METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTENT-DRIVEN SEARCHING

• US 20170098000A1
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Paris, Jonathan, Kraft, Reiner
• Granted Patent: US 10,296,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

The present teaching relates to searching. In one example, a search query is received from a person. A plurality of search results are retrieved based on the search query. An intent of the person is estimated with respect to at least some of the plurality of search results. The estimated intent is what the person intends to do with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results. The plurality of search results are provided based on the estimated intent of the person.

Claims

1. A method, implemented on a computing device having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform capable of connecting to a network for searching, the method comprising:

receiving a search query from a person;

retrieving a plurality of search results based on the search query;

estimating an intent of the person with respect to at least some of the plurality of search results, wherein the estimated intent is what the person intends to do with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results; and

providing the plurality of search results based on the estimated intent of the person.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing comprises:

determining a priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results based on the intent of the person; and

presenting the plurality of search results based on the priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing comprises:

determining a priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results based on the intent of the person;

filtering the plurality of search results based on the priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results to generate a subset of the plurality of search results; and

presenting the subset of the plurality of search results.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of estimating the intent is via collaborative filtering based on information related to others with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information related to the others includes:

actions taken by the others with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results; and

responses to the actions taken by the others with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the intent includes:

an intent to save a search result; and

an intent to share a search result.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the intent is estimated based on a context in which the search query is initiated.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the context includes:

a type of an application in which the search query is initiated; and

an environment in the application from which the search query is initiated.

9. A system for searching, comprising:

a search engine configured to retrieve a plurality of search results based on a search query received from a person;

an intent estimator configured to estimate an intent of the person with respect to at least some of the plurality of search results, wherein the estimated intent is what the person intends to do with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results; and

a search result enhancer configured to provide the plurality of search results based on the estimated intent of the person.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the search result enhancer comprises:

a priority determining unit configured to determine a priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results based on the intent of the person; and

a ranking unit configured to present the plurality of search results based on the priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the search result enhancer comprises:

a priority determining unit configured to determine a priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results based on the intent of the person;

a filtering unit configured to filter the plurality of search results based on the priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results to generate a subset of the plurality of search results; and

a ranking unit configured to present the subset of the plurality of search results.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the intent is estimated via collaborative filtering based on information related to others with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the information related to the others includes:

actions taken by the others with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results; and

responses to the actions taken by the others with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the intent includes:

an intent to save a search result; and

an intent to share a search result.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the intent is estimated based on a context in which the search query is initiated.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the context includes:

a type of an application in which the search query is initiated; and

an environment in the application from which the search query is initiated.

17. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium having information recorded thereon for searching, wherein the information, when read by a machine, causes the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving a search query from a person;

retrieving a plurality of search results based on the search query;

estimating an intent of the person with respect to at least some of the plurality of search results, wherein the estimated intent is what the person intends to do with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results; and

providing the plurality of search results based on the estimated intent of the person.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the step of providing comprises:

determining a priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results based on the intent of the person; and

presenting the plurality of search results based on the priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the step of providing comprises:

determining a priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results based on the intent of the person;

filtering the plurality of search results based on the priority for each of the at least some of the plurality of search results to generate a subset of the plurality of search results; and

presenting the subset of the plurality of search results.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the step of estimating the intent is via collaborative filtering based on information related to others with respect to the at least some of the plurality of search results.