System and method for automatically generating a result set

• US 20080046408A1
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Rotholtz, Ben Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A method, computer program product and computing device for automatically generating a result set includes monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website. One or more search terms are assigned to each of the one or more actions taken by the user, thus defining one or more initial search terms. An initial query is executed on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more initial search terms to generate an initial result set. The initial result set is presented to the user of the website.

Claims

1. A method for automatically generating a result set comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

assigning one or more search terms to each of the one or more actions taken by the user, thus defining one or more initial search terms;

executing an initial query on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more initial search terms to generate an initial result set; and

presenting the initial result set to the user of the website.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more actions taken by the user are chosen from the group consisting of:

rendering a media file;

uploading a data file;

downloading a data file;

posting an article;

reviewing an article;

posting a message;

reviewing a message;

executing a query;

purchasing a product;

offering a product for sale;

purchasing a service; and

offering a service for sale.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the website is chosen from the group consisting of:

a news website;

a weblog website;

an auction website;

an ecommerce website;

a dating/matchmaking website;

a special interest website;

a search engine/internet portal website; and

a social networking website.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

filtering the initial result set in accordance with filtering criteria defined by the user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein filtering the result set includes:

supplementing the one or more initial search terms with one or more user-defined search terms;

executing a filtering query based on at least a portion of the one or more user-defined search terms to generate a filtered result set; and

presenting the filtered result set to the user of the website.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the datastore includes one or more of:

a database servable by a computing device; and

a system memory accessible by a computing device.

7. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

assigning one or more search terms to each of the one or more actions taken by the user, thus defining one or more initial search terms;

executing an initial query on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more initial search terms to generate an initial result set; and

presenting the initial result set to the user of the website.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the one or more actions taken by the user are chosen from the group consisting of:

rendering a media file;

uploading a data file;

downloading a data file;

posting an article;

reviewing an article;

posting a message;

reviewing a message;

executing a query;

purchasing a product;

offering a product for sale;

purchasing a service; and

offering a service for sale.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the website is chosen from the group consisting of:

a news website;

a weblog website;

an auction website;

an ecommerce website;

a dating/matchmaking website;

a special interest website;

a search engine/internet portal website; and

a social networking website.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

filtering the initial result set in accordance with filtering criteria defined by the user.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the instructions for filtering the result set include instructions for performing operations comprising:

supplementing the one or more initial search terms with one or more user-defined search terms;

executing a filtering query based on at least a portion of the one or more user-defined search terms to generate a filtered result set; and

presenting the filtered result set to the user of the website.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the datastore includes one or more of:

a database servable by a computing device; and

a system memory accessible by a computing device.

13. A computing device configured to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

assigning one or more search terms to each of the one or more actions taken by the user, thus defining one or more initial search terms;

executing an initial query on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more initial search terms to generate an initial result set; and

presenting the initial result set to the user of the website.

14. The computing device of claim 13 wherein the one or more actions taken by the user are chosen from the group consisting of:

rendering a media file;

uploading a data file;

downloading a data file;

posting an article;

reviewing an article;

posting a message;

reviewing a message;

executing a query;

purchasing a product;

offering a product for sale;

purchasing a service; and

offering a service for sale.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the website is chosen from the group consisting of:

a news website;

a weblog website;

an auction website;

an ecommerce website;

a dating/matchmaking website;

a special interest website;

a search engine/internet portal website; and

a social networking website.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

filtering the initial result set in accordance with filtering criteria defined by the user.

17. The computing device of claim 16 wherein filtering the result set includes:

supplementing the one or more initial search terms with one or more user-defined search terms;

executing a filtering query based on at least a portion of the one or more user-defined search terms to generate a filtered result set; and

presenting the filtered result set to the user of the website.

18. The computing device of claim 13 wherein the datastore includes one or more of:

a database servable by the computing device; and

a system memory accessible by the computing device.