CONDUCTING SEARCH SESSIONS UTILIZING NAVIGATION PATTERNS

• US 20140279991A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: GUPTA, ANOOP, HUANG, XUEDONG
• Granted Patent: US 10,331,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2468 Fuzzy queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for conducting searches utilizing search navigation patterns. Search queries are received that include search terms that are of a particular type. It is recognized that at least one prior search session has been conducted that included a search query having search terms of an equivalent or similar type and followed a particular navigation pattern. Such prior search(es) may have been conducted by the user or by a different user and/or may have a navigation pattern that was affirmatively recorded by the requesting user or that was recorded by the system without explicit contemporaneous user instruction to do so. Upon identifying the navigation pattern associated with the prior search, the system effectively conducts a search session following the navigation pattern.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method for conducting search sessions utilizing navigation patterns, the method comprising:

receiving a search query from a first user, the search query having at least one search term of a particular type;

recognizing that at least one prior search session having a search term of the particular type has been conducted, the at least one prior search session having a navigation pattern associated therewith; and

conducting a search session utilizing the at least one search term by following the navigation pattern.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the at least one prior search session was conducted by the first user.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the at least one prior search session was conducted by a second user.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the at least one prior search session was recorded by the requesting user.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting a notification to the first user that the at least one prior search session having the search term of the particular type had been conducted; and

receiving confirmation from the first user prior to conducting the search session utilizing the at least one search term by following the navigation pattern.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting a visualization of the at least one prior search session; and

permitting the first user to edit the navigation pattern.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing at least one search result having one or more fields pre-populated utilizing at least one information item extracted from a previous search session conducted by the first user.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing at least one search result having one or more fields pre-populated utilizing at least one information item extracted from a profile associated with the first user.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing a plurality of search results, at least a portion of the plurality of search results being associated with an intermediate step within the navigation pattern.

10. A method being performed by one or more computing devices including at least one processor, the method for conducting search sessions utilizing recorded navigation patterns, the method comprising:

receiving a first search query from a user as part of a first search session, the first search query having at least one search term of a particular type;

receiving a first instruction to begin recording the first search session;

receiving a search navigation pattern comprising the first search session;

receiving a second instruction to terminate recording the first search session; and

storing the search navigation pattern and the at least one search term of the first search query, including the particular type, in association with one another.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second search query from the user as part of a second search session, the second search query having at least one search term of the particular type; and

conducting the second search session based upon the second search query following the search navigation pattern.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises receiving a third instruction from the user to conduct the second search session based upon the second search query following the search navigation pattern.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting a notification that the search navigation pattern is available; and

receiving a third instruction from the user to conduct the second search session based upon the second search query following the search navigation pattern.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises providing, in response to the second search query, at least one search result having one or more fields pre-populated utilizing at least one information item extracted from a previous search conducted by the user.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises providing, in response to the second search query, at least one search result having one or more fields pre-populated utilizing at least one information item extracted from a profile associated with the user.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises providing a plurality of search results in response to the second search query, at least a portion of the plurality of search results being associated with an intermediate step within the search navigation pattern.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting a visualization of the search navigation pattern; and

permitting the user to edit the search navigation pattern.

18. A system comprising:

a search engine having one or more processors and one or more computer-readable storage media;

a data store coupled with the search engine,

wherein the search engine;

receives a search query from a first user, the search query having at least one search term of a particular type;

recognizes that at least one prior search session having a search term of the particular type has been conducted by at least one of the first user and a second user that differs from the first user, the at least one prior search session having a search navigation pattern associated therewith;

conducts a search session utilizing the at least one search term by following the search navigation pattern; and

provides a plurality of search results in response to the second search query, at least a portion of the plurality of search results being associated with an intermediate step within the search navigation pattern.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one search result of the plurality of search results includes one or more fields pre-populated utilizing at least one information item extracted from a previous search conducted by the first user or from a profile associated with the first user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the search engine further:

transmits a visualization of the search navigation pattern; and

permits the first user to edit the search navigation pattern.