PREDICTIVE SELECTION OF ITEM ATTRIBUTES LIKELY TO BE USEFUL IN REFINING A SEARCH

• US 20120323953A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David R Bailey, Ruben E. Ortega, Udi Manber
• Original Assignee: David R Bailey, Ruben E. Ortega, Udi Manber
• Inventors: Ortega, Ruben E., Bailey, David R., Manber, Udi
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for identifying item attributes that are likely to be useful to users in refining searches for items. In one embodiment, when a user submits a search query to search for items, all or a portion of the search query is used to look-up a previously-generated list of item attributes (and optionally associated attribute values) that are associated with the search query and are useful for refining the search. These item attributes, and any associated attribute values, are then presented to the user in a selectable form such that the user can interactively narrow the search.

Claims

1. A system for refining a search, the system comprising:

a data store configured to store a mapping table that associates each of a plurality of search strings with one or more item attributes; and

one or more computer systems in communication with the data store that are configured to;

receive a search string in association with a request to search for items represented in an electronic data store;

identify an entry in the mapping table corresponding to the received search string, wherein the entry in the mapping table associates the search string with one or more item attributes that have been determined to be useful for subdividing a plurality of items matching the search request into two or more groups of items; and

provide a selectable option to use at least one of the one or more item attributes included in the mapping table entry to refine the search request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the entry in the mapping table further associates the search string with one or more item attribute values.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer systems is further configured to present a plurality of selectable item attributes as options to refine the search request.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more computer systems is further configured to determine a display order for the plurality of selectable item attributes based at least in part on information associated with a user that submitted the request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer systems is further configured to provide the selectable option to use an item attribute to refine the search request by presenting multiple search refinement options, each of which corresponds to a different item attribute value for the item attribute.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more item attributes included in the selectable option are determined based at least in part on usage statistics reflective of a frequency with which prior users have selected said attribute to refine a search request.

7. A computer-implemented method for refining a search, the computer-implemented method comprising:

as implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions,

receiving a search request to search for items represented in an electronic data store, wherein the search request includes one or more search criteria;

identifying an entry corresponding to the received search criteria in a mapping table, wherein each entry in the mapping table associates search criteria with one or more item attributes that have been determined to be useful for subdividing a plurality of items matching the search criteria into multiple groups of items; and

providing a selectable option to use at least one of the one or more item attributes included in the mapping table entry to refine the search request.

8. The computer-implemented method claim 7, wherein providing the selectable option to use an item attribute to refine the search request comprises presenting multiple search refinement options, each of which corresponds to a different item attribute value for the item attribute.

9. The computer-implemented method claim 8, wherein at least one of the multiple search refinement options enables selection of a range of values for an item attribute.

10. The computer-implemented method claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more item attribute values for the one or more item attributes; and

providing information identifying a plurality of items associated with the search criteria that are further associated with the selected one or more item attribute values.

11. The computer-implemented method claim 7, wherein the one or more item attributes included in the selectable option are determined based in part on usage data regarding a frequency with which prior users have selected said attribute to refine a search request.

12. The computer-implemented method claim 7, wherein the one or more item attributes are associated with some, but not all, of the items matching the search request.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising:

a search component configured to;

receive a search string in association with a request to search for items represented in an electronic data store;

identify an entry corresponding to the received search string in a mapping table, wherein the entry in the mapping table associates the search string with one or more item attribute values that have been determined to be useful for subdividing a plurality of items matching the search request into two or more groups of items; and

provide a selectable option to use at least one of the one or more item attribute values included in the mapping table entry to refine the search request.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the selectable option is presented in an interface that includes information identifying a plurality of items matching the search request.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the search component is further configured to present an interface that includes information identifying items matching a refined search request based at least in part on one or more item attribute values selected to refine the search request.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the search component is further configured to provide the selectable option to use at least one item attribute value to refine the search request by presenting multiple search refinement options, each of which corresponds to a different item attribute value.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the search component is further configured to determine a display order for a plurality of item attribute values in the provided selectable option based at least in part on information associated with a user that submitted the request.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more item attribute values are associated with some, but not all, of the items matching the search request.