Method and system for dynamically processing ambiguous, reduced text search queries and highlighting results thereof

• US 20070050337A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veveo, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Veveo, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Aravamudan, Murali, Rajasekharan, Ajit, Barve, Rakesh, Venkataraman, Sashikumar
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,011 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 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques

Abstract

A method and system are provided of processing a search query entered by a user of a device having a text input interface with overloaded keys. The search query is directed at identifying an item from a set of items. Each of the items has a name including one or more words. The system receives from the user an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item. The search query comprises a prefix substring of at least one word in the name of the desired item. The system dynamically identifies a group of one or more items from the set of items having one or more words in the names thereof matching the search query as the user enters each character of the search query. The system also orders the one or more items of the group in accordance with given criteria. The names of the one or more items of the identified group are output to be displayed on the device operated by the user as ordered with the characters of the one or more words in the names corresponding to the prefix substring of the search query being highlighted.

Claims

1. A method of processing a search query entered by a user of a device having a text input interface with overloaded keys, said search query being directed at identifying an item from a set of items, each of said items having a name comprising one or more words, said method comprising:

(a) receiving from the user an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item, said search query comprising a prefix substring of at least one word in the name of the desired item;

(b) dynamically identifying a group of one or more items from said set of items having one or more words in the names thereof matching said search query as said user enters each character of said search query;

(c) ordering said one or more items of said group identified in (b) in accordance with one or more given criteria; and

(d) outputting the names of said one or more items of said group identified in (b) to be displayed on the device operated by said user as ordered in (c) with the characters of the one or more words in said names corresponding to said prefix substring of said search query being highlighted.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said characters are highlighted by being colored, bolded, italicized, underlined, or changed to a different font, or some combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more given criteria include one or more of:

temporal relevance, location relevance, popularity, personal preferences and character count.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more items are ordered such that items having single-word or multi-word term matches are displayed before items having single-word or multi-word abbreviation matches.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said overloaded keys each represent a number and at least two alphabetic characters, and wherein said method further comprises indexing said items by performing a many-to-many mapping of said names associated with said items to numeric strings corresponding to various search query prefix substrings.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said search query is processed by a server system remote from said user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said search query is processed by said device operated by said user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said items comprise television content items, or a product or service sought by the user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said device is a cell phone, desk phone, a PDA, or a remote control device for a television.

10. A system for processing a search query entered by a user of a device having a text input interface with overloaded keys, said search query being directed at identifying an item from a set of items, each of said items having a name comprising one or more words, said system comprising:

a memory for storing the name of each item in said set of items; and

a processor for (a) receiving from the user an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item, said search query comprising a prefix substring of at least one word in the name of the desired item;

(b) dynamically identifying a group of one or more items from said set of items having one or more words in the names thereof matching said search query as said user enters each character of said search query;

(c) ordering said one or more items of said identified group in accordance with one or more given criteria; and

(d) outputting the names of said one or more items of said identified group to be displayed on the device operated by said user as ordered with the characters of the one or more words in said names corresponding to said prefix substring of said search query being highlighted.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said characters are highlighted by being colored, bolded, italicized, underlined, or changed to a different font, or some combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said one or more given criteria include one or more of:

temporal relevance, location relevance, popularity, personal preferences and character count.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said one or more items are ordered such that items having single-word or multi-word term matches are displayed before items having single-word or multi-word abbreviation matches.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said overloaded keys each represent a number and at least two alphabetic characters, and wherein said processor further indexes said items by performing a many-to-many mapping of said names associated with said items to numeric strings corresponding to various search query prefix substrings.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein said system comprises a server system remote from said user.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein said system is incorporated in or proximate said device operated by said user.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein said items comprise television content items, or a product or service sought by the user.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein said device is a cell phone, desk phone, a PDA, or a remote control device for a television.

19. A system for processing search queries entered by users of devices having a text input interface with overloaded keys, each search query being directed at identifying an item from a set of items, each of said items having a name comprising one or more words, said system comprising:

a server;

a plurality of devices operated by said users, said devices each having a text input interface with overloaded keys, said devices each transmitting to the server an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item, said search query comprising a prefix substring of at least one word in the name of the desired item;

a network for transmitting data between said server and said devices; and

a database for storing the name of each item in said set of items;

wherein for each search query received from a device, said server dynamically identifies a group of one or more items from said set of items having one or more words in the names thereof matching said search query as the user of said device enters each character of said search query;

orders said one or more items of said identified group in accordance with one or more given criteria; and

transmits the names of said one or more items of said identified group to be displayed on the device operated by said user as ordered with the characters of the one or more words in said names corresponding to said prefix substring of said search query being highlighted.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said characters are highlighted by being colored, bolded, italicized, underlined, or changed to a different font, or some combination thereof.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said one or more given criteria include one or more of:

temporal relevance, location relevance, popularity, personal preferences and character count.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said one or more items are ordered such that items having single-word or multi-word term matches are displayed before items having single-word or multi-word abbreviation matches.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein said overloaded keys each represent a number and at least two alphabetic characters, and wherein said server further indexes said items by performing a many-to-many mapping of said names associated with said items to numeric strings corresponding to various search query prefix substrings.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein said items comprise television content items, or a product or service sought by the user.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein said devices comprise cell phones, desk phones, PDAs, or remote control devices for a television.

26. A computer program product for processing a search query entered by a user of a device having a text input interface with overloaded keys, said search query being directed at identifying an item from a set of items, each of said items having a name comprising one or more words, the computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause that processor to:

(a) receive from the user an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item, said search query comprising a prefix substring of at least one word in the name of the desired item;

(b) dynamically identify a group of one or more items from said set of items having one or more words in the names thereof matching said search query as said user enters each character of said search query;

(c) order said one or more items of said group identified in (b) in accordance with one or more given criteria; and

(d) output the names of said one or more items of said group identified in (b) to be displayed on the device operated by said user as ordered in (c) with the characters of the one or more words in said names corresponding to said prefix substring of said search query being highlighted.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said characters are highlighted by being colored, bolded, italicized, underlined, or changed to a different font, or some combination thereof.

28. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said one or more given criteria include one or more of:

temporal relevance, location relevance, popularity, personal preferences and character count.

29. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said one or more items are ordered such that items having single-word or multi-word term matches are displayed before items having single-word or multi-word abbreviation matches.

30. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said overloaded keys each represent a number and at least two alphabetic characters, and wherein said method further comprises indexing said items by performing a many-to-many mapping of said names associated with said items to numeric strings corresponding to various search query prefix substrings.

31. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said search query is processed by a server system remote from said user.

32. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said search query is processed by said device operated by said user.

33. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said items comprise television content items, or a product or service sought by the user.

34. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein said device is a cell phone, desk phone, a PDA, or a remote control device for a television.