QUERIES OF A TOPIC-BASED-SOURCE-SPECIFIC SEARCH SYSTEM

• US 20160342611A1
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sheer Data LLC
• Original Assignee: Sheer Data LLC
• Inventors: DESSAU, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,767,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2272 Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions

Abstract

Approaches for facilitating queries of a topic-based-source-specific search system are disclosed. In certain implementations, an input relating to a query may be received. Suggested ones of predefined sources and suggested ones of information items of the predefined sources may be determined based on the input. A set of suggestions including a group of suggestions relating to the suggested sources and a group of suggestions relating to the suggested information items may be provided for presentation on a user interface. In some implementations, metadata that indicates first, second, or other attributes relating to the predefined sources or the information items may be stored in association with the predefined sources or the information items. A second input relating to the query may be received responsive to providing the set of suggestions. A presentation of a comparison between the first attribute and the second attribute may be provided based on the second input.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating queries of a topic-based-source-specific search system, the system being configured to collect information from predefined sources, wherein each of the predefined sources relates to a content topic and is associated with information items, the method being implemented by the system that includes one or more processors executing one or more computer program modules which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by a query input module, a first portion of a query;

determining, by a suggestion module, a first set of the predefined sources based on the first portion of the query;

receiving, by the query input module, a second portion of the query;

determining, by a suggestion module, a second set of the predefined sources based on the second portion of the query; and

providing, by a user interface module, a group of suggestions relating to the second set of the predefined sources for presentation on a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the query comprises a first term or phrase, and wherein determining the first set of the predefined sources comprises:

determining, by the suggestion module, that the first term or phrase appears in a name of each of the sources in the first set of the predefined sources, wherein the first set of the predefined sources is determined based further on the appearance of the first term or phrase in the name of each of the sources in the first set of the predefined sources.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second portion of the query comprises a second term or phrase, and wherein determining the second set of the predefined sources comprises:

determining, by the suggestion module, that the second term or phrase appears in a name of each of the sources in the second set of the predefined sources, wherein the second set of the predefined sources is determined based further on the appearance of the second term or phrase in the name of each of the sources in the second set of the predefined sources.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second set of the predefined sources comprises a subset of the first set of the predefined sources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the query comprises a first term or phrase, and wherein determining the first set of the predefined sources comprises:

determining, by the suggestion module, a number of information items from the first set of the predefined sources that include the first term or phrase, wherein the first set of the predefined sources is determined based further on the number of information items from the first set of the predefined sources that include the first term or phrase.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second portion of the query comprises a second term or phrase, and wherein determining the second set of the predefined sources comprises:

determining, by the suggestion module, a second number of information items from the second set of the predefined sources that include the second term or phrase, wherein the second set of the predefined sources is determined based further on the second number of information items from the second set of the predefined sources that include the second term or phrase.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content topic corresponds to government information, the method further comprising:

determining, by the suggestion module, a first set of suggested information items relating to the first set of the predefined sources.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first set of suggested information items relate to one or more of bills or laws.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first set of suggested information items relate to one or more of press releases, speeches, opinions, statements, or legislation.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by an indexing module, metadata in association with the first set of the predefined sources, wherein the metadata indicates a first attribute relating to the first set of the predefined sources, and a second attribute relating to the second set of the predefined sources;

receiving, by the query input module, a second input relating to the query; and

providing, by the user interface, a presentation of a comparison between the first attribute and the second attribute based on the received second input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first attribute corresponds to a first political or government entity, and wherein the second attribute corresponds to a second political or government entity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first political or government entity corresponds to a first political party, a first political or government organization, or a first political or government figure, and wherein the second political or government entity corresponds to a second political party, a second political or government organization, or a political or government figure.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing, by the user interface module, a query input component on a display of the user interface simultaneously with the presentation of the comparison, wherein the query input component is configured to receive input.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by a user profile module, a source set associated with the user, wherein the source set includes at least one source associated with the user; and

providing, by the user interface module, one or more representations of options to modify the source set on the display of the user interface simultaneously with the query input component, the representations of the determined subset, and the representations of the determined sources.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, by the user profile module, that the source set includes a first source of the determined sources; and

determining, by the user profile module, that the source set does not include a second source of the determined sources,

wherein the representations of the modify options includes a representation of an option to remove the first source from the source set based on the determination that the source set includes the first source and a representation of an option to add the second source to the source set based on the determination that the source set does not include the second source.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, by a user profile module, one or more first item types with a primary item type set based on one or more inputs corresponding to selection of the first item types;

providing, by the user interface module, one or more representations of first information items of the determined subset in a primary area on the display of the user interface based on a determination that the first information items are associated with the first item types; and

providing, by the user interface module, one or more representations of second information items of the determined subset in a secondary area on the display of the user interface based on a determination that the second information items are associated with one or more second item types, wherein the primary area and the secondary area are provided on the display of the user interface simultaneously with the query input component and the determined sources.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing, by the user interface module, one or more representations of options to select or unselect a plurality of item types to modify the primary item type set on the display of the user interface simultaneously with the query input component, the representations of the determined sources, the primary area, and the secondary area,

wherein providing of the representations of the first information items in the primary area and the representations of the second information items in the secondary area is based on one or more inputs corresponding to selecting the first item types of the plurality of item types or unselecting the second item types of the plurality of item types.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the secondary area is removed from view on the display of the user interface based on a determination that each of the plurality of item types is selected.

19. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by the suggestion module, a first set of suggested information items relating to the first set of the predefined source, the first set of suggested information items comprising at least a first information item;

providing, by the user interface module, the first information on a second display of the user interface;

determining, by the suggestion module, suggested keywords that relate to a second query and the presented information item; and

providing, by the user interface module, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested keywords on the second display of the user interface simultaneously with the presented information item.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by a user profile module, a source set associated with a user, wherein the source set includes at least one source associated with the user;

determining, by the suggestion module, second suggested ones of the predefined sources that are not included in the source set; and

providing, by the user interface module, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested sources on the display of the user interface simultaneously with the query input component, the representations of the determined subset, and the representations of the determined sources based on a determination that the second suggested sources are not included in the source set.