Search enhancement system and method having rankings, explicitly specified by the user, based upon applicability and validity of search parameters in regard to a subject matter

• US 7,165,119 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fish, Edmund J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US10/685,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/218, 709/219, 709/225, 707/3, 707/225
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

The system and method comprises enhancement of results for a search engine, wherein the results from the search engine are refined or reorganized, based upon information from an identified secondary source. The results obtained using a conventional search are compared against the identified secondary source, e.g. a ratings service, and are filtered and/or sorted appropriately. In some embodiments, identification of the secondary source, such as a ratings service comprising information which may supplement the subject of a search query, is based upon information entered by the user. In alternate embodiments, the secondary source is associated with a user, as part of general user-specified search parameters, wherein one or more parameters are consulted automatically for searches for appropriate subject matter.

Claims

1. A process, comprising the steps of:

soliciting from a user a set of one or more general search parameters specified by the user;

soliciting from the user at least one ranking explicitly specified by the user, the rankings based on any of applicability and validity of at least one of the solicited general search parameters in regard to at least one subject matter;

associatively storing the set of solicited general search parameters and the rankings specified by the user for at least one future search initiated by the user;

receiving a search query from the user, the search query comprising one or more query parameters other than the previously solicited general search parameters;

determining the subject matter of the received search query;

selecting one or more of the associatively stored solicited general search parameters based upon any of applicability and validity of the associatively stored solicited search parameters with the determined subject matter of the received search query, wherein the selection is at least partially based on at least one of the rankings explicitly specified by the user; and

providing a refined search, wherein the refinement comprises any of

using the selected ones of the associatively stored solicited general search parameters in conjunction with the received query parameters to perform the search;

performing the search with the received query parameters and subsequently refining search results with the selected ones of the associatively stored solicited general search parameters; and

performing the search with the received query parameters and subsequently providing any of organizing and sorting of the search results with the selected ones of the associatively stored solicited general search parameters.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

returning results of the refined search to the user.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending results of the refined search to a recipient.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the recipient is selected by the user.

5. The process of claim 3, wherein the recipient is determined based on the results of the refined search.

6. The process of claim 3, wherein the recipient is determined based on information input by the user.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving information from a recipient; and

selectively sending results of the refined search to the recipient based upon any of the received information from the recipient and a selection of the recipient by the user.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the received information comprises an interest in the results of the refined search by the recipient.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the subject matter is explicitly indicated by the user.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the subject matter is inferentially determined based upon user input.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the user-specified search parameters comprise a selectable applicability based upon subject matter, further comprising the step of:

determining the selected ones of the associatively stored solicited search parameters based upon the selectable applicability.

12. The process of claim 3, wherein the recipient is any of a selected peer, a friend, a family relative, a student, a neighbor, any of a person or entity within a zip code region, and a member of a network of people associated with the user.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the network of people comprises any of people with similar interests and a chain of friends.

14. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

soliciting the user to provide at least one parameter after receipt of the query at the time of the search.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the solicited parameter is a missing parameter.

16. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one source selection from the user; and

modifying the search query based upon information from the selected source.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of soliciting the general search parameters from the user occurs any of before and after a particularized search.

18. A process, comprising the steps of:

soliciting from a user at least one user-specified search parameter;

soliciting from the user at least one ranking explicitly specified by the user, the rankings based on any applicability and validity of at least one of the solicited user-specified search parameters in regard to at least one subject matter;

associating the solicited user-specified search parameters and the explicitly specified rankings with the user;

storing the associated solicited user-specified search parameters and the explicitly specified rankings for use in at least one future search initiated by the user;

receiving a search query from the user, the search query comprising one or more query parameters other than the previously solicited user-specified search parameters;

determining the subject matter of the received search query;

selecting one or more of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters based on any of applicability and validity of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters with the determined subject matter of the received search query, wherein the selection is at least partially based on at least one of the solicited user-specified search parameters having a ranking explicitly specified by the user; and

providing a refined search, wherein the refinement comprises any of

using the selected ones of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters in conjunction with the received query parameters to perform the search;

performing the search with the received query parameters and subsequently refining search results with the selected ones of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters; and

performing the search with the received query parameters and subsequently providing any of organizing and sorting of the search results with the selected ones of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters.

19. The process of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

returning results of the refined search to the user.

20. The process of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

sending results of the refined search to a recipient.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein the recipient is selected by the user.

22. The process of claim 20, wherein the recipient is determined based on the results of the refined search.

23. The process of claim 20, wherein the recipient is determined based on information input by the user.

24. The process of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving information from a recipient; and

selectively sending results of the refined search to the recipient based upon any of the received information from the recipient and a selection of the recipient by the user.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein the received information comprises an interest in the results of the refined search by the recipient.

26. The process of claim 18, wherein the subject matter is explicitly indicated by the user.

27. The process of claim 18, wherein the subject matter is inferentially determined based upon user input.

28. The process of claim 18, wherein the user-specified search parameters comprise a selectable applicability based upon subject matter, and further comprising the step of:

determining the selected ones of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters based upon the selectable applicability.

29. The process of claim 20, wherein the recipient is any of a selected peer, a friend, a family relative, a student, a neighbor, any of a person or entity within a zip code region, and a member of a network of people associated with the user.

30. The process of claim 29, wherein the network of people comprises any of people with similar interests and a chain of friends.

31. The process of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

soliciting the user to provide at least one parameter after receipt of the query at the time of the search.

32. The process of claim 31, wherein the solicited parameter is a missing parameter.

33. The process of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one source selection from the user; and

modifying the search query based upon information from the selected source.

34. The process of claim 18, wherein the step of soliciting the user-specified search parameters from the user occurs any of before and after a particularized search.

42. The system of claim 29, wherein the received information comprises an interest in the results of the refined search.

35. A system, comprising:

means for soliciting from a user at least one user-specified search parameter;

means for soliciting from the user one or more rankings ranking explicitly specified by the user, the rankings based on any of applicability and validity of at least one of the solicited user-specified search parameters in regard to at least one subject matter;

means for associating the solicited user-specified search parameters and the explicitly specified rankings with the user;

means for storing the associated solicited user-specified search parameters and the explicitly specified rankings for use in at least one future search initiated by the user;

means for receiving an initial search query from the user, the search query comprising one or more query parameters other than the previously solicited user-specified search parameters;

means for determining the subject matter of the received initial search query;

means for selection of one or more of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters based on any of applicability and validity of the stored associated solicited search parameters with the determined subject matter of the received search query, wherein the selection is at least partially based on at least one of the solicited user-specified search parameters having a ranking explicitly specified by the user; and

means for providing a refined search, wherein the refinement comprises any of

means for using the selected ones of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters in conjunction with the received query parameters to perform the search;

means for performing the search with the received query parameters and subsequently refining search results with the selected ones of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters; and

means for performing the search with the received query parameters and subsequently providing any of organizing and sorting of the search results with the selected ones of the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein results of the refined search are sent to the user.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein results of the refined search are sent to a recipient.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the recipient is selectable by the user.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the recipient is based on the results of the refined search.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the recipient is based on information input by the user.

41. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

information received from a recipient; and

a selective transmission of the results of the refined search to the recipient based upon any of the received information and a selection of the recipient by the user.

43. The system of claim 35, wherein the determination of the subject matter is explicitly indicated by the user.

44. The system of claim 35, wherein the determination of the subject matter is inferentially determined based upon user input.

45. The system or claim 35, wherein the stored associated solicited user-specified search parameters comprise a selectable applicability based upon subject matter, and wherein the means for selection is based upon the selectable applicability.

46. The system of claim 37, wherein the recipient is any of a selected peer, a friend, a family relative, a student, a neighbor, any of a person or entity within a zip code region, and a member of a network of people associated with the user.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the network of people comprises any of people with similar interests and a chain of friends.

48. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

means for soliciting the user to provide at least one additional parameter after receipt of the query at the time of the search.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the solicited additional parameter is a missing parameter.

50. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

means for receiving at least one source selection from the user; and

means for modifying the search query based upon information from the selected source.

51. The system of claim 35, wherein the means for soliciting the user-specified search parameters corresponds to any of before and after a particularized search.