Methods and systems for providing a response to a query

• US 7,152,061 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2004
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Curtis, Andy, Gerasoulis, Apostolos, Levin, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid Al
• Application Number:
  US10/944,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707/6, 707/10, 707/100, 707/104.1, 715/513, 715/522, 709/203, 705/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a response to a user'"'"'s query based on other users'"'"' picks. For one embodiment of the invention, user responses are correlated to determine an affinity among users. User affinity is then used to modify the presentation of the search results. For one embodiment the location of other user'"'"'s is used to modify the presentation of the search results.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting search results to a first user and one or more users in response to a query;

monitoring queries and picks of each of the first user and one or more users in response to the search results;

determining an affinity between the first user and the one or more users by correlating the queries and picks;

modifying the presentation of the search results based upon the affinity between the first user and the one or more users;

wherein modifying the search results based upon the affinity between the first user and the one or more users further comprises;

assigning a weight to each query and pick;

calculating an affinity score based upon the weighted queries and picks; and

reordering and presenting the search results based upon the affinity score.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining an affinity between the at least first user and the one or more users comprises:

determining a plurality of responses issued by the first user; and

determining one or more users that have issued responses that are identical to or similar to a specified number of the plurality of responses issued by the first user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the weights are inversely proportional to how frequently the queries and picks were issued by a plurality of users.

4. A machine-readable storage medium that provides executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

presenting search results to a first user and one or more users in response to a query;

monitoring queries and picks of each of the first user and one or more users in response to the search results;

determining an affinity between the first user and the one or more users by correlating the queries and picks;

modifying the presentation of the search results based upon the affinity between the first user and the one or more users;

wherein modifying the search results based upon the affinity between the first user and the one or more users further comprises;

assigning a weight to each query and pick;

calculating an affinity score based upon the weighted queries and picks; and

reordering and presenting the search results based upon the affinity score.

5. The machine-readable medium of claim 4 wherein determining an affinity between the first user and the one or more users comprises:

determining a plurality of responses issued by the first user; and

determining one or more users that have issued responses that are identical to or similar to a specified number of the plurality of responses issued by the first user.

6. The machine-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the weights are inversely proportional to how frequently the queries and picks were issued by a plurality of users.

7. A system comprising:

a server digital processing system (DPS) to

present search results to a first user and one or more users,

monitor queries and picks of each of the first user and one or more users,

determine an affinity between the first user and the one or more users by correlating the queries and picks,

modify the presentation of the search results based upon the affinity between the first user and the one or more users, and

communicate the information to a user;

one or more clients DPSs to present the information to the first user and the one or more users and communicate the queries and picks to the server DPS;

modifying the search results based upon the affinity between the first user and the one or more users further comprises;

assigning a weight to each query and pick;

calculating an affinity score based upon the weighted queries and picks; and

reordering and presenting the search results based upon the affinity score.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein determining an affinity between the first user and the one or more users comprises:

determining a plurality of responses issued by the first user; and

determining one or more users that have issued responses that are identical to or similar to a specified number of the plurality of responses issued by the first user.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the weights are inversely proportional to how frequently the queries and picks were issued by a plurality of users.