Intent-Based Presentation of Search Results

• US 20140136536A1
• Filed: 11/13/2012
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramsey, William, Agrawal, Nitin, Gulli, Antonio, Dube, Simant, Jha, Binit Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,536,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter include computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and computer systems configured to respond to a search query from a computer user. In response to receiving a search query from the computer user, search results are obtained. A plurality of user intents are identified according to the obtained search results. The obtained search results are then grouped according to the subject matter of the search results, where each group corresponds to one of the plurality of user intents. A first user intent (with the corresponding group of search results) is selected. A search results page is generated from the search results of the group the search results corresponding to the selected first user intent and the generated search results page is returned to the computer user in response to the search query.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for responding to a search query from a computer user, the method comprising:

obtaining search results responsive to a search query received from a computer user;

identifying a plurality of user intents according to the obtained search results;

grouping the obtained search results into a plurality of groups, each of the plurality of groups corresponding to one of the identified plurality of user intents;

selecting a first user intent from the plurality of user intents;

generating a search results page from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent; and

providing the generated search results page to the computer user responsive to receiving the search query.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the obtained search results are associated with a score, and wherein selecting a first user intent from the plurality of user intents comprises selecting the first user intent corresponding to the group of search results having the highest scoring search results.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the score associated with each search results is determined according to at least one of user context information, explicit user profile information, user preferences, and relevance of the search result to the search query.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising expanding the search query received from the computer user, and wherein obtaining search results responsive to the search query comprises obtaining search results for the expanded search query.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a second user intent from the plurality of user intents, the second user intent being a different user intent that the first user intent;

determining an intent-specific search query for the group of search results corresponding to second user intent; and

including the intent-specific search query as a related search query in the generated search results page.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein generating the search results page comprises generating the search results page from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent and including a subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent in a less prominent position on the search results page.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent are included below the fold of the generated search results page.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a plurality of intent-specific search queries for each of the plurality of groups of search results excluding the group of search results corresponding to the first user intent; and

including a subset of the plurality of intent-specific search queries as a set of related search queries in the generated search results page.

9. A computer-readable medium bearing computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computing system comprising at least a processor, carry out a method for responding to a search query from a user, the method comprising:

obtaining search results responsive to a search query received from a computer user;

identifying a plurality of user intents according to the obtained search results;

grouping the obtained search results into a plurality of groups, each of the plurality of groups corresponding to one of the identified plurality of user intents;

selecting a first user intent from the plurality of user intents;

generating a search results page from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent; and

providing the generated search results page to the computer user responsive to receiving the search query.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises expanding the search query received from the computer user, and wherein obtaining search results responsive to the search query comprises obtaining search results for the expanded search query.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein each of the obtained search results are associated with a score, and wherein selecting a first user intent from the plurality of user intents comprises selecting the first user intent corresponding to the group of search results having the highest scoring search results.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the score associated with each search results is determined according to at least one of user context information, explicit user profile information, user preferences, and relevance of the search result to the search query.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a second user intent from the plurality of user intents, the second user intent being a different user intent that the first user intent;

determining an intent-specific search query for the group of search results corresponding to second user intent; and

including the intent-specific search query as a related search query in the generated search results page.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein generating the search results page comprises generating the search results page from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent and also including a subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent in a less prominent position on the search results page.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent are included below the fold of the generated search results page.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent are included below the fold of the generated search results page.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a plurality of intent-specific search queries for each of the plurality of groups of search results excluding the group of search results corresponding to the first user intent; and

including a subset of the plurality of intent-specific search queries as a set of related search queries in the generated search results page.

18. A computer system for providing online search services, the system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory as part of or in conjunction with additional components to respond to a search query from a computer user, the additional components comprising:

a communication component by which the computer system receives the search query from the computer user and returns a generated search results page to the computer user over a network;

a search results retrieval component that obtains a plurality of search results from a content store responsive to the computer system receiving the search query from the computer user;

an intent identification component that identifies a plurality of user intents from the search results obtained by the search results retrieval component responsive to the computer system receiving the search query from the computer user;

an intent selection component that selects a first user intent from the plurality of user intents as the primary intent of the search query;

a search results grouping component that groups the search results obtained by obtained by the search results retrieval component into a plurality of groups of search results, each of the plurality of groups corresponding to one of the identified plurality of user intents; and

a search results page generator that generates a search results page responsive to receiving the search query from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein each of the obtained search results are associated with a score, and wherein selecting a first user intent from the plurality of user intents comprises selecting the first user intent corresponding to the group of search results having the highest scoring search results.

20. The computer system of claim 19 further comprising:

an intent-specific search query component that determines an intent-specific search query for each of the plurality of groups of search results excluding the group of search results corresponding to the first user intent; and

wherein the search results page generator includes a plurality of intent-specific search queries as a set of related search queries in the generated search results page.