Analyzing a query log for use in managing category-specific electronic content

• US 20060004850A1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chowdhury, Abdur R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• 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 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/948 Product or catalog
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Providing category-specific electronic content includes receiving a request for electronic content. The request has an attribute. The attribute of the received request is compared to an attribute related to a query included in a log of search queries. An indication of a category that represents a search query from a log of search queries that is related to an attribute that matches the attribute of the received request is accessed, and electronic content that is representative of the identified category is accessed and provided. Caching electronic content includes receiving electronic content for inclusion in a cache, the electronic content having an attribute and identifying a category to which the electronic content corresponds An indication of a category that represents a query from a log of search queries that is related to an attribute that matches the attribute of the electronic content is accessed. The electronic content is included in a cache when the identified category matches the indicated category.

Claims

1. A method for providing category-specific electronic content, the method comprising:

receiving a request for electronic content, the request having an attribute;

comparing the attribute of the received request to an attribute that is related to a query included in a log of search queries;

accessing an indication of a category based on a detected relationship between an attribute associated with that category and the attribute of the received request; and

accessing and providing electronic content that is representative of the identified category.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the accessed content.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving a request for electronic content comprises receiving a request for electronic content having an attribute identifying a time period during which the request was submitted;

comparing the attribute of the received request to an attribute of a query included in a log of search queries comprises comparing the attribute identifying the time period to an attribute of a query from the log of search queries identifying a time period during which the query was submitted; and

accessing an indication of a category comprises accessing an indication of a category based on a detected match between a time period associated with the category and the time period identified by the attribute of the request.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the attribute of a query from the query log identifies an hour within a day, a day within a week, a day within a month, a day within a year, a week within a month, a week within a year, or a month within a year during which the query was submitted; and

the attribute of the received request identifies an hour within a day, a day within a week, a day within a month, a day within a year, a week within a month, a week within a year, or a month within a year during which the received request was submitted.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving a request for content comprises receiving a request for electronic content having an attribute identifying a characteristic of a user that submitted the request;

comparing the attribute of the received request to an attribute of a query included in a log of search queries comprises comparing the attribute identifying the user characteristic to an attribute of a query from the log of search queries identifying a characteristic of user that submitted the query; and

accessing an indication of a category comprises accessing an indication of a category based on a detected match between a user characteristic associated with the category and the user characteristic identified by the attribute of the request.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the attribute of a query from the query log identifies a gender of a user that submitted the query, an age of the user that submitted the query, or a location of the user that submitted the query; and

the attribute of the received request identifies a gender of a user that submitted the received request, an age of the user that submitted the received request, or a location of the user that submitted the received request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving a request for electronic content comprises receiving a request for electronic content that includes an advertisement; and

accessing electronic content comprises accessing an advertisement that corresponds to the identified category.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving a request for electronic content comprises receiving a search query for which search results are to be retrieved; and

accessing the requested electronic content comprises accessing search results that are representative of the identified category for the received search query.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein accessing search results comprises:

formatting the query to be representative of the identified category; and

retrieving search results for the formatted query.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein formatting the query comprises supplementing the query with additional information that is representative of the identified category.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein supplementing the query comprises formatting the query into a canonical form of the query for the identified category.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein supplementing the query comprises supplementing the query with one or more keywords that are representative of the identified category.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein accessing search results comprises:

routing the search query to at least one source of search results that are representative of the identified category; and

receiving search results for the search query from the at least one source.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein accessing search results further comprises:

identifying two categories to which the received search query corresponds;

comparing the two categories to the indicated category; and

identifying one of the two categories that matches the indicated category.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing an indication of a category comprises accessing an indication of a category having a high probability of representing a query from the log that has an attribute that matches the attribute of the received request.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying, for each attribute, queries from the query log that have the attribute;

identifying, for each of the identified queries, a category corresponding to the identified query;

identifying, for each category corresponding to one of the identified queries, a probability that the category corresponds to one of the identified queries; and

wherein accessing an indication of a category comprises accessing an indication of a category with a high probability.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein identifying a category corresponding to the identified query comprises:

accessing, for each category, a list of queries that correspond to the category; and

identifying a category as corresponding to the identified query when at least a portion of the identified query matches at least a portion of one of the queries included in the list of queries for the category.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing an indication of a category comprises:

accessing a log of search queries, each of the search queries having an attribute;

identifying a query from the log having an attribute that matches the attribute of the received request; and

identifying a category corresponding to the identified query.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing an indication of a category comprises:

accessing a table having entries, each entry being associated with an attribute and a category that represents a search query from a log of search queries that is related to the attribute;

identifying an entry of the table that is associated with the attribute of the received request; and

identifying a category that is associated with the identified entry in the table.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein:

accessing a table comprises accessing a table having entries, each entry being associated with multiple attributes and a category that represents a search query from a log of search queries that is related to the multiple attributes; and

identifying an entry of the table comprises identifying an entry of the table that is associated with multiple attributes of the received request.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein:

accessing a table comprises accessing a table having entries, each entry being associated with a time period and a category that represents a search query from a log of search queries that was submitted during the time period; and

identifying an entry of the table comprises identifying an entry of the table that is associated with a time period during which the request was received.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the request has multiple attributes, each query included in the log of search queries has multiple attributes, and each query included in the query log is represented by multiple categories;

receiving a request for electronic content comprises receiving the request for electronic content, the request having multiple attributes;

comparing the attribute of the received request to an attribute related to at least one query included in a log of search queries comprises comparing the attributes of the received request to attributes related to a query included in a log of search queries; and

accessing an indication of a category comprises accessing an indication of multiple categories based on detected relationships between the attributes associated with the multiple categories and the attributes of the received request.

23. A method for caching electronic content, the method comprising:

receiving electronic content for inclusion in a cache, the electronic content having an attribute;

identifying a category to which the electronic content corresponds;

comparing the attribute of the electronic content to an attribute that is related to a query included in a log of search queries;

accessing an indication of a category based on a detected relationship between an attribute associated with that category and the attribute of the electronic content;

comparing the identified category to the indicated category; and

including the electronic content in a cache when the identified category matches the indicated category.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein:

receiving electronic content comprises receiving electronic content having an attribute identifying a time period during which the electronic content may be cached;

comparing the attribute of the electronic content to an attribute of a query included in a log of search queries comprises comparing the attribute identifying the time period to an attribute of a query from the log of search queries identifying a time period during which the query was submitted; and

accessing an indication of a category comprises accessing an indication of a category based on a detected relationship between a time period associated with the category and the time period of the attribute of the electronic content.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein:

the attribute of a query from the query log includes identifies an hour within a day, a day within a week, a day within a month, a day within a year, a week within a month, a week within a year, or a month within a year during which the query was submitted; and

the attribute of the electronic content identifies an hour within a day, a day within a week, a day within a month, a day within a year, a week within a month, a week within a year, or a month within a year during which the electronic content may be cached.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein:

receiving electronic content comprises receiving electronic content having an attribute identifying a characteristic of a user that submitted the request;

comparing the attribute of the electronic content to an attribute of a query included in a log of search queries comprises comparing the attribute identifying the user characteristic to an attribute of a query from the log of search queries identifying a characteristic of a user that submitted the query; and

accessing an indication of a category comprises accessing an indication of a category based on a detected relationship between a user characteristic associated with the category and the user characteristic identified by the attribute of the electronic content.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein:

the attribute of a query from the query log identifies a gender of a user that submitted the query, an age of the user that submitted the query, or a location of the user that submitted the query; and

the attribute of the electronic content identifies a gender of a user for which the electronic content may be cached, an age of the user for which the electronic content may be cached, or a location of the user for which the electronic content may be cached.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the electronic content includes search results retrieved for a search query that is representative of the identified category of the electronic content.

29. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

identifying queries from the query log having an attribute that matches the attribute of the electronic content;

identifying, for each of the identified queries, a category to which the identified query corresponds;

identifying, for each category corresponding to one of the identified queries, a probability that the category corresponds to one of the identified queries; and

wherein accessing an indication of a category comprises accessing an indication of a category with a high probability.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein identifying a category corresponding to the identified query comprises:

accessing, for each category, a list of queries that correspond to the category; and

identifying a category as corresponding to the identified query when at least a portion of the identified query matches at least a portion of one of the queries included in the list of queries that correspond to the category.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein:

the electronic content has multiple attributes, each query included in the log of search queries has multiple attributes, the electronic content is represented by multiple categories, and each query included in the query log is represented by multiple categories, wherein;

receiving electronic content comprises receiving the electronic content having multiple attributes;

identifying a category to which the electronic content corresponds comprises identifying multiple categories to which the electronic content corresponds;

comparing the attribute of the electronic content to an attribute of a query included in a log of search queries comprises comparing the multiple attributes of the electronic content to multiple of a query included in a log of search queries; and

accessing an indication of a category comprises accessing an indication of a category based on detected relationships between multiple attributes associated with the category and the multiple attributes of the electronic content.

32. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium or a propagated signal that, when executed, generates a graphical user interface on a display device, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first display, presented in satisfaction of a request having a first attribute, of first electronic content; and

a second display, presented in satisfaction of a request having a second attribute, of second electronic content,

wherein the first electronic content comprises an advertisement that is representative of a category of queries from a query log that represents a typical query related to the first attribute and the second electronic content comprises electronic content that is representative of a category of queries from a query log that represents a typical query related to the second attribute.

33. The computer program product of claim 32 wherein the first attribute matches the second attribute.

34. The computer program product of claim 32 wherein the first attribute differs from the second attribute.