TIME-BASED ANALYSIS OF RELATED KEYWORD SEARCHING

• US 20080104050A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kehl, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for displaying related search terms in a time sequence format. In example embodiments, a user search database, for retaining search terms that were used during specific times, may be available. The user search database may be searched to find which users have searched on a selected anchor term. The frequency of use of such anchor term may then be displayed in a time sequence format, e.g., over a week time period. The users that have used this selected anchor term may have also searched on other search terms, and the search terms that belong to a selected category of interest and were also used by the anchor term users may also be located in the user search database. These search terms from the selected category may also be displayed in a time sequence format, e.g., in the month preceding or proceeding the anchor use display'"'"'s time period.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving a selection of one or more anchor term(s) and one or more categories;

(b) locating one or more user(s) who have searched for the selected anchor term(s) by searching in one or more database(s) that relate each specific user to one or more search term(s) that were used by the specific user for a search and relate each search term with a specific time of the related search;

(c) for each found user that has searched for the anchor term(s), filtering the search term(s) that were also used by such found user so as to include only the search term(s) in the one or more category term(s); and

(d) for at least one of the found user(s), displaying the filtered search term(s) in a time sequence format.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, for each found user, displaying the anchor term(s) that are related to the found user in a time sequence format.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filtered search term(s) for each user are displayed for a time period that is previous to a subsequent time period in which the anchor term(s) were searched.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filtered search term(s) for each user are displayed for a time period that is after a preceding time period in which the anchor term(s) were searched.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, where the filtered search term(s) for each found user are displayed separately for each found user.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filtered search term(s) for the found user(s) are displayed together.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a subset of the filtered search term(s) are displayed for each day of a time period, the method further comprising receiving a selection of a particular filtered search term subset for a particular day and expanding to thereby display at least one of the other filtered search term(s) for the particular day that are outside the filter search term subset.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of a particular filtered search term to thereby define a new selection of an anchor term and repeating operations (b) through (d) for such new anchor term selection.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user is an automated entity.

10. An apparatus comprising at least a processor and a memory, wherein the processor and/or memory are configured to perform the following operations:

(a) receiving a selection of one or more anchor term(s) and one or more categories;

(b) locating one or more user(s) who have searched for the selected anchor term(s) by searching in one or more database(s) that relate each specific user to one or more search term(s) that were used by the specific user for a search and relate each search term with a specific time of the related search;

(c) for each found user that has searched for the anchor term(s), filtering the search term(s) that were also used by such found user so as to include only the search term(s) in the one or more category term(s); and

(d) for at least one of the found user(s), displaying the filtered search term(s) in a time sequence format.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the processor and/or memory are configured for displaying the anchor term(s) that are related to the found user in a time sequence format, for each user.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the filtered search term(s) for each user are displayed for a time period that is previous to a subsequent time period in which the anchor term(s) were searched.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the filtered search term(s) for each user are displayed for a time period that is after a preceding time period in which the anchor term(s) were searched.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, where the filtered search term(s) for each found user are displayed separately for each found user.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the filtered search term(s) for the found user(s) are displayed together.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein a subset of the filtered search term(s) are displayed for each day of a time period, wherein the processor and/or memory are configured for receiving a selection of a particular filtered search term subset for a particular day and expanding to thereby display at least one of the other filtered search term(s) for the particular day that are outside the filter search term subset.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the processor and/or memory are configured receiving a selection of a particular filtered search term to thereby define a new selection of an anchor term and repeating operations (b) through (d) for such new anchor term selection.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the user is an automated entity.

19. At least one computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that are arranged to perform the following operations:

(a) receiving a selection of one or more anchor term(s) and one or more categories;

(b) locating one or more user(s) who have searched for the selected anchor term(s) by searching in one or more database(s) that relate each specific user to one or more search term(s) that were used by the specific user for a search and relate each search term with a specific time of the related search;

(c) for each found user that has searched for the anchor term(s), filtering the search term(s) that were also used by such found user so as to include only the search term(s) in the one or more category term(s); and

(d) for at least one of the found user(s), displaying the filtered search term(s) in a time sequence format.

20. At least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, the computer program instructions stored thereon that being further arranged for displaying the anchor term(s) that are related to the found user in a time sequence format for each user.

21. At least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the filtered search term(s) for each user are displayed for a time period that is previous to a subsequent time period in which the anchor term(s) were searched.

22. At least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the filtered search term(s) for each user are displayed for a time period that is after a preceding time period in which the anchor term(s) were searched.

25. At least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein a subset of the filtered search term(s) are displayed for each day of a time period, the computer program instructions stored thereon that being further arranged for receiving a selection of a particular filtered search term subset for a particular day and expanding to thereby display at least one of the other filtered search term(s) for the particular day that are outside the filter search term subset.

26. At least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, the computer program instructions stored thereon that being further arranged for receiving a selection of a particular filtered search term to thereby define a new selection of an anchor term and repeating operations (b) through (d) for such new anchor term selection.

27. At least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the user is an automated entity.

23-24. -24. (canceled)