Method and apparatus for contextual search and query refinement on consumer electronics devices

• US 20080133504A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Messer, Alan, Cheng, Doreen, Kunjithapatham, Anugeetha, Rathod, Priyang, Sheshagiri, Mithun, Nguyen, Phuong
• Granted Patent: US 8,935,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A method and a system for searching for information using an electronic device, such as a consumer electronic device, that can be connected to a network. Such searching for information involves determining a context for a search for information, forming a search query based on the context of search for information, and performing a contextual search based on the search query. Performing the contextual search further includes performing a query refinement.

Claims

1. A method of searching for information using an electronic device that can be connected to a network, comprising the steps of:

determining a context for a search for information;

forming a search query based on the context of search for information; and

performing a contextual search based on the search query.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of performing the contextual search further includes performing a query refinement.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a consumer electronics device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the network includes a local network including consumer electronic devices.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the network further includes an external network, such that the search is directed to information in the external network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of determining the context further includes determining the context based on the content in the network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of performing the search further includes filtering the search results based on said context.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of determining the context further includes using metadata related to the content in the local network to determine the context for search query formation.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of determining said context further includes using metadata related to the content in the network and current application states in the local network, to determine the context for query formation and result filtering.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining said context further includes gathering metadata about available content in the network.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

the network includes a local network and an external network; and

the step of gathering metadata further includes gathering metadata about available content in the local network.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of determining said context further includes determining the context using metadata related to:

available content in the local network, current application states in the local network and additional contextual terms derived from the external network.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the network includes:

a local network comprising a home network including interconnected CE devices; and

an external network, such that the search is directed to information in the external network.

14. A query system for performing a search for information from an electronic device that can be connected to a network, comprising:

a context extractor that is configured to determine a context for a search for information, by extracting contextual information from at least the network;

a query formation module that is configured to form a query based on the context of the search query; and

a search module that is configured to cause a contextual search based on the search query.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the context extractor is configured to further extract contextual information indicating current user activity from user application states in the network.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the context extractor is configured to further extract contextual information about available content in the network using metadata sources in the network.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the network includes a local network and an external network, wherein the context extractor is configured to extract contextual information about available content in the local network using metadata sources in the local network.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the network includes a local network and an external network, wherein the context extractor is configured to extract contextual information about available content in the local network using metadata sources in the external network.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein:

the search module is configured to perform a contextual search for information in the external network based on the search query; and

the context extractor is further configured to determine a further search context by extracting additional contextual information about available content in the local network, based on search results obtained from the external network.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the query formation module is further configured to form another query based on the further search context, for searching by the search module.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the search module is further configured to use the contextual information to guide selection of desired content from search results for a user.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the context extractor is configured to further derive additional contextual information from the extracted contextual information for query formation by the query formation module.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the local network comprises a network of interconnected devices including CE devices.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the local network comprises a home network including interconnected wired and wireless CE devices.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the external network comprises the Internet.

26. A consumer electronic device that can be connected to a network, comprising:

a context extractor that is configured to determine a context for a search for information, by extracting contextual information from at least the network;

a query formation module that is configured to form a query based on the context of the search query;

a search module that is configured to cause a contextual search based on the search query; and

a user interface module for user interaction.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the context extractor is configured to further extract contextual information about available content in the network using metadata sources in the network.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein:

the network includes a local network and an external network; and

the context extractor extracts contextual information about available contents in the local network using one or more of;

metadata sources in the local network and metadata sources in the external network.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein:

the search module is configured to perform a contextual search for information in the external network based on the search query; and

the context extractor is further configured to determine a further search context by extracting additional contextual information about available content in the local network, based on search results obtained from the external network.

30. The device of claim 29 wherein the query formation module is further configured to form another query based on the further search context, for searching by the search module.

31. The device of claim 29 wherein the search module is further configured to use the contextual information to guide selection of desired content from search results for a user.

32. The device of claim 26 wherein the context extractor is configured to further derive additional contextual information from the extracted contextual information for query formation by the query formation module.

33. The device of claim 26 wherein the context extractor is further configured to extract contextual information indicating current user activity from user application states in the network.

34. The device of claim 33 wherein the query formation module is configured to form a query based on said contextual information that indicates current user activity from user application states in the network.

35. The device of claim 28 wherein the local network comprises a network of interconnected devices includes CE devices.

36. The device of claim 35 wherein the local network comprises a home network including interconnected wired and wireless CE devices.

37. The device of claim 28 wherein the external network comprises the Internet.

38. The device of claim 26 wherein the user interface module is further configured to display the search results on a monitor.

39. The device of 38 wherein the user interface module is further configured to receive user input from the user for performing a task in the network.

40. The device of claim 39 further comprising a planner that is configured to form a plan for execution of the task.