Lateral Search

• US 20140195511A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jollify Management Limited
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Qi, Thrall, John, Ku, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,754,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/710
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client.

Claims

1. A method, implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform connected to a network for performing a search, comprising:

receiving a search query from a user;

determining personal information of the user, wherein the personal information includes information about the user'"'"'s location;

searching, by a general search engine, in a general subdomain for general content based on the search query;

determining a vertical subdomain based on the personal information of the user;

searching in the determined vertical subdomain to identify specialized content based on the search query; and

providing both the specialized content and the general content to the user as a response to the search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the user'"'"'s location is determined based on at least one of:

a default location of the user;

a current location of a location-aware device utilized by the user; and

a location previously indicated by the user and stored.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the device utilized by the user is at least one of a handheld device and a mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal information comprises a specification of the user with respect to a vertical subdomain.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying additional content based on the vertical subdomain and/or the personal information of the user, wherein the additional content is at least one of an advertisement and a sponsored link; and

providing the specialized content, the general content, and the additional content to the user as a response to the search query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional content is associated with a predetermined sponsor.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional content is determined based on the search query.

8. A system having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform connected to a network for performing a search, comprising;

a query processor configured for receiving a search query from a user and determining personal information of the user, wherein the personal information includes information about the user'"'"'s location;

a general search engine configured for performing a search, in a general subdomain, for general content based on the search query;

a vertical search engine configured for performing a search, in a vertical subdomain, for specialized content based on the search query, wherein the vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information of the user; and

a page constructor configured for providing both the specialized content and the general content to the user as a response to the search query.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the information about the user'"'"'s location is determined based on at least one of:

a default location of the user;

a current location of a location-aware device utilized by the user; and

a location previously indicated by the user and stored.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the device utilized by the user is at least one of a handheld device and a mobile device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the personal information comprises a specification of the user with respect to a vertical subdomain.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the page constructor is further configured for:

identifying additional content based on the vertical subdomain and/or the personal information of the user, wherein the additional content is at least one of an advertisement and a sponsored link; and

providing the specialized content, the general content, and the additional content to the user as a response to the search query.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the additional content is associated with a predetermined sponsor.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the additional content is determined based on the search query.

15. A machine-readable tangible and non-transitory medium having information for performing a search, wherein the information, when read by the machine, causes the machine to perform the following:

receiving a search query from a user;

determining personal information of the user, wherein the personal information includes information about the user'"'"'s location;

searching, by a general search engine, in a general subdomain for general content based on the search query;

determining a vertical subdomain based on the personal information of the user;

searching in the determined vertical subdomain to identify specialized content based on the search query; and

providing both the specialized content and the general content to the user as a response to the search query.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the information, when read by the machine, further causes the machine to perform the following:

identifying additional content based on the vertical subdomain and/or the personal information of the user, wherein the additional content is at least one of an advertisement and a sponsored link; and

providing the specialized content, the general content, and the additional content to the user as a response to the search query.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the additional content is associated with a predetermined sponsor.

20. The medium of claim 18, wherein the additional content is determined based on the search query.

16. The medium of claim 16, wherein the information about the user'"'"'s location is determined based on at least one of:

a default location of the user;

a current location of a location-aware device utilized by the user; and

a location previously indicated by the user and stored.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the device utilized by the user is at least one of a handheld device and a mobile device.