ENTITY BASED CONTENT SELECTION

• US 20160147725A1
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Patten, Michael J., Chang, Joon
• Granted Patent: US 9,886,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/295 Named entity recognition

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for selecting content on a displayed page. A selection mode may be initiated with regard to a displayed document that includes content. The initiation of the selection mode may be detected. Multiple entities in the displayed document are determined, with each entity including a portion of the content of the document. The displayed document is annotated to indicate the determined entities. Content selected by a user in the displayed document may be detected. At least one entity is determined to be associated with the selected content. The determined associated entity/entities are indicated in the displayed document as active entities. The user is enabled to refine the set of active entities. An action is enabled to be performed on the active entities.

Claims

1. A method in a computing device, comprising:

detecting a selection mode initiated with regard to a displayed document, the displayed document including content;

detecting content selected in the displayed document;

determining a plurality of entities in the displayed document, each entity of the plurality of entities including a portion of the content;

annotating the displayed document to indicate each of the determined plurality of entities;

determining at least one entity of the plurality of entities that is associated with the selected content;

indicating in the displayed document the determined at least one entity as one or more active entities; and

enabling an action to be performed on the active entities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a plurality of entities in the displayed document comprises:

analyzing a document object model of the displayed document to determine the plurality of entities.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining at least one entity of the plurality of entities that is associated with the selected content comprises:

comparing the selected content to the document object model to determine the at least one entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining at least one entity of the plurality of entities that is associated with the selected content comprises:

transmitting the displayed document and an indication of the selected content over a network to a document analysis service; and

receiving an indication of the at least one entity from the document analysis service over the network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to interact with the annotated displayed document to refine the selected content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to interact with the annotated displayed document to refine the at least one active entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said annotating comprises:

annotating advertisements to be deemphasized in the displayed document.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the selection mode to be exited.

9. A system in a computer system, comprising:

a content selection monitor configured to detect a selection mode initiated with regard to a displayed document that includes content, and to detect content selected in the displayed document;

an entity determiner configured to determine a plurality of entities in the displayed document, each entity of the plurality of entities including a portion of the content;

a document annotator configured to annotate the displayed document to indicate each of the determined plurality of entities; and

an associated entity determiner configured to determine at least one entity of the plurality of entities that is associated with the selected content;

the document annotator configured to indicate in the displayed document the determined at least one entity as one or more active entities.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the entity determiner is configured to analyze a document object model of the displayed document to determine the plurality of entities;

and

the associated entity determiner is configured to compare the selected content to the document object model to determine the at least one entity.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the associated entity determiner is configured to transmit the displayed document and an indication of the selected content over a network to a document analysis service, and to receive an indication of the at least one entity from the document analysis service over the network.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the content selection monitor is coupled to a user interface that enables a user to interact with the annotated displayed document to refine the selected content.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the content selection monitor is coupled to a user interface that enables a user to interact with the annotated displayed document to refine the at least one active entity.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the document annotator is configured to annotate advertisements to be deemphasized in the displayed document.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein an action system is configured to enable an action to be performed on the active entities.

16. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

detecting a selection mode initiated with regard to a displayed document, the displayed document including content;

detecting content selected in the displayed document;

determining a plurality of entities in the displayed document, each entity of the plurality of entities including a portion of the content;

annotating the displayed document to indicate each of the determined plurality of entities;

determining at least one entity of the plurality of entities that is associated with the selected content;

indicating in the displayed document the determined at least one entity as one or more active entities; and

enabling an action to be performed on the active entities.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said determining a plurality of entities in the displayed document comprises:

analyzing a document object model of the displayed document to determine the plurality of entities; and

said determining at least one entity of the plurality of entities that is associated with the selected content comprises;

comparing the selected content to the document object model to determine the at least one entity.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said determining at least one entity of the plurality of entities that is associated with the selected content comprises:

transmitting the displayed document and an indication of the selected content over a network to a document analysis service; and

receiving an indication of the at least one entity from the document analysis service over the network.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said annotating comprises:

annotating advertisements to be deemphasized in the displayed document.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

enabling the selection mode to be exited.