Contextual mobile local search based on social network vitality information

• US 7,636,779 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Nathanael Joe, Quoc, Michael, Fukuda, Matthew, Wascovich, Dan, Ott, E. Stanley IV, Tsang, Audrey Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin; Yemane
• Application Number:
  US11/380,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/224, 707 2- 5, 707/10, 707/102
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method are directed to managing contextual based mobile searches. A context oriented user interface interprets inputs from a mobile user based on vitality information. In one embodiment, the input may be interpreted as a request to perform a context-based search over a network using at least some of the vitality information. Vitality information may include a location of the mobile device, a time of day, an event, information from the mobile user'"'"'s calendar, past behavior of the mobile user, weather, social networking data, aggregate behaviors, or even information about proximity of a social contact. By employing vitality information to perform a mobile search, better search results and a richer user experience may be provided that includes a sense of community, a sense of presence (e.g., a sense of “here-ness.”). In one embodiment, the mobile user may provide comments to others regarding the search results.

Claims

1. A mobile device that is operative to manage a mobile search over a network, comprising:

a memory component for storing data; and

a processing component for executing data that enables actions, including;

collecting vitality information that includes a content of a calendar for a user of the mobile device and a current mood of the user of the mobile device provided, in part, through a mood avatar;

collecting additional social networking information that includes at least an aggregated mood of a predefined group of social networking members;

modifying the vitality information to further include a current location of the mobile device;

automatically selecting and displaying a list of applications based on the additional social networking information, including the aggregated mood for the group, and modified vitality information, the list of applications including a contextual-search application;

receiving a search query from the mobile device user;

automatically modifying the search query based on the vitality information to generate a context based search request;

sending the context based search request over the network; and

receiving for display on the mobile device a context based search response that is based in part on the vitality information and the search query.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, the actions further comprising:

receiving a comment associated with the context based search response; and

providing the comment to another member of a social network.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the additional social networking information and modified vitality information used to automatically select the list of applications comprises more than location information, and date information.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the vitality information further comprises at least one of a current time, a task in a task list on the mobile device, or a current message activity.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the actions further comprising:

providing a list of actions that invokes at least one of a mobile application or a remote application based, in part, on the vitality information including at least one of a task list associated with the mobile device, or an aggregate online behavior of at least some members of a social network.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, modifying the vitality information further comprises combining at least some of the vitality information associated with the user of the mobile device with at least some vitality information associated with at least one other member of a social to generate the modified vitality information used to modify the search.

7. A processor readable storage medium that includes data, wherein the execution of the data provides for the management of a mobile search over a network by enabling actions, including:

collecting vitality information that includes a content of a calendar for a user of a mobile device and a current mood of the user of the mobile device provided, in part, through a mood avatar;

modifying the vitality information to further include a current location of the mobile device;

collecting aggregated social networking information that includes at least an aggregated mood of a predefined group of social networking members;

determining a social networking context based, in part, on the vitality information and the aggregated social networking information, including the aggregated mood;

receiving an input from the user, the input including a search request; and

employing the determined social networking context to generate a context based search request by modifying the search request, and sending the context based search request to a network device to obtain a context based search response.

8. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein generating the context based search request further comprises:

combining physical location of a mobile device associated with the processor readable medium with information from at least one of an application on the mobile device, aggregated online behavior for at least two members of the social network, or social networking information from another member of the social network; and

employing the combined information and the input from the user to generate the context based search request.

9. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, the actions further comprising:

receiving a comment associated with the context based search response; and

providing the comment to another member of a social network.

10. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, the actions further comprising:

providing a list of actions that invoke at least one of a mobile application or a remote application based, in part, on another received input and the determined social networking context; and

enabling a mobile user to select at least action for execution from the list.

11. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the vitality information further comprises at least one of a task in a task list on the mobile device, a current message activity, a past behavior of a mobile user associated with the mobile device, a social event, and an aggregate behavior.

12. A network device for enabling a search using a mobile device, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over the network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions, including;

receiving social networking information, including vitality information, and aggregated information from a plurality of social networking members the aggregated information including at least an aggregated mood of the plurality of social networking members;

distributing to at least one mobile device, at least a portion of the social networking information, wherein the mobile device is enabled to employ at least the portion of the social networking information, including at least the aggregated information, and vitality information about a user of the mobile device that includes a content of a calendar for the user and a current mood of the user provided through a mood avatar to generate a context based search request; and

receiving from the mobile device the context based search request for use in performing the context based search request and proving a result for display by the mobile device.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein generating the context based search request further comprising:

determining social networking information for the user of the mobile device based on vitality information within the mobile device;

combining the received portion of social networking information with the social networking information for the user; and

employing combined social networking information to generate the context based search request.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the social networking information for the user further comprises information from a task list associated with the user.

15. The network device of claim 12, wherein the vitality information about the user of the mobile device further comprises at least one of a current time, a task in a task list on the mobile device, a current message activity, a past behavior of user associated with the mobile device, or a social event.

16. A method of managing a mobile search over a network, comprising:

collecting, at a mobile device, vitality information that includes a content of a calendar for a user of the mobile device and a current mood of the user of the mobile device provided through a mood avatar;

modifying, at the mobile device, the vitality information to further include a current location of the mobile device;

collecting additional social networking information that includes at least an aggregated mood of a predefined group of social networking members;

determining a social networking context based, in part, on the vitality information and the additional social networking information including at least the aggregated mood;

receiving an input on the mobile device representing a mobile search request; and

employing the determined social networking context to modify the mobile search request, and providing the modified mobile search over the network to obtain a context based search response for display on the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, the actions further comprising:

receiving a comment associated with the context based search response; and

providing the comment to another member of a social network.

18. The method of claim 16, the actions further comprising:

providing a list of actions that invoke a mobile application or a remote application based, in part, on another received input and the determined social networking context; and

enabling the mobile user to select at least one action for execution from the list.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the vitality information is obtained based on at least one of an aggregate of social networking information from members of a social network, social networking information residing on the mobile device, and a physical location at least one other mobile device.

20. A computer-readable storage medium that is configured to include program instructions that when installed on a computing device transforms the computing device such that it is enabled to perform the method of claim 16.

21. A mobile apparatus for enabling a search using a mobile device, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over the network;

means for determining vitality information that includes a content of a calendar for a user of the mobile device and a current mood of the user of mobile device provided through a mood avatar and modifying the determined vitality information with a current location of the mobile device;

means for collecting additional social networking information that includes at least an aggregated mood of a predefined group of social networking members;

means for determining a social networking context based, in part, on the vitality information, the aggregated mood, and additional vitality information associated with at least one other member of a social network;

means for receiving an input on the mobile apparatus; and

means for employing the determined social networking context to generate a context based mobile search request, and performing the context based mobile search over the network to obtain a context based search response.