CONTEXTUAL MOBILE LOCAL SEARCH BASED ON SOCIAL NETWORK VITALITY INFORMATION

• US 20070255831A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Quoc, Michael, Fukuda, Matthew, Wascovich, Dan, Ott, E., Hayashi, Nathanael, Tsang, Audrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method are directed to managing contextual based mobile searches. A context oriented user interface interprets inputs from a mobile user based on vitality information. In one embodiment, the input may be interpreted as a request to perform a context-based search over a network using at least some of the vitality information. Vitality information may include a location of the mobile device, a time of day, an event, information from the mobile user'"'"'s calendar, past behavior of the mobile user, weather, social networking data, aggregate behaviors, or even information about proximity of a social contact. By employing vitality information to perform a mobile search, better search results and a richer user experience may be provided that includes a sense of community, a sense of presence (e.g., a sense of “here-ness.”). In one embodiment, the mobile user may provide comments to others regarding the search results.

Claims

1. A mobile device that is operative to manage a mobile search over a network, comprising:

a memory component for storing data; and

a processing component for executing data that enables actions, including;

determining a social networking context based, in part, on vitality information;

receiving an input; and

if the received input is associated with a request to perform a search, employing the determined social networking context to generate a context based search request, and performing the context based search over the network to obtain a context based search response.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, the actions further comprising:

receiving a comment associated with the context based search response; and

providing the comment to another member of a social network.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, the actions further comprising:

providing a list of actions that invoke at least one of a mobile application or a remote application based, in part, on the received input and the determined social networking context; and

enabling a mobile user to select at least one action for execution from the list.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the vitality information further comprises at least one of a location of the mobile device, a current time, an event in a calendar for the mobile device, a task in a task list on the mobile device, a current message activity, a past behavior of a mobile user associated with the mobile device, a social event, and an aggregate behavior.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the actions further comprising:

providing a list of actions that invokes at least one of a mobile applications or a remote application based, in part, on the determined social networking context including at least one of an item within a calendar associated with the mobile device, a task list associated with the mobile device, a physical location of the mobile device, or an aggregate online behavior of at least some members of a social network.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein determining a social networking context further comprising combining at least some of the vitality information associated with a user of the mobile device with at least some vitality information associated with at least one other member of a social network with social networking information associated with the user of the mobile device to generate the social networking context for the search.

7. A processor readable medium that includes data, wherein the execution of the data provides for the management of a mobile search over a network by enabling actions, including:

determining a social networking context based, in part, on vitality information of a social network for which a user is a member;

receiving an input from the user; and

employing the determined social networking context to generate a context based search request, and performing the search to obtain a context based search response.

8. The processor readable medium of claim 7, wherein generating the context based search request further comprises:

combining physical location of a mobile device associated with the processor readable medium with information from at least one of an application on the mobile device, aggregated online behavior for at least two members of the social network, or social networking information from another member of the social network; and

employing the combined information and the input from the user to generate the context based search request.

9. The processor readable medium of claim 7, the actions further comprising:

receiving a comment associated with the context based search response; and

providing the comment to another member of a social network.

10. The processor readable medium of claim 7, the actions further comprising:

providing a list of actions that invoke at least one of a mobile application or a remote application based, in part, on the received input and the determined social networking context; and

enabling a mobile user to select at least action for execution from the list.

11. The processor readable medium of claim 7, wherein the vitality information further comprises at least one of a location of the mobile device, a current time, an event in a calendar for the mobile device, a task in a task list on the mobile device, a current message activity, a past behavior of a mobile user associated with the mobile device, a social event, and an aggregate behavior.

12. A network device for enabling a search using a mobile device, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over the network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions, including;

receiving social networking information, including vitality information, from a plurality of social networking members;

distributing to at least one mobile device, at least a portion of the social networking information, wherein the mobile device is enabled to employ at least the portion of the social networking information to generate a context based search request; and

receiving the context based search request.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein generating the context based search request further comprising:

determining social networking information for a user of the mobile device based on vitality information within the mobile device;

combining the received portion of social networking information with the social networking information for the user; and

employing combined social networking information to generate the context based search request.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the social networking information for the user further comprises at least one of information from a calendar associated with the user, a task list associated with the user, or a physical location of the mobile device.

15. The network device of claim 12, wherein the vitality information further comprises at least one of a location of the mobile device, a current time, an event in a calendar for the mobile device, a task in a task list on the mobile device, a current message activity, a past behavior of a mobile user associated with the mobile device, a social event, or an aggregated online behavior.

16. A method of managing a mobile search over a network, comprising:

determining a social networking context based, in part, on vitality information;

receiving an input on a mobile device; and

employing the determined social networking context to modify the mobile search request, and performing the modified mobile search over the network to obtain a context based search response.

17. The method of claim 16, the actions further comprising:

receiving a comment associated with the context based search response; and

providing the comment to another member of a social network.

18. The method of claim 16, the actions further comprising:

providing a list of actions that invoke a mobile application or a remote application based, in part, on the received input and the determined social networking context; and

enabling a mobile user to select at least one action for execution from the list.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the vitality information is obtained based on at least one of an aggregate of social networking information from members of a social network, social networking information residing on the mobile device, and a physical location of the mobile device.

20. A modulated data signal configured to include program instructions for performing the method of claim 16.

21. A mobile apparatus for enabling a search using a mobile device, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over the network;

means for determining a social networking context based, in part, on vitality information associated with at least one member of a social network;

means for receiving an input on the mobile apparatus; and

means for employing the determined social networking context to generate a context based mobile search request, and performing the context based mobile search over the network to obtain a context based search response.