CONTEXTUAL SEARCH TOOL

• US 20160125043A1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Shelkey, Brent Alan, Jones-McFadden, Alicia C., Sobol, Craig, Hanson, Carrie Anne, Assan, Ivory, Bauman, Shira, Hsieh, Matthew, Li, Shuangshuang, Cesar, Gabriela Moreno
• Granted Patent: US 9,940,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention comprise systems, computer program products, and methods for providing a contextual search tool to a user. The contextual search tool receives a search from the user and provides search results, content, and dynamic contextual information (e.g., dynamic contextual questions, user information, and account information) to the user. The contextual search tool then receives contextual information input from the user (input for the dynamic contextual information, selection of the search results, or the like) and updates the search results and the dynamic contextual information. As such, the invention of the present invention improves the ability of the contextual search tool to provide tailored, customized, and relevant search results to the user based not only on the search terms provided by the user, but based on dynamic contextual information that changes as the user takes actions within the contextual search interface.

Claims

1. A system for providing a contextual search tool that improves search results presented to a user, the system comprising:

one or more memory devices; and

one or more processing devices operatively coupled to the one or more memory devices, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to execute computer-readable program code to;

receive a search from the user;

determine the search results to display in a contextual search interface;

display the search results in a search results section of the contextual search interface, wherein the search results comprise a list of the search results;

display content in a content section of the contextual search interface, wherein the content is for at least one of the search results from the search results section, and wherein the content section and the search results section are different sections;

determine dynamic contextual information based on the search from the user, wherein the dynamic contextual information comprises at least one dynamic contextual question;

display the dynamic contextual information in a dynamic contextual information section of the contextual search interface, wherein the dynamic contextual information section is different from the search results section and the content section;

receive contextual information input from the user, wherein the contextual information input comprises at least an answer to the dynamic contextual question;

determine updated search results, updated content, and updated dynamic contextual information based on the contextual information input from the user, wherein the updated dynamic contextual information comprises at least one updated dynamic contextual question; and

display the updated search results in the search results section, the updated content in the content section, and the updated dynamic contextual information in the dynamic contextual information section.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic contextual information and the updated dynamic contextual information change based on the search from the user, the dynamic contextual input from the user, the search results selected by the user, and time the user spends on viewing the content in the content section.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to:

receive user profile information; and

wherein determining the search results or the updated search results are based in part on the user profile information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to:

receive user account information; and

wherein determining the search results or the updated search results are based in part on the user account information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to:

provide a request to the user to save the contextual information input to the user profile; and

receive a request from the user to save the contextual information input to the user profile, wherein the contextual information input is utilized in the future for determining the updated search results or other search results.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to:

determine at least one of the search results selected by the user; and

determine the updated search results and the updated dynamic contextual information based on the at least one of the search results selected by the user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to:

determine an amount of time the user views the content for the at least one of the search results; and

determine the updated search results and the updated dynamic contextual information based on the amount of time the user views the content for the at least one of the search results.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to execute computer-readable program code to:

determine a user profile strength of the user based on saved user profile information and the dynamic contextual information input provided by the user; and

display the profile strength in a profile strength section.

9. A computer program product for providing a contextual search tool that improves search results presented to a user, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured for receiving a search from the user;

an executable portion configured for determining the search results to display in a contextual search interface;

an executable portion configured for displaying the search results in a search results section of the contextual search interface, wherein the search results comprise a list of the search results;

an executable portion configured for displaying content in a content section of the contextual search interface, wherein the content is for at least one of the search results from the search results section, and wherein the content section and the search results section are different sections;

an executable portion configured for determining dynamic contextual information based on the search from the user, wherein the dynamic contextual information comprises at least one dynamic contextual question;

an executable portion configured for displaying the dynamic contextual information in a dynamic contextual information section of the contextual search interface, wherein the dynamic contextual information section is different from the search results section and the content section;

an executable portion configured for receiving contextual information input from the user, wherein the contextual information input comprises at least an answer to the dynamic contextual question; and

an executable portion configured for determining updated search results, updated content, and updated dynamic contextual information based on the contextual information input from the user, wherein the updated dynamic contextual information comprises at least one updated dynamic contextual question; and

an executable portion configured for displaying the updated search results in the search results section, the updated content in the content section, and the updated dynamic contextual information in the dynamic contextual information section.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the dynamic contextual information and the updated dynamic contextual information change based on the search from the user, the dynamic contextual input from the user, the search results selected by the user, and time the user spends on viewing the content in the content section.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

an executable portion configured for receiving user profile information; and

wherein the executable portion configured for determining the search results or the updated search results is based in part on the user profile information.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

an executable portion configured for receiving user account information; and

wherein the executable portion configured for determining the search results or the updated search results is based in part on the user account information.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

an executable portion configured for providing a request to the user to save the contextual information input to the user profile; and

an executable portion configured for receiving a request from the user to save the contextual information input to the user profile, wherein the contextual information input is utilized in the future for determining the updated search results or other search results.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

an executable portion configured for determining at least one of the search results selected by the user; and

an executable portion configured for determining the updated search results and the updated dynamic contextual information based on the at least one of the search results selected by the user.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

an executable portion configured for determining an amount of time the user views the content for the at least one of the search results; and

an executable portion configured for determining the updated search results and the updated dynamic contextual information based on the amount of time the user views the content for the at least one of the search results.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprise:

an executable portion configured for determining a user profile strength of the user based on saved user profile information and the dynamic contextual information input provided by the user; and

an executable portion configured for displaying the profile strength in a profile strength section.

17. A method for providing a contextual search tool that improves search results presented to a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a search from the user;

determining, by a processing device, the search results to display in a contextual search interface;

displaying, by a processing device, the search results in a search results section of the contextual search interface, wherein the search results comprise a list of the search results;

displaying, by a processing device, content in a content section of the contextual search interface, wherein the content is for at least one of the search results from the search results section, and wherein the content section and the search results section are different sections;

determining, by a processing device, dynamic contextual information based on the search from the user, wherein the dynamic contextual information comprises at least one dynamic contextual question;

displaying, by a processing device, the dynamic contextual information in a dynamic contextual information section of the contextual search interface, wherein the dynamic contextual information section is different from the search results section and the content section;

receiving, by a processing device, contextual information input from the user, wherein the contextual information input comprises at least an answer to the dynamic contextual question; and

determining, by a processing device, updated search results, updated content, and updated dynamic contextual information based on the contextual information input from the user, wherein the updated dynamic contextual information comprises at least one updated dynamic contextual question; and

displaying, by a processing device, the updated search results in the search results section, the updated content in the content section, and the updated dynamic contextual information in the dynamic contextual information section.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the dynamic contextual information and the updated dynamic contextual information change based on the search from the user, the dynamic contextual input from the user, the search results selected by the user, and time the user spends on viewing the content in the content section.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving user profile information; and

wherein determining the search results or the updated search results are based in part on the user profile information.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving user account information; and

wherein determining the search results or the updated search results are based in part on the user account information.