Result-based triggering for presentation of online content

• US 20070112740A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mercado Software Ltd.
• Inventors: Geva, Shai
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for delivering content is provided, including specifying a rule having a trigger and defining a content presentation action, and receiving a search query from a user. The method further includes generating a result set in response to the search query, identifying at least one characteristic of the result set, and comparing the at least one characteristic to the trigger. If the at least one characteristic satisfies the trigger, the content is presented as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for delivering content, comprising:

specifying a rule having a trigger and defining a content presentation action;

receiving a search query from a user;

generating a result set in response to the search query;

identifying at least one characteristic of the result set;

comparing the at least one characteristic to the trigger; and

if the at least one characteristic satisfies the trigger, presenting the content as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic is not included in the search query.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the search query, the at least one characteristic, and the trigger include respective attribute-value pairs.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic includes at least one ordered characteristic.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one characteristic comprises determining that the at least one characteristic dominates the result set.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein determining that the at least one characteristic dominates the result set comprises determining that the at least one characteristic characterizes at least a threshold percentage of items in the result set.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein determining that the at least one characteristic dominates the result set comprises determining that the at least one characteristic characterizes at least a threshold number of items in the result set.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying comprises assessing, for each of a plurality of characteristics that include the at least one characteristic, a number of items in the result set that are characterized by the characteristic.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of characteristics includes only characteristics included in the trigger.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trigger specifies a threshold number of items, wherein the at least one characteristic of the result set specifies a number of items in the result set, and wherein presenting the content comprises presenting the content as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule responsively to a comparison between the number of items and the threshold number of items.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein presenting the content comprises presenting the content as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule both (a) responsively to the comparison, and (b) upon finding that the query contains a set of one or more characteristics.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the trigger specifies a set of one or more items, and wherein comparing the at least one characteristic to the trigger comprises determining whether or not the result set contains the items in the specified set.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one characteristic of the result set comprises:

identifying a first characteristic of the result set, and a second characteristic of the result set that refines the first characteristic; and

identifying the second characteristic, but not the first characteristic, as the at least one characteristic of the result set.

14. A computer-implemented method for delivering content, comprising:

specifying a rule, which has a trigger and a threshold and defines a content presentation action;

receiving a search query from a user;

generating a query result set by searching a corpus of data for items that satisfy the search query;

generating a trigger result set by searching the corpus of data for items that satisfy the trigger;

determining a level of intersection between the query result set and the trigger result set; and

if the level of intersection is greater than the threshold, presenting the content as specified by the content presentation action defined by the rule.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the search query and the trigger each include at least one attribute-value pair.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein determining the level of intersection comprises setting the level of intersection equal to a quotient of (i) an assessment of a number of items in a set formed by an intersection of the query and trigger result sets divided by (ii) a divisor, wherein the divisor is selected from the group consisting of:

an assessment of a number of items in the query result set, an assessment of a number of items in the trigger result set, and a sum of the assessment of the number of items in the query result set and the assessment of the number of items in the trigger result set.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein determining the level of intersection comprises setting the level of intersection equal to an assessment of a number of items in a set formed by the intersection of the query and trigger result sets.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein generating the trigger result set comprises making a record of the trigger result set, and wherein determining the level of intersection comprises determining the level of intersection between the query result set and the record of the trigger result set.

19. Apparatus for delivering content, comprising:

a search engine, which is configured to receive a search query from a user, and to generate a result set in response to the search query; and

a result processor, which is configured to receive a specification of a rule having a trigger and defining a content presentation action, to identify at least one characteristic of the result set, to compare the at least one characteristic to the trigger, and, if the at least one characteristic satisfies the trigger, to present the content as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the at least one characteristic is not included in the search query.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the search query, the at least one characteristic, and the trigger include respective attribute-value pairs.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the at least one characteristic includes at least one ordered characteristic.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the result processor is configured to identify the at least one characteristic by determining that the at least one characteristic dominates the result set.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the result processor is configured to determine that the at least one characteristic dominates the result set by determining that the at least one characteristic characterizes at least a threshold percentage of items in the result set.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the result processor is configured to determine that the at least one characteristic dominates the result set by determining that the at least one characteristic characterizes at least a threshold number of items in the result set.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the result processor is configured to identify by assessing, for each of a plurality of characteristics that include the at least one characteristic, a number of items in the result set that are characterized by the characteristic.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the plurality of characteristics includes only characteristics included in the trigger.

28. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the trigger specifies a threshold number of items, wherein the at least one characteristic of the result set specifies a number of items in the result set, and wherein the result processor is configured to present the content as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule responsively to a comparison between the number of items and the threshold number of items.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the result processor is configured to present the content as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule both (a) responsively to the comparison, and (b) upon finding that the query contains a set of one or more characteristics.

30. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the trigger specifies a set of one or more items, and wherein the result processor is configured to compare the at least one characteristic to the trigger by determining whether or not the result set contains the items in the specified set.

31. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the result processor is configured to identify the at least one characteristic of the result set by:

identifying a first characteristic of the result set, and a second characteristic of the result set that refines the first characteristic; and

identifying the second characteristic, but not the first characteristic, as the at least one characteristic of the result set.

32. Apparatus for delivering content, comprising:

a result processor, which is configured to receive a specification of a rule, which has a trigger and a threshold and defines a content presentation action; and

a search engine, which is configured to receive a search query from a user, to generate a query result set by searching a corpus of data for the items that satisfy the search query, and to generate a trigger result set by searching the corpus of data for the items that satisfy the trigger,

wherein the result processor is configured to determine a level of intersection between the query result set and the trigger result set, and, if the level of intersection is greater than the threshold, to present the content as specified by the content presentation action defined by the rule.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the search query and the trigger each include at least one attribute-value pair.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the result processor is configured to set the level of intersection equal to a quotient of (i) an assessment of a number of items in a set formed by an intersection of the query and trigger result sets divided by (ii) a divisor, wherein the divisor is selected from the group consisting of:

an assessment of a number of items in the query result set, an assessment of a number of items in the trigger result set, and a sum of the assessment of the number of items in the query result set and the assessment of the number of items in the trigger result set.

35. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the result processor is configured to set the level of intersection equal to an assessment of a number of items in a set formed by the intersection of the query and trigger result sets.

36. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the result processor is configured to make a record of the trigger result set, and to determine the level of intersection between the query result set and the record of the trigger result set.

37. A computer software product for delivering content, the product comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive a specification of a rule having a trigger and defining a content presentation action, to receive a search query from a user, to generate a result set in response to the search query, to identify at least one characteristic of the result set, to compare the at least one characteristic to the trigger, and, if the at least one characteristic satisfies the trigger, to present the content as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule.

38. The product according to claim 37, wherein the at least one characteristic is not included in the search query.

39. The product according to claim 37, wherein the search query, the at least one characteristic, and the trigger include respective attribute-value pairs.

40. The product according to claim 37, wherein the at least one characteristic includes at least one ordered characteristic.

41. The product according to claim 37, wherein the instructions cause the computer to identify the at least one characteristic by determining that the at least one characteristic dominates the result set.

42. The product according to claim 41, wherein the instructions cause the computer to determine that the at least one characteristic dominates the result set by determining that the at least one characteristic characterizes at least a threshold percentage of items in the result set.

43. The product according to claim 41, wherein the instructions cause the computer to determine that the at least one characteristic dominates the result set by determining that the at least one characteristic characterizes at least a threshold number of items in the result set.

44. The product according to claim 37, wherein the instructions cause the computer to identify by assessing, for each of a plurality of characteristics that include the at least one characteristic, a number of items in the result set that are characterized by the characteristic.

45. The product according to claim 44, wherein the plurality of characteristics includes only characteristics included in the trigger.

46. The product according to claim 37, wherein the trigger specifies a threshold number of items, wherein the at least one characteristic of the result set specifies a number of items in the result set, and wherein the instructions cause the computer to present the content as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule responsively to a comparison between the number of items and the threshold number of items.

47. The product according to claim 46, wherein the instructions cause the computer to present the content as specified by the content presentation action that is defined by the rule both (a) responsively to the comparison, and (b) upon finding that the query contains a set of one or more characteristics.

48. The product according to claim 37, wherein the trigger specifies a set of one or more items, and wherein the instructions cause the computer to compare the at least one characteristic to the trigger by determining whether or not the result set contains the items in the specified set.

49. The product according to claim 37, wherein the instructions cause the computer to identify the at least one characteristic of the result set by:

identifying a first characteristic of the result set, and a second characteristic of the result set that refines the first characteristic; and

identifying the second characteristic, but not the first characteristic, as the at least one characteristic of the result set.

50. A computer software product for delivering content, the product comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive a specification of a rule, which has a trigger and a threshold and defines a content presentation action, to receive a search query from a user, to generate a query result set by searching a corpus of data for items that satisfy the search query, to generate a trigger result set by searching the corpus of data for items that satisfy the trigger, to determine a level of intersection between the query result set and the trigger result set, and, if the level of intersection is greater than the threshold, to present the content as specified by the content presentation action defined by the rule.

51. The product according to claim 50, wherein the search query and the trigger each include at least one attribute-value pair.

52. The product according to claim 50, wherein the instructions cause the computer to set the level of intersection equal to a quotient of (i) an assessment of a number of items in a set formed by an intersection of the query and trigger result sets divided by (ii) a divisor, wherein the divisor is selected from the group consisting of:

an assessment of a number of items in the query result set, an assessment of a number of items in the trigger result set, and a sum of the assessment of the number of items in the query result set and the assessment of the number of items in the trigger result set.

53. The product according to claim 50, wherein the instructions cause the computer to set the level of intersection equal to an assessment of a number of items in a set formed by the intersection of the query and trigger result sets.

54. The product according to claim 50, wherein the instructions cause the computer to make a record of the trigger result set, and to determine the level of intersection between the query result set and the record of the trigger result set.