Active abstracts

• US 20060101003A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ravinarayanan, Kalpana, Cook, Douglas M., Carson, Chad
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,794 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 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• 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 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Techniques are provided for generating search results that include, instead of or in addition to the traditional abstract links, other links to content that the user of a search engine may consider helpful. These other links are referred to herein as “non-traditional abstract links”. In general, the search engine generates non-traditional abstract links that attempt to anticipate the “next move” by the search engine user. By selecting a non-traditional abstract link from the abstract of a matching resource, the user is able to navigate from the search result listing directly to locations other than the top of a matching resource.

Claims

1. A method of generating search results in response to a search query, the method comprising:

based on the search query, identifying a plurality of matching resources, wherein the plurality of matching resources includes a particular resource;

reading metadata associated with said particular resource, wherein said metadata indicates a plurality of candidate items to include in an abstract for said particular resource;

based on filtering criteria, selecting a subset of candidate items from said plurality of candidate items; and

generating abstracts of each of said plurality of matching resources, wherein the abstract of said particular resource is generated to include the subset of candidate items that were selected based on the search query; and

providing said abstracts as search results of said search query.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting a subset based on filtering criteria includes selecting a subset based on terms in the search query.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the method includes reading information about the user that submitted the search query; and

the step of selecting a subset based on filtering criteria includes selecting a subset based on the information about the user that submitted the search query.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said metadata indicates a plurality of candidate non-traditional abstract links to include in an abstract for said particular resource;

the step of selecting a subset of candidate items from said plurality of candidate items includes selecting a subset of the candidate non-traditional abstract links from the plurality of candidate non-traditional abstract links; and

the step of generating abstracts of each of said plurality of matching resources includes generating an abstract, for said particular resource, that includes the subset of candidate non-traditional abstract links that were selected based on the search query.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of candidate non-traditional abstract links includes a mid-document link.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of candidate non-traditional abstract links includes a promoted link.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the promoted link is not contained in, and promoted from at least one level below or above the particular resource.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of candidate non-traditional abstract links includes a similar subject matter link that is not contained within the particular resource.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of candidate non-traditional abstract links includes a value added service link which, when activated, sends information related to the particular resource to a service that is controlled by a party other than the party that controls the particular resource.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the search engine extracting from the particular resource the information related to the particular resource that is sent to said service.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the service is a service that provides information based on an address, and wherein the information related to the particular resource is an address associated with an entity mentioned in the particular resource.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the wherein the plurality of candidate items includes a value added information item obtained by the search engine by submitting information associated with the particular resource to a service that is controlled by a party other than the party that controls the particular resource.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of candidate non-traditional abstract links includes a related search link which, when activated, initiates a search with terms that are not identical to the terms of said search query.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of selecting the terms for said search based on both the terms of said search query and terms, not in said search query, that are associated with said particular resource.

15. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

16. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

17. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

18. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

19. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

20. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

21. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

22. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

23. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

24. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

25. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 11.

26. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

27. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 13.

28. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 14.