Searching a database including prioritizing results based on historical data

• US 7,734,621 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quotient Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Weitzman, Jeffrey, Boal, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pyo; Monica M
• Application Number:
  US11/134,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/104.1, 707/720, 705/1, 705/14
• US Class Current: 707/720
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0221 Re-usable coupons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided that include techniques for searching a database. One method includes receiving one or more input search terms and providing a database. The database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon. The method further includes identifying one or more coupons in the database based on the received input search terms. The method further includes selecting one or more coupons from the identified coupons. A given coupon can be selected based on a number of times the given coupon has been previously printed. A given coupon can also be selected based on a number of times the given coupon has been previously redeemed. The method further includes presenting one or more coupons to the user where the presented one or more coupons include the selected one or more coupons.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving one or more input search terms;

in response to the receiving the one or more input search terms;

retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database based on a search conducted based on the received one or more input search terms, wherein the database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon;

filtering the retrieved plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, wherein the filtering is based at least partially upon a first criterion, wherein the first criterion is one of;

a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously both returned as a search result and printed in response to the same one or more input search terms, or

a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously both returned as a search result and redeemed in response to the same one or more input search terms;

wherein the filtering produces a filtered set of coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering,

assigning a priority to each coupon in the filtered set of one or more coupons, based at least partially upon one or more of;

a number of times a particular coupon of the filtered set of one or more coupons has been previously printed in response to the same one or more input search terms, or

a number of times a particular coupon of the filtered set of one or more coupons has been previously redeemed in response to the same one or more input search terms; and

returning, as the one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, only the filtered set of one or more coupons;

wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons is returned in a list organized by the assigned priorities of the filtered set of one or more coupons;

wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons that is returned as the one or more search results is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database based on the one or more input search terms;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a category for the one or more input search terms; and

identifying at least a particular coupon of the plurality of coupons in the database based on a particular search term within the determined category, wherein the particular search term is a term other than the one or more input search terms.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a category for one of the selected one or more coupons; and

identifying at least a particular coupon of the plurality of coupons in the database based on a particular search term within the determined category, wherein the particular search term is a term other than the one or more input search terms.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning, in response to receiving the one or more input search terms, one or more coupons selected at random from the database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein returning the filtered set of one or more coupons comprises returning a reference to an online location where the selected one or more coupons can be printed or redeemed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein returning the filtered set of one or more coupons comprises causing at least one of the selected one or more coupons to be printed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the one or more input search terms comprises receiving at least some of the one or more input search terms from a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the one or more input search terms comprises deriving at least some of the one or more input search terms from content of a web page.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first criterion is the number of times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first criterion is the number of times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performing:

receiving one or more input search terms;

in response to the receiving the one or more input search terms;

retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database based on a search conducted based on the received one or more input search terms, wherein the database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon;

filtering the retrieved plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, wherein the filtering is based at least partially upon a first criterion, wherein the first criterion is one of;

a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously both returned as a search result and printed in response to the same one or more input search terms, or

a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously both returned as a search result and redeemed in response to the same one or more input search terms;

wherein the filtering produces a filtered set of coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering,

assigning a priority to each coupon in the filtered set of one or more coupons, based at least partially upon one or more of;

a number of times a particular coupon of the filtered set of one or more coupons has been previously printed in response to the same one or more input search terms, or

a number of times a particular coupon of the filtered set of one or more coupons has been previously redeemed in response to the same one or more input search terms; and

returning, as the one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, only the filtered set of one or more coupons;

wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons is returned in a list organized by the assigned priorities of the filtered set of one or more coupons;

wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons that is returned as the one or more search results is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database based on the one or more input search terms.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performing:

determining a category for the one or more input search terms; and

identifying at least a particular coupon of the plurality of coupons in the database based on a particular search term within the determined category, the particular search term being a term other than the one or more input search terms.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performing:

determining a category for one of the selected one or more coupons; and

identifying at least a particular coupon of the plurality of coupons in the database based on a particular search term within the determined category, wherein the particular search term is a term other than the one or more input search terms.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performing:

returning, in response to receiving the one or more input search terms, one or more coupons at random from the database.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein returning the filtered set of one or more coupons comprises returning a reference to an online location where the selected one or more coupons can be printed or redeemed.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the one or more input search terms comprises deriving at least some of the one or more input search terms from content of a web page.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first criterion is the number of times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first criterion is the number of times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a request for one or more coupons, the request including one or more search terms;

in response to the request;

based on the one or more search terms, retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database;

prioritizing the plurality of coupons based at least partially upon one or more of a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously both returned as a search result and printed in response to the one or more search terms;

a number of

times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously both returned as a search result and redeemed in response to the one or more search terms;

a number of times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously both returned as a search result and selected for viewing in response to the one or more search terms;

or a number of times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons is to be printed for a campaign;

based at least on the prioritizing, filtering the plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more search terms;

wherein the filtering produces a filtered set of coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering, wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database;

organizing the filtered set of one or more coupons based on priorities assigned during the prioritizing;

returning, as the one or more search results for the one or more search terms, only the filtered set of one or more coupons;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the prioritizing is based at least partially upon the number of times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the prioritizing is based at least partially upon a number of times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the prioritizing of the plurality of coupons is based at least partially upon a number of times the given coupon in the plurality of coupons is to be printed for a campaign.