Context sensitive web search queries

• US 20070067275A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shekel, Oded
• Application Number:
  US11/230,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067275A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A computer-implemented system that facilitates establishing price(s) associated with items comprises a clustering component that clusters a collection of non-identical items into one or more sets of non-identical items. A pricing component receives one or more of active bids and stored bids and simulates an auction of at least one non-identical item within one of the one or more sets of non-identical items as if the non-identical items within the set were identical to determine price(s) associated with the at least one non-identical item. For example, the items can be at least portions of search terms received by a search engine.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system that facilitates search comprising the following computer executable components:

a context engine component that saves information related to at least one of a user state, context, intent, and application state; and

a search component that performs a search in connection with the context component to search for information to assist a user to obtain information associated with interacting with a user application.

2. The system of claim 1, the information is at least one of operating system information, program information, menu information, and historical information.

3. The system of claim 1, the search component searches at least one of an application help database and the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1, the search component is at least one of a search engine associated with the user application, a search engine associated with the application developer, and a third party search engine.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a query edit component that allows the user to modify search parameters.

6. The system of claim 5, the query edit component allows the user to at least one of supplement context engine information, remove context engine information, narrow a list of searchable sites, and broaden a list of searchable sites.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an application help database, the application help database is updated with the results of the search.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an advertisement component, the advertisement component facilitates advertising information related to the search.

9. The system of claim 8, the advertising information is at least one of an advertisement, expanded search fields, and information regarding a related program.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface component that allows a user to initiate a search.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a subscription component that selects a search engine to perform the search.

13. The method of claim 11, the context specific application information is at least one of operating system information, program information, menu information, application information, and historical information.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating an application database with the search result.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising including an advertisement in the search result, the advertisement is related to the context specific information.

16. The method of claim 11, the search query at least one of continuously receives context specific information, continuously performs a search, and continuously caches search results.

17. The method of claim 16, the result is returned to the user upon a user command.

18. The method of claim 16, the search populates an application help database.

12. A computer implemented method for performing a search comprising the following computer executable acts:

collecting context specific application information associated with at least one of a user state, context, user intent, and application state;

generating a search query using the context specific application information; and

returning a search query result to a user.

19. A context sensitive web search query computer implemented system comprising:

means for generating user context specific information; and

means for executing a search query using the context specific information in connection with dynamically providing user assistance relating to employment of a software application.

20. The system of claim 19, the information is at least one of operating system information, program information, menu information, application information, and historical information