MAPPING ITEM CATEGORIES TO AMBIGUOUS QUERIES BY GEO-LOCATION

• US 20150052171A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Cheung, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 9,773,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means

Abstract

A method, system, and article of manufacture for disambiguating ambiguous queries based on location information. The system receives a query and location information for where the query was transmitted. Business information is requested from a GPS service. Based on the business information, a plurality of item categories are constrained to an item category related to the business information that satisfies the query. The constrained item category is sent to the user. The system may detect the absence of an item category related to the business information that satisfies the query, and may then determine one or more item category that does not meet the query but is related to the business information, to provide to the user. Other information related to the transmission of the query, such as the type of device, background audio, and the activity of the user, may used to constrain the plurality of item categories.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving by a least one computer processor a query transmitted from a client device;

receiving by the at least one computer processor information related to the transmission of the query;

constraining a plurality of item categories that satisfy the query to an item category related to the information; and

providing the item category to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting the absence of an item category that satisfies the query and that is related to the information;

and

responsive to detecting the absence, determining one or more item category that does not meet the query but is related to the information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information indicates the location at which the query was transmitted.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the information indicates a business located at the location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information indicates audio background.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information indicates activity of the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more item category comprises a plurality of unrelated item categories.

8. One or more computer-readable hardware storage devices having embedded therein a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of the computer, causes the computer to execute operations comprising:

receiving by at least one computer processor a query transmitted from a client device;

receiving by the at least one computer processor information related to the transmission of the query;

constraining a plurality of item categories that satisfy the query to an item category related to the information; and

providing the item category to the user.

9. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

detecting the absence of an item category that satisfies the query and is related to the information; and

responsive to detecting the absence, determining one or more item category that does not satisfy the query but is related to the information.

10. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 8 wherein the information indicates the location at which the query was transmitted.

11. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 10 wherein the information indicates a business located at the location.

12. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 8 wherein the information indicates audio background.

13. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 8 wherein the information indicates activity of the user.

14. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 8 wherein the one or more item category comprises a plurality of unrelated item categories.

15. A system comprising:

one or more computer processors and storage configured to;

receive a query from a client machine;

receive information related to the transmission of the query;

based on the information, constrain a plurality of item categories that satisfy the query to an item category that satisfies the query and is related to the information; and

provide the item category to the user.

16. The system of claim 15, the one or more computer processors and storage are further configured to:

detect the absence of an item category that satisfies the query and is related to the information; and

responsive to detecting the absence, determine one or more item category that does not meet the query but is related to the information.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the information indicates a business located at the location at which the query is transmitted.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the information indicates audio background.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the information indicates activity of the user.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the one or more item category comprises a plurality of unrelated item categories.