said framework identifier is formed from said user input.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said framework identifier is a search framework profile name.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said search framework profile comprises at least one characteristic of a searcher.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said search framework profile further comprises at least one specification of a search objective.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said search framework profile further comprises at least one specification of a search domain.

23. A method for information interchange between a plurality of search engines, comprising:

storing information, related to processing by a first search engine, in a first area associated with a search framework profile; and

retrieving at least a subset of said information from said first area by a second search engine.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising utilizing said first area at least in part to exclude said first search engine from a plurality of search engines eligible for use by a framework reactive search facility to perform a user requested search operation.

25. A method for performing a computerized search, comprising:

requesting a search operation wherein said search operation request comprises a search framework profile and at least one search term, and wherein said search framework profile comprises at least one non-topical search characteristic; and

receiving from a framework reactive search facility, responsive to said requested search operation, a final result set comprising identifiers wherein each identifier within said final result set of identifiers facilitates access to a corresponding unit of information and wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises said search term, and wherein said final result set of identifiers are ranked in accordance with the degree of affinity of each of said corresponding units of information to said non-topical search characteristic.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said search framework profile comprises user input captured by a search framework profile wizard.

27. A computer implemented method for delivering search results responsive to a user search request, comprising:

receiving a search request from a user wherein said search request comprises a search objective and at least one search term;

generating a set of identifiers wherein each identifier within said set of identifiers facilitates access to a corresponding unit of information in a data store, and wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises said at least one search term;

ranking the identifiers of said set of identifiers in accordance with the degree of affinity of each of said corresponding units of information to said search objective to form a ranked set of identifiers; and

delivering said ranked set of identifiers to said user.

28. A system for delivering search results responsive to a user search request, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that;

receive a search request from a user wherein said search request comprises a search framework profile and at least one search term;

generate an accumulated result set of identifiers wherein each identifier within said set of identifiers facilitates access to a corresponding unit of information in a data store, and wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises said at least one search term;

rank the identifiers of said accumulated result set in accordance with the degree of affinity of each of said corresponding units of information to said search framework profile to form a final result set; and

deliver said final result set to said user.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises a web page.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein said data store comprises a computing network.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said computing network comprises a World Wide Web.

32. The system of claim 28 wherein said data store comprises a computer.

33. The system of claim 28 wherein said search framework profile comprises non-topical data.

34. The system of claim 28 wherein said ranking further comprises deleting at least one identifier from said set of identifiers when said degree of affinity is below a threshold value.

35. The system of claim 28 wherein said search framework profile comprises a plurality of search framework profiles.

36. The system of claim 28 wherein said receiving comprises:

receiving a search framework identifier; and

retrieving said search framework profile from a repository utilizing said search framework identifier.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said repository is a computer file.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein said repository is a relational database and said search framework profile is in the form of a database table.

39. The system of claim 28 wherein said memory further stores instructions that:

select a search engine to at least partially generate said accumulated result set wherein said search engine selection is based at least partially on said search framework profile.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein said search engine is a plurality of search engines.

41. The system of claim 28 wherein said degree of affinity is based at least partially on a unit level composite relative strength value associated with said corresponding unit of information.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein said unit level composite relative strength value is less than an average relative strength value if at least one threshold for a relative strength value associated with a search framework profile characteristic for said corresponding unit of information is not achieved.

43. A system for creating a search framework profile for use with a framework reactive search facility, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that;

activate an SFP Wizard responsive to a user request;

receive user input responsive to data displayed by said SFP Wizard; and

save said user input in a repository wherein said search framework profile comprises said user input.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein said search framework profile is a plurality of search framework profiles.

45. The system of claim 43 wherein said search framework profile has a framework identifier wherein said framework identifier is formed from said user input.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein said framework identifier is a search framework profile name.

47. The system of claim 43 wherein said search framework profile comprises at least one characteristic of a searcher.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein said search framework profile further comprises at least one specification of a search objective.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein said search framework profile further comprises at least one specification of a search domain.

50. A system for information interchange between a plurality of search engines, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that;

store information, related to processing by a first search engine, in a first area associated with a search framework profile; and

retrieve at least a subset of said information from said first area by a second search engine.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein said memory further stores instructions that utilize said first area at least in part to exclude said first search engine from a plurality of search engines eligible for use by a framework reactive search facility to perform a user requested search operation.

52. A system for delivering search results responsive to a user search request, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that;

receive a search request from a user wherein said search request comprises a search objective and at least one search term;

generate a set of identifiers wherein each identifier within said set of identifiers facilitates access to a corresponding unit of information in a data store, and wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises said at least one search term;

rank the identifiers of said set of identifiers in accordance with the degree of affinity of each of said corresponding units of information to said search objective to form a ranked set of identifiers; and

deliver said ranked set of identifiers to said user.

53. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system tangibly embodying computer instructions executable by said computer system to perform process steps for delivering search results responsive to a user search request, said process steps comprising:

receiving a search request from a user wherein said search request comprises a search framework profile and at least one search term;

generating an accumulated result set of identifiers wherein each identifier within said set of identifiers facilitates access to a corresponding unit of information in a data store, and wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises said at least one search term;

ranking the identifiers of said accumulated result set in accordance with the degree of affinity of each of said corresponding units of information to said search framework profile to form a final result set; and

delivering said final result set to said user.

54. The article of manufacture of claim 53 wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises a web page.

55. The article of manufacture of claim 53 wherein said data store comprises a computing network.

56. The article of manufacture of claim 55 wherein said computing network comprises a World Wide Web.

57. The article of manufacture of claim 53 wherein said data store comprises a computer.

58. The article of manufacture of claim 53 wherein said search framework profile comprises non-topical data.

59. The article of manufacture of claim 53 wherein said ranking further comprises deleting at least one identifier from said set of identifiers when said degree of affinity is below a threshold value.

60. The article of manufacture of claim 53 wherein said search framework profile comprises a plurality of search framework profiles.

61. The article of manufacture of claim 53 wherein said receiving comprises:

receiving a search framework identifier; and

retrieving said search framework profile from a repository utilizing said search framework identifier.

62. The article of manufacture of claim 61 wherein said repository is a computer file.

63. The article of manufacture of claim 61 wherein said repository is a relational database and said search framework profile is in the form of a database table.

64. The article of manufacture of claim 53 further comprising:

selecting a search engine to at least partially generate said accumulated result set wherein said search engine selection is based at least partially on said search framework profile.

65. The article of manufacture of claim 64 wherein said search engine is a plurality of search engines.

66. The article of manufacture of claim 53 wherein said degree of affinity is based at least partially on a unit level composite relative strength value associated with said corresponding unit of information.

67. The article of manufacture of claim 66 wherein said unit level composite relative strength value is less than an average relative strength value if at least one threshold for a relative strength value associated with a search framework profile characteristic for said corresponding unit of information is not achieved.

68. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system tangibly embodying computer instructions executable by said computer system to perform process steps for creating a search framework profile for use with a framework reactive search facility, said process steps comprising:

activating an SFP Wizard responsive to a user request;

receiving user input responsive to data displayed by said SFP Wizard; and

saving said user input in a repository wherein said search framework profile comprises said user input.

69. The article of manufacture of claim 68 wherein said search framework profile is a plurality of search framework profiles.

70. The article of manufacture of claim 68 wherein said search framework profile has a framework identifier wherein said framework identifier is formed from said user input.

71. The article of manufacture of claim 70 wherein said framework identifier is a search framework profile name.

72. The article of manufacture of claim 68 wherein said search framework profile comprises at least one characteristic of a searcher.

73. The article of manufacture of claim 72 wherein said search framework profile further comprises at least one specification of a search objective.

74. The article of manufacture of claim 73 wherein said search framework profile further comprises at least one specification of a search domain.

75. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system tangibly embodying computer instructions executable by said computer system to perform process steps for information interchange between a plurality of search engines, said process steps comprising:

storing information, related to processing by a first search engine, in a first area associated with a search framework profile; and

retrieving at least a subset of said information from said first area by a second search engine.

76. The article of manufacture of claim 75 further comprising utilizing said first area at least in part to exclude said first search engine from a plurality of search engines eligible for use by a framework reactive search facility to perform a user requested search operation.

77. An article of manufacture for use in a computer system tangibly embodying computer instructions executable by said computer system to perform process steps for delivering search results responsive to a user search request, said process steps comprising:

receiving a search request from a user wherein said search request comprises a search objective and at least one search term;

generating a set of identifiers wherein each identifier within said set of identifiers facilitates access to a corresponding unit of information in a data store, and wherein said corresponding unit of information comprises said at least one search term;

ranking the identifiers of said set of identifiers in accordance with the degree of affinity of each of said corresponding units of information to said search objective to form a ranked set of identifiers; and

delivering said ranked set of identifiers to said user.