ASSISTING USERS IN SEARCHING FOR TAGGED CONTENT BASED ON HISTORICAL USAGE PATTERNS

• US 20100005106A1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: NESBITT, PAMELA A., SEACAT, LISA A., CARTER, BERNADETTE A, CHANG, BELINDA Y., LI, FUYI
• Granted Patent: US 9,251,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management

Abstract

A tagging event can be detected where a software entity is associated with a tag resulting from a user interaction. At least one situational attribute relating to the tagging event can be automatically determined. The one or more situational attribute can be stored in a data repository so that the stored situational attribute is associated with the tag. The detecting, determining, and storing can be repeated for a set of different tags, each associated with a software entity. A search of tagged software entities can be conducted. The results of the search can be modified based at least in part upon the stored situational attributes of the tagged software entities.

Claims

1. A method for improving searches of tagged entities based upon usage patterns comprising:

detecting a tagging event where a software entity is associated with a tag responsive to a user interaction;

automatically determining at least one situational attribute relating to the tagging event;

storing the at least one situational attribute in a data repository so that the stored situational attribute is associated with the tag;

repeating the detecting, determining, and storing for a plurality of different tags, each associated with a software entity; and

conducting a search of tagged software entities, wherein the search results are modified based at least in part upon the stored situational attributes of the tagged software entities.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one search-time usage attribute existent at a time of the search;

comparing at least one search-time usage attribute to a corresponding at least one stored situational attribute for each of the tagged software entities to determine a correspondence between the at least one search-time usage attribute and the stored situational attribute of each of the tagged software entities; and

modifying the search results based upon the correspondence.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an order of tagged software entities included in the search results is based at least in part upon the correspondence.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

filtering a set of tagged software items included in the search result based upon the correspondence.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

utilizing the at least one situational attribute to determine if each of the tagged software entities should be included in the search results.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing at least one of the tag and one of the tagged software entities;

storing usage data relating to utilization specifics in the data repository so that the stored usage data is associated with the tagged software entity;

repeating the utilizing and storage of the usage data for a plurality of different software entities;

wherein the search results are modified based at least in part upon the stored situational attributes of the tagged software entities.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one situational attribute comprises a plurality of situational attributes, said method further comprising:

assigning a weighed value to each of the situational attributes; and

utilizing the weighed value when modifying the search results.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sharing the situational attribute data among a plurality of users, so that each of the plurality of users is able to utilize the stored situational attributes when conducting searches.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each software entity is associated with a unique Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), wherein the search result is a search result from a web engine comprising a plurality of hyperlinks, one for each of the software entities, wherein each hyperlink is associated with a corresponding Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

10. A computer program product for improving searches of tagged entities based upon usage patterns comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to detect a tagging event where a software entity is associated with a tag responsive to a user interaction;

computer usable program code configured to automatically determine at least one situational attribute relating to the tagging event;

computer usable program code configured to store the at least one situational attribute in a data repository so that the stored situational attribute is associated with the tag;

computer usable program code configured to repeat the detecting, determining, and storing for a plurality of different tags, each associated with a software entity; and

computer usable program code configured to conduct a search of tagged software entities, wherein the search results are modified based at least in part upon the stored situational attributes of the tagged software entities.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to determine at least one search-time usage attribute existent at a time of the search;

computer usable program code configured to compare at least one search-time usage attribute to a corresponding at least one stored situational attribute for each of the tagged software entities to determine a correspondence between the at least one search-time usage attribute and the stored situational attribute of each of the tagged software entities; and

computer usable program code configured to modify the search results based upon the correspondence.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein an order of tagged software entities included in the search results is based at least in part upon the correspondence.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to filter a set of tagged software items included in the search result based upon the correspondence.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to utilize the at least one situational attribute to determine if each of the tagged software entities should be included in the search results.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to utilize at least one of the tag and one of the tagged software entities;

computer usable program code configured to store usage data relating to utilization specifics in the data repository so that the stored usage data is associated with the tagged software entity;

computer usable program code configured to repeat the utilizing and storage of the usage data for a plurality of different software entities;

wherein the search results are modified based at least in part upon the stored situational attributes of the tagged software entities.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said at least one situational attribute comprises a plurality of situational attributes, said method further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to assign a weighed value to each of the situational attributes; and

computer usable program code configured to utilize the weighed value when modifying the search results.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to share the situational attribute data among a plurality of users, so that each of the plurality of users is able to utilize the stored situational attributes when conducting searches.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein each software entity is associated with a unique Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), wherein the search result is a search result from a web engine comprising a plurality of hyperlinks, one for each of the software entities, wherein each hyperlink is associated with a corresponding Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).