CONTEXT-BASED SEARCH, RETRIEVAL, AND AWARENESS

• US 20080005068A1
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dumais, Susan T., Naam, Ramez, Flake, Gary W., Platt, John C., Gupta, Anoop, Huang, Xuedong D., Goodman, Joshua T., Hurst-Hiller, Oliver, Griffin, Trenholme J., Horvitz, Eric J., Brunell, Bradly A., Peltonen, Kyle G., Gates, William H.
• Application Number:
  US11/426,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context

Abstract

A system that incorporates a user context into a computer-based search is provided. To establish the context, the innovation can identify information about a user state or context via a variety of sources and sensors. The state/context information can be used to filter, arrange and/or rank search results so as to facilitate converging on meaningful searches and results. Machine learning systems (implicitly and/or explicitly trained) can be employed to infer a current and/or future context related to user. An identified or inferred user context can be employed to modify an automated or user-defined search input/query. Contextual cues can be considered directly in the construction and use of context of context-sensitive retrieval algorithms that are optimized for identifying and/or ranking of informational items of potential interest or value in different contexts. As well, the context can be employed to intelligently render results of a query (e.g., user/application defined, context-modified query).

Claims

1. A system that selectively renders computer search results based upon a user context, comprising:

a search component that gathers a plurality of search results; and

a configuration component that renders a subset of the plurality of search results based at least in part upon the user context.

2. The system of claim 1, the configuration component filters the subset of the plurality of search results based upon a change in the user context.

3. The system of claim 1, the configuration component ranks the subset of the plurality of search results based upon the user context as a function of a user preference.

4. The system of claim 1, the configuration component sorts the subset of the plurality of search results based upon a user context as a function of a user preference.

5. The system of claim 1, the configuration component at least one of filters, ranks and sorts the subset of the plurality of search results based upon a profile of a rendering device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a context analyzer that infers the user context from context-related information;

the user context includes at least one of a physical context, an application context, an implicit or explicit user model, and a temporal context.

7. The system of claim 1, the search component establishes a search query based upon an inferred context of the user, the search query is employed to gather the plurality of search results.

8. The system of claim 7, the search component modifies the search query based upon an inferred user preference.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a context determination component that establishes the user context as a function of user-specific information.

10. The system of claim 9, the context determination component employs a plurality of sensors that generate at least a portion of the user-specific information employed to establish the user context.

11. The system of claim 10, the plurality of sensors includes at least one of environmental and physiological sensors.

12. The system of claim 10, the plurality of sensors includes at least one of a location detector, an application context detector, a temporal detector, a user data and/or interaction component, a camera, and a microphone.

13. A computer-implemented method of selectively rendering computer-based search results, comprising:

establishing a context as a function of a subset of a plurality of factors related to a user;

generating a search query based upon the subset of the plurality of factors;

obtaining a plurality of search results as a function of the search query;

organizing a subset of the plurality of search results based at least in part upon the context; and

selectively rendering the subset of the plurality of search results.

14. The method of claim 13, the act of organizing includes ranking the subset of the plurality of search results as a function of an inferred user preference.

15. The method of claim 13, the act of organizing includes filtering the subset of the plurality of search results as a function of an inferred user preference.

16. The method of claim 13, the act of organizing includes sorting the subset of the plurality of search results as a function of an inferred user preference.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising dynamically monitoring the plurality of factors related to a user;

the plurality of factors includes at least one of a location, an application context, a temporal context, user-specific data, visual data, and audio data.

18. A computer-executable system that facilitates context-based searching, comprising:

computer-implemented means for obtaining a plurality of search results based upon a user context; and

computer-implemented means for dynamically rendering a subset of the plurality of search results based upon a change in the user context.

19. The computer-executable system of claim 18, further comprising computer-implemented means for dynamically monitoring a plurality of factors that establish the change in the user context.

20. The computer-executable system of claim 18, the plurality of factors includes at least one of a location, an application context, a temporal context, user-specific data, visual data, and audio data.