Methods and systems for providing a response to a query

• US 7,451,131 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (IAC/InterActiveCorp)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (IAC/InterActiveCorp)
• Inventors: Curtis, Andy, Gerasoulis, Apostolos, Levin, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US10/853,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/6, 707/10, 707/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• 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 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a response to a query. Multiple users'"'"' search engine activity in regard to a query is correlated. A response is provided based upon this correlated search engine activity information. For one embodiment of the invention, in the context of search engine result optimization, the user activity and/or user information of multiple users, during a search session, is correlated with queries to effect an evolving association between queries and the organization and presentation of documents. Systems in accordance with such embodiments employ the ability to store users'"'"' activity over the entire search session, thus making possible the correlation of a number of different types of user activity and user information. The use of correlated user input allows such systems to provide relevant search results without the limitations imposed by the key-word-based systems of the prior art.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a query from a user;

correlating search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users, the search engine activity information pertaining to a search session of a respective independent user for a query related to the received query, wherein correlating comprises identifying multiple relevant correlations of the search engine activity information of the each of two or more independent users, wherein identifying multiple relevant correlations comprises maintaining a log of the search engine activity information of the two or more independent users and calculating a score parametrically based on the search engine activity in the log; and

providing search results to the user corresponding to the received query, the search results being ranked based on the correlation of the search engine activity information of the each of two or more independent users.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-pick information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-query information.

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

receiving a query from a user;

correlating search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users, the search engine activity information pertaining to a search session of a respective independent user for a query related to the received query, wherein correlating comprises identifying multiple relevant correlations of the search engine activity information of the each of two or more independent users, wherein correlating the search engine activity comprises maintaining a log of the search engine activity information of the two or more independent users and calculating a score parametrically based on the search engine activity in the log; and

providing search results to the user corresponding to the received query, the search results being ranked based on the correlation of the search engine activity information of the each of two or more independent users.

5. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 4 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-pick information.

6. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 4 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-query information.