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

• US 20180032539A1
• Filed: 09/18/2017
• Published: 02/01/2018
• 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 10,324,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 search 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 search system that includes one or more processors executing one or more computer program instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the search system to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the search system, a query;

identifying, by the search system, a set of the predefined sources based on a portion of the query;

causing, by the search system, a suggested group of sources to search to be provided for presentation on a user interface, the suggested group of sources comprising at least the set of the predefined sources;

causing, by the search system, a query input component to be provided on a display of the user interface, wherein the query input component is configured to receive input;

identifying, by the search system, a source set associated with a user, wherein the source set includes at least one source associated with the user;

determining, by the search system, that the source set includes at least a first source of the suggested group of sources;

determining, by the search system, that the source set does not include at least a second source of the suggested group of sources; and

causing, by the search system, one or more representations of options to modify the source set to be provided on a display of the user interface simultaneously with the query input component and the suggested group of sources, wherein the representations of the options to modify include at least 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 or 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.

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

determining, by the search system, that the term or phrase appears in a name of each of the sources in the set of the predefined sources, wherein the set of the predefined sources is identified based further on the appearance of the term or phrase in the name of each of the sources in the set of the predefined sources.

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

determining, by the search system, a number of information items from the set of the predefined sources that include the term or phrase, wherein the set of the predefined sources is identified based further on the number of information items from the set of the predefined sources that include the term or phrase.

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

identifying, by the search system, a set of suggested information items relating to the suggested group of sources.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the content topic corresponds to government information, and wherein the set of suggested information items relate to one or more of bills or laws.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the content topic corresponds to government information, and wherein the set of suggested information items relate to one or more of press releases, speeches, opinions, statements, or legislation.

7. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising:

causing, by the search system, one or more first item types to be associated with a primary item type set based on one or more inputs corresponding to a selection of the first item types;

causing, by the search system, one or more representations of first information items of the suggested information items to be provided in a primary area on a display of the user interface based on a determination that the first information items are associated with the first item types; and

causing, by the search system, one or more representations of second information items of the suggested information items to be provided 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 a query input component and the suggested group of sources.

8. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising:

causing, by the search system, one or more representations of options to select or unselect a plurality of item types to modify the primary item type set to be provided on the display of the user interface,

wherein causing the representations of the first information items to be provided in the primary area and the representations of the second information items to be provided 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 second item types of the plurality of item types.

9. The method of claim 7, 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.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the set of suggested information items include at least a first information item, the method further comprising:

causing, by the search system, the first information item to be provided on a second display of the user interface;

identifying, by the search system, suggested keywords that relate to a second query and the first information item; and

causing, by the search system, a group of suggestions relating to the suggested keywords on the second display of the user interface simultaneously with the first information item.

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

identifying, by the search system, a source set associated with a user, wherein the source set includes at least one source associated with the user;

determining, by the search system, that the at least one source is not included in the suggested group of sources; and

causing, by the search system, at least one source set to be included with the suggested group of sources.

12. A computer-implemented method of facilitating queries of a topic-based-source-specific search system, the search 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 search system that includes one or more processors executing one or more computer program instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the search system to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the search system, a first portion of a query;

identifying, by the search system, a first set of the predefined sources based on the first portion of the query;

receiving, by the search system, a second portion of the query;

identifying, by the search system, a second set of the predefined sources based on the second portion of the query; and

causing, by the search system, a suggested group of sources to search to be provided for presentation on a user interface, the suggested group of sources comprising at least the second set of the predefined sources.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first portion of the query comprises a first term or phrase, and wherein identifying the first set of the predefined sources comprises:

determining, by the search system, 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 identified 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.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second portion of the query comprises a second term or phrase, and wherein identifying the second set of the predefined sources comprises:

determining, by the search system, 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 identified 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.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the second set of the predefined sources comprises a subset of the first set of the predefined sources.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first portion of the query comprises a first term or phrase, and wherein identifying the first set of the predefined sources comprises:

determining, by the search system, 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 identified based further on the number of information items from the first set of the predefined sources that include the first term or phrase.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second portion of the query comprises a second term or phrase, and wherein identifying the second set of the predefined sources comprises:

determining, by the search system, 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 identified based further on the second number of information items from the second set of the predefined sources that include the second term or phrase.

18. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising:

causing, by the search system, a first attribute relating to the first set of the predefined sources to be stored in association with the first set of predefined sources, and a second attribute relating to the second set of the predefined sources to be stored in association with the second set of predefined sources;

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

causing, by the search system, a presentation of a comparison between the first attribute and the second attribute to be provided based on the received second input.

19. The method of claim 18, 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.

20. The method of claim 19, 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 second political or government figure.