Method, system, and graphical user interface for alerting a computer user to new results for a prior search

• US 20070162424A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jeh, Glen, Yang, Beverly
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• 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

Abstract

A method, system, and graphical user interface for alerting a computer user to new results for a prior search are disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a graphical user interface on a computer that includes a plurality of links recommended by a search engine for a computer user. The plurality of links are determined by the search engine by: producing search results by rerunning a plurality of search queries that have been performed previously for the computer user; and evaluating the produced search results to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria. At least one of the criteria is based on Internet usage data for the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a search engine,

accessing Internet usage data for a computer user, wherein the usage data include a plurality of search queries by the user;

using at least some of the Internet usage data, identifying search queries in the plurality of search queries that meet predefined query selection criteria for queries that correspond to continuing interests of the user;

rerunning at least some of the identified search queries;

evaluating search results from the rerun queries to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria; and

sending links corresponding to at least some of the selected search results to a computer associated with the user for display.

2. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a search engine,

accessing Internet usage data for a computer user, wherein the usage data include a plurality of search queries by the user;

using at least some of the Internet usage data, identifying search queries in the plurality of search queries that meet predefined query selection criteria for queries that correspond to continuing interests of the user; and

rerunning at least some of the identified search queries.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying of search queries is performed without explicit input from the user identifying search queries that are continuing interests of the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the predefined query selection criteria include a score derived from combination of at least some of the Internet usage data.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the Internet usage data include for a given query in the plurality of queries:

the number of query terms, the number of clicks by the user on the results of the query, and/or the number of refinements by the user of the query.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the Internet usage data are grouped into query sessions.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the rerunning is performed automatically by the search engine at predefined times.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a search engine,

producing search results by rerunning a plurality of search queries that have been performed previously for a computer user;

evaluating the produced search results to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria, wherein at least one of the criteria is based on Internet usage data for the user; and

sending links corresponding to at least some of the selected search results to a computer associated with the user for display.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the criteria include a requirement that selected search results are not present in query event data for the user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the criteria include a requirement that selected search results are not present in the Internet usage data for the user.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the predefined search result selection criteria identify search results deemed likely to be relevant to the computer user.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the links are sent without explicit input from the user requesting the selected search results.

13. A graphical user interface on a computer, comprising:

a plurality of links recommended by a search engine for a computer user,

wherein the plurality of links are determined by the search engine by;

producing search results by rerunning a plurality of search queries that have been performed previously for the computer user;

evaluating the produced search results to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria, wherein at least one of the criteria is based on Internet usage data for the user.

14. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a client computer,

sending Internet usage data for a computer user to a server computer, wherein the usage data include a plurality of search queries by the user, and wherein the server computer;

using at least some of the Internet usage data, identifies search queries in the plurality of search queries that meet predefined query selection criteria for queries that correspond to continuing interests of the user;

reruns at least some of the identified search queries; and

evaluates search results from the rerun queries to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria;

receiving links corresponding to at least some of the selected search results from the server computer; and

displaying at least some of the received links.

15. A system comprising at least one server, wherein the at least one server is configured to:

access Internet usage data for a computer user, wherein the usage data include a plurality of search queries by the user;

using at least some of the Internet usage data, identify search queries in the plurality of search queries that meet predefined query selection criteria for queries that correspond to continuing interests of the user; and

rerun at least some of the identified search queries.

16. A system comprising at least one server, wherein the at least one server is configured to:

produce search results by rerunning a plurality of search queries that have been performed previously for a computer user;

evaluate the produced search results to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria, wherein at least one of the criteria is based on Internet usage data for the user; and

send links corresponding to at least some of the selected search results to a computer associated with the user for display.

17. A server computer, comprising:

means for producing search results by rerunning a plurality of search queries that have been performed previously for a computer user;

means for evaluating the produced search results to select search results that meet predefined search result selection criteria, wherein at least one of the criteria is based on Internet usage data for the user; and

means for sending links corresponding to at least some of the selected search results to a computer associated with the user for display.