Filtering context-sensitive search results
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method of filtering context-sensitive search results, the method comprising:
- determining a user context based on a tunable parameter;
determining a first aspect of the user context and a second aspect of the user context, wherein the first aspect of the user context includes data indicative of text being accessed by a user and the second aspect of the user context includes data indicative of at least one user task from a plurality of user tasks, wherein the at least one user task is determined based upon the user context of the user'"'"'s interaction with one or more software applications;
formulating a first query and a second query based on the first aspect of the user context, the first query and the second query being different than the user context;
submitting the first query to a first search engine;
receiving a first plurality of search results from the first search engine, the first plurality of search results being based on the first query;
submitting the second query to a second different search engine;
receiving a second plurality of search results from the second different search engine, the second plurality of search results being based on the second query;
determining a first plurality of scores associated with the first plurality of search results at least in part by comparing data indicative of the first plurality of search results to data indicative of the first aspect of the user context;
determining a second plurality of scores associated with the second plurality of search results at least in part by comparing data indicative of the second plurality of search results to the data indicative of the first aspect of the user context; and
displaying a subset of the plurality of search results on a client device, wherein at least one of the first plurality of search results is filtered from being displayed to the user based on at least a portion of the first plurality of scores, and wherein at least one of the second plurality of search results is filtered from being displayed to the user based on at least a portion of the second plurality of scores.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus assessing, ranking, organizing, and presenting search results associated with a user'"'"'s current work context are disclosed. The system disclosed assesses, ranks, organizes and presents search results against a user'"'"'s current work context by comparing statistical and heuristic models of the search results to a statistical and heuristic model of the user'"'"'s current work context. In this manner, search results are assessed, ranked, organized, and/or presented with the benefit of attributes of the user'"'"'s current work context that are predictive of relevance, such as words in a user'"'"'s document (e.g., web page or word processing document) that may not have been included in the search query. In addition, search results from multiple search engines are combined into an organization scheme that best reflects the user'"'"'s current task. As a result, lists of search results from different search engines can be more usefully presented to the user.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method of filtering context-sensitive search results, the method comprising:
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determining a user context based on a tunable parameter; determining a first aspect of the user context and a second aspect of the user context, wherein the first aspect of the user context includes data indicative of text being accessed by a user and the second aspect of the user context includes data indicative of at least one user task from a plurality of user tasks, wherein the at least one user task is determined based upon the user context of the user'"'"'s interaction with one or more software applications; formulating a first query and a second query based on the first aspect of the user context, the first query and the second query being different than the user context; submitting the first query to a first search engine; receiving a first plurality of search results from the first search engine, the first plurality of search results being based on the first query; submitting the second query to a second different search engine; receiving a second plurality of search results from the second different search engine, the second plurality of search results being based on the second query; determining a first plurality of scores associated with the first plurality of search results at least in part by comparing data indicative of the first plurality of search results to data indicative of the first aspect of the user context; determining a second plurality of scores associated with the second plurality of search results at least in part by comparing data indicative of the second plurality of search results to the data indicative of the first aspect of the user context; and displaying a subset of the plurality of search results on a client device, wherein at least one of the first plurality of search results is filtered from being displayed to the user based on at least a portion of the first plurality of scores, and wherein at least one of the second plurality of search results is filtered from being displayed to the user based on at least a portion of the second plurality of scores. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for filtering context-sensitive search results, the apparatus comprising:
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a processor; a memory device operatively coupled to the processor; a user input device operatively coupled to the processor; a network device operatively coupled to the processor; and a display device operatively coupled to the processor;
wherein the memory device stores a software program to cause the processor to;determine a user context based on a tunable parameter; determine a first aspect of the user context and a second aspect of the user context, wherein the first aspect of the user context includes data indicative of text being accessed by a user and the second aspect of the user context includes data indicative of at least one user task from a plurality of user tasks, wherein the at least one user task is determined based upon the user context of the user'"'"'s interaction with one or more software applications; formulate a first query and a second query based on the first aspect of the user context, the first query and the second query being different than the user context; submit the first query to a first search engine; receive a first plurality of search results from the first search engine, the first plurality of search results being based on the first query; submit the second query to a second different search engine; receive a second plurality of search results from the second different search engine, the second plurality of search results being based on the second query; determine a first plurality of scores associated with the first plurality of search results at least in part by comparing data indicative of the first plurality of search results to data indicative of the first aspect of the user context; determine a second plurality of scores associated with the second plurality of search results at least in part by comparing data indicative of the second plurality of search results to the data indicative of the first aspect of the user context; and display a subset of the plurality of search results on a client device, wherein at least one of the first plurality of search results is filtered from being displayed to the user based on at least a portion of the first plurality of scores, and wherein at least one of the second plurality of search results is filtered from being displayed to the user based on at least a portion of the second plurality of scores. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer readable storage device storing a software program to cause a computing device to:
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determine a user context based on a tunable parameter; determine a first aspect of the user context and a second aspect of the user context, wherein the first aspect of the user context includes data indicative of text being accessed by a user and the second aspect of the user context includes data indicative of at least one user task from a plurality of user tasks, wherein the at least one user task is determined based upon the user context of the user'"'"'s interaction with one or more software applications; formulate a first query and a second query based on the first aspect of the user context, the first query and the second query being different than the user context; submit the first query to a first search engine; receive a first plurality of search results from the first search engine, the first plurality of search results being based on the first query; submit the second query to a second different search engine; receive a second plurality of search results from the second different search engine, the second plurality of search results being based on the second query; determine a first plurality of scores associated with the first plurality of search results at least in part by comparing data indicative of the first plurality of search results to data indicative of the first aspect of the user context; determine a second plurality of scores associated with the second plurality of search results at least in part by comparing data indicative of the second plurality of search results to the data indicative of the first aspect of the user context; and display a subset of the plurality of search results on a client device, wherein at least one of the first plurality of search results is filtered from being displayed to the user based on at least a portion of the first plurality of scores, and wherein at least one of the second plurality of search results is filtered from being displayed to the user based on at least a portion of the second plurality of scores. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification