Search query processing to provide category-ranked presentation of search results
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of assisting users in locating items that are arranged within a database system by category, the method comprising:
- monitoring user actions performed with respect to specific items in the database system to generate user activity data;
calculating item scores for specific items in the database system, wherein an item score for an item is dependent upon the user activity data associated with that item, and wherein calculating the item scores comprises automatically giving greater weight to user activity data associated with a most recent time period than to user activity data associated with earlier time periods;
receiving a search query specified by a user;
identifying, within each of multiple categories of the database system, items that are responsive to the search query (“
responsive items”
);
for each of the multiple categories, calculating a respective category score based at least in-part on the item scores of responsive items in that category; and
determining an order in which to present the multiple categories to the user such that the order is dependent upon the category scores.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A search engine system displays the results of a multiple-category search according to levels of relevance of the categories to a user'"'"'s search query. A query server receives a search query from a user and identifies, within each of multiple item categories, a set of items that satisfy the query. The sets of items are used to generate, for each of the multiple categories, a score that reflects a level significance or relevance of the category to the search. The scores may be based, for example, on the number of hits within each category relative to the total number of items in that category, the popularity levels of items that satisfy the query, a personal profile of the user, or a combination thereof. The categories are then presented to the user, together with the most relevant items within each category, in the order of highest to lowest category relevance.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of assisting users in locating items that are arranged within a database system by category, the method comprising:
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monitoring user actions performed with respect to specific items in the database system to generate user activity data;
calculating item scores for specific items in the database system, wherein an item score for an item is dependent upon the user activity data associated with that item, and wherein calculating the item scores comprises automatically giving greater weight to user activity data associated with a most recent time period than to user activity data associated with earlier time periods;
receiving a search query specified by a user;
identifying, within each of multiple categories of the database system, items that are responsive to the search query (“
responsive items”
);
for each of the multiple categories, calculating a respective category score based at least in-part on the item scores of responsive items in that category; and
determining an order in which to present the multiple categories to the user such that the order is dependent upon the category scores. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer-implemented method of assisting users in locating items that are arranged by category within an electronic catalog, the method comprising:
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monitoring actions performed by a plurality of users, including user actions performed with respect to items in the electronic catalog, to generate user activity data;
calculating popularity scores for particular items in the catalog using said user activity date, said popularity scores being calculated automatically based primarily or exclusively on user activity data collected over a most recent time period, such that the popularity scores correspond to current preferences of users;
receiving a search query specified by a user, and identifying a set of items in the electronic catalog that are responsive to the search query (“
responsive items”
), including items from multiple categories;
selecting an order in which to present the multiple categories to the user such that the order is dependent upon the popularity scores of responsive items, said order reflecting predicted levels of relevance of the categories to the search query; and
generating a search results display in which the multiple categories are presented in said order together with corresponding responsive items. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer-implemented method of processing search queries, the method comprising:
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receiving a search query specified by a user;
identifying a plurality of item categories that each include one or more items that are responsive to the search query;
for each of the plurality of item categories, determining a respective category score, each category score being dependent upon results of an automated analysis of user activity data associated with the respective item category, said user activity data reflecting selection actions of each of a plurality of users, wherein the automated analysis gives greater weight to user activity data associated with a most recent time period than to user activity data associated with earlier time periods, so that the category scores reflect current preferences of users; and
determining an order in which to present the multiple item categories to the user such that the order is dependent upon the category scores. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification