Search Results Summarized with Tokens

• US 20110289080A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murdock, Vanessa Graham
• Granted Patent: US 10,216,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3328 using graphical result space presentation or visualisation

Abstract

In one embodiment, a first computing device accesses a first search query issued by a user and one or more first documents identified in response to the first search query; determines a first set of tokens for each of the first documents; and transmits the first documents and their associated first sets of tokens to a second computing device associated with the user for display to the user, wherein: each of the first documents is displayed together with its associated first set of tokens; and the tokens of each of the first sets of tokens are visually distinguished based on the concepts they represent and their levels of relevance with respect to the first document associated with the first set of tokens.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a first computing device,

accessing a first search query issued by a user and one or more first documents identified in response to the first search query;

determining a first set of tokens for each of the first documents, wherein determining the first set of tokens for one of the first documents comprises;

extracting one or more tokens from the first document;

for each of the extracted tokens,

identifying a concept represented by the extracted token;

determining a level of importance for the extracted token with respect to the first document; and

determining a level of relationship for the extracted token with respect to the search query; and

for each unique pair of extracted tokens, determining a level of co-occurrence for the pair of extracted tokens;

for each of the extracted tokens, determining a level of relevance for the extracted tokens with respect to the first document based on its level of importance with respect to the first document, its level of relationship with respect to the search query, and its levels of co-occurrence with other ones of the extracted tokens; and

selecting one or more of the extracted tokens that are most relevant to the first document to form the first set of tokens; and

transmitting the first documents and their associated first sets of tokens to a second computing device associated with the user for display to the user, wherein;

each of the first documents is displayed together with its associated first set of tokens; and

the tokens of each of the first sets of tokens are visually distinguished based on the concepts they represent and their levels of relevance with respect to the first document associated with the first set of tokens.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein when determining the first set of tokens for the one of the first documents,

for each of the extracted tokens, the level of importance of the extracted token is determined based on one or more factors;

and

the factors used to determine the level of importance of a first one of the extracted tokens differ from the factors used to determine the level of importance of a second one of the extracted tokens.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein when displaying the first documents and their associated first sets of tokens, for each of the first sets of tokens,

the tokens are displayed using one or more colors, wherein each of the colors represents a different category of concepts, and tokens representing concepts that belong to the same category are displayed using the same color;

and

the tokens are displayed using one or more font sizes, wherein each of the font sizes indicates a different level of relevance the tokens have with respect to the first document associated with the tokens.

4. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an interaction between the user and one of the tokens of one of the first sets of tokens

constructing a second search query comprising the first search query and the one of the tokens with which the user has interacted;

identifying one or more second documents for the second search query;

determining a second set of tokens for each of the second documents; and

transmitting the second documents and their associated second sets of tokens to the second computing device display to the user.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein one of the first documents and one of the second documents are the same document.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the first set of tokens associated with the one of the first documents and the second set of tokens associated with the one of the second documents comprise one or more same tokens.

7. A system, comprising:

a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

access a first search query issued by a user and one or more first documents identified in response to the first search query;

determine a first set of tokens for each of the first documents, wherein determining the first set of tokens for one of the first documents comprises;

extract one or more tokens from the first document;

for each of the extracted tokens,

identify a concept represented by the extracted token;

determine a level of importance for the extracted token with respect to the first document; and

determine a level of relationship for the extracted token with respect to the search query; and

for each unique pair of extracted tokens, determine a level of co-occurrence for the pair of extracted tokens;

for each of the extracted tokens, determine a level of relevance for the extracted tokens with respect to the first document based on its level of importance with respect to the first document, its level of relationship with respect to the search query, and its levels of co-occurrence with other ones of the extracted tokens; and

select one or more of the extracted tokens that are most relevant to the first document to form the first set of tokens; and

transmit the first documents and their associated first sets of tokens to a second computing device associated with the user for display to the user, wherein;

each of the first documents is displayed together with its associated first set of tokens; and

the tokens of each of the first sets of tokens are visually distinguished based on the concepts they represent and their levels of relevance with respect to the first document associated with the first set of tokens.

8. The system recited in claim 7, wherein when determining the first set of tokens for the one of the first documents,

for each of the extracted tokens, the level of importance of the extracted token is determined based on one or more factors;

and

the factors used to determine the level of importance of a first one of the extracted tokens differ from the factors used to determine the level of importance of a second one of the extracted tokens.

9. The system recited in claim 7, wherein when displaying the first documents and their associated first sets of tokens, for each of the first sets of tokens,

the tokens are displayed using one or more colors, wherein each of the colors represents a different category of concepts, and tokens representing concepts that belong to the same category are displayed using the same color;

and

the tokens are displayed using one or more font sizes, wherein each of the font sizes indicates a different level of relevance the tokens have with respect to the first document associated with the tokens.

10. The system recited in claim 7, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive an interaction between the user and one of the tokens of one of the first sets of tokens

construct a second search query comprising the first search query and the one of the tokens with which the user has interacted;

identify one or more second documents for the second search query;

determine a second set of tokens for each of the second documents; and

transmit the second documents and their associated second sets of tokens to the second computing device display to the user.

11. The system recited in claim 10, wherein one of the first documents and one of the second documents are the same document.

12. The system recited in claim 11, wherein the first set of tokens associated with the one of the first documents and the second set of tokens associated with the one of the second documents comprise one or more same tokens.

13. One or more computer-readable tangible storage media embodying software operable when executed by one or more computing devices to:

access a first search query issued by a user and one or more first documents identified in response to the first search query;

determine a first set of tokens for each of the first documents, wherein determining the first set of tokens for one of the first documents comprises;

extract one or more tokens from the first document;

for each of the extracted tokens,

identify a concept represented by the extracted token;

determine a level of importance for the extracted token with respect to the first document; and

determine a level of relationship for the extracted token with respect to the search query; and

for each unique pair of extracted tokens, determine a level of co-occurrence for the pair of extracted tokens;

for each of the extracted tokens, determine a level of relevance for the extracted tokens with respect to the first document based on its level of importance with respect to the first document, its level of relationship with respect to the search query, and its levels of co-occurrence with other ones of the extracted tokens; and

select one or more of the extracted tokens that are most relevant to the first document to form the first set of tokens; and

transmit the first documents and their associated first sets of tokens to a second computing device associated with the user for display to the user, wherein;

each of the first documents is displayed together with its associated first set of tokens; and

the tokens of each of the first sets of tokens are visually distinguished based on the concepts they represent and their levels of relevance with respect to the first document associated with the first set of tokens.

14. The media recited in claim 13, wherein when determining the first set of tokens for the one of the first documents,

for each of the extracted tokens, the level of importance of the extracted token is determined based on one or more factors;

and

the factors used to determine the level of importance of a first one of the extracted tokens differ from the factors used to determine the level of importance of a second one of the extracted tokens.

15. The media recited in claim 13, wherein when displaying the first documents and their associated first sets of tokens, for each of the first sets of tokens,

the tokens are displayed using one or more colors, wherein each of the colors represents a different category of concepts, and tokens representing concepts that belong to the same category are displayed using the same color;

and

the tokens are displayed using one or more font sizes, wherein each of the font sizes indicates a different level of relevance the tokens have with respect to the first document associated with the tokens.

16. The media recited in claim 13, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive an interaction between the user and one of the tokens of one of the first sets of tokens

construct a second search query comprising the first search query and the one of the tokens with which the user has interacted;

identify one or more second documents for the second search query;

determine a second set of tokens for each of the second documents; and

transmit the second documents and their associated second sets of tokens to the second computing device display to the user.

17. The media recited in claim 16, wherein one of the first documents and one of the second documents are the same document.

18. The media recited in claim 17, wherein the first set of tokens associated with the one of the first documents and the second set of tokens associated with the one of the second documents comprise one or more same tokens.