Methods and systems for providing a response to a query

• US 7,739,274 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Curtis, Andy, Gerasoulis, Apostolos, Levin, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Miranda
• Application Number:
  US10/917,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-201, 707/722, 707/723, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/51, 715/234, 709/203, 709/217
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• 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 707/99936 Pattern matching 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 and recording, by a server digital processing system (DPS), a search engine query received from a plurality of independent users via a client DPS;

providing, by the server DPS, one or more search results to the independent users in response to the search engine query via the client DPS, wherein each independent user is enabled to select at least one of the provided search results;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a plurality of search result selections of the independent users;

determining, by the server DPS, a level of Internet activity performed during a search session by an independent user selecting a search result;

assigning, by the server DPS, a weight to the selected search result when the level of Internet activity performed during the search session exceeds a threshold level of activity;

correlating, by the server DPS, the weighted search result selections with the recorded search engine query;

receiving, by the server DPS, the search engine query from a user via the client DPS;

determining, by the server DPS, the relevancy of the weighted search results to the search engine query, wherein determining the relevancy of the weighted search results includes;

determining, by the server DPS, at least one of the quantity of independent users selecting the weighted search result and the duration of time the independent users view the weighted search result; and

comparing, by the server DPS, at least one of the quantity of independent user selections of the weighted search result and the duration of time the weighted search result is viewed with the relevance of the remaining search results in the plurality of search results selected by the independent users;

determining, by the server DPS, which weighted search result to provide to the user based on the weighted search result'"'"'s relevancy to the query; and

providing, by the server DPS, the weighted search result correlated to the search engine query to the user via the client DPS, in response to the search engine query.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the server DPS, a characteristic of the search engine query; and

correlating, by the server DPS, the weighted search result with the determined characteristic of the search query.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing, by the server DPS, one or more weighted search results correlated to the determined characteristic of the search query to the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the search engine query includes one or more terms and the characteristic of the search engine query includes at least one of a spelling or common misspelling of a term in the query, a synonymous meaning of a term in the search query, and an equivalent phrasing of a term of the search engine query.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a term within the search engine query has different meanings, the method further comprising:

providing to the user, by the server DPS, weighted search results based on a more popular meaning of the term.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the weighted search result is a URL.

7. A method comprising:

receiving and recording, by a server digital processing system (DPS), a first search engine query received from of a plurality of independent users via a client DPS;

providing, by the server DPS, one or more search results to the independent users in response to the search engine query, wherein each independent user is enabled to select at least one of the provided search results;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a first search result selection of the independent users via the client DPS;

providing, by the server DPS, one or more additional search results to the independent users based on the first search result selection, wherein each independent user is enabled to select at least one of the additional search results;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a selection of a second search result from the one or more additional search results by the independent users via the client DPS;

correlating, by the server DPS, the recorded second search result selection with the recorded first search result selection;

receiving, by the server DPS, a search engine query from a user via a client DPS;

determining, by the server DPS, the relevancy of the second search result to the first search result, wherein determining the relevancy of the weighted search results includes;

determining, by the server DPS, at least one of the quantity of independent users selecting the weighted search result and the duration of time the independent users view the weighted search result; and

comparing, by the server DPS, at least one of the quantity of independent user selections of the weighted search result and the duration of time the weighted search result is viewed with the relevance of the remaining search results in the plurality of search results selected by the independent users;

determining, by the server DPS, whether to provide the second search result to the user based on the second search result'"'"'s relevancy to the first search result; and

providing, by the server DPS, a plurality of search results in response to the query to the user, wherein the plurality of search results includes the first search result and the correlated second search result.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second search results is a URL.

9. A system comprising:

a server digital processing system (DPS), wherein the DPS is enabled to receive and record a search engine query received from a plurality of independent users, provide one or more search results to the independent users in response to the search query, wherein each independent user is enabled to select at least one of the provided search results, receive and record one or more search result selections of the independent users, determine a level of Internet activity performed by an independent user selecting a search result within a time period, assign a weight to the selected search result when the level of Internet activity exceeds a threshold level of activity, correlate the weighted search result selections with the recorded search engine query, receive the search engine query, determine the relevancy of the second search result to the first search result, wherein the determination of the relevancy of the weighted search results includes;

determining, by the server DPS, at least one of the quantity of independent users selecting the weighted search result and the duration of time the independent users view the weighted search result; and

comparing, by the server DPS, at least one of the quantity of independent user selections of the weighted search result and the duration of time the weighted search result is viewed with the relevance of the remaining search results in the plurality of search results selected by the independent users, determine whether to provide the second search result to the user based on the second search result'"'"'s relevancy to the first search result, and provide to the user one or more search results including the weighted search result correlated to the search engine query in response to the search engine query; and

one or more client DPSs enabled to communicate with the server DPS, wherein the communication includes providing at least one of a search engine query and search result selection to the server DPS and receiving one or more search results.

10. A system comprising:

a server digital processing system (DPS), wherein the DPS is enabled to receive and record a first search engine query received from of a plurality of independent users, provide one or more search results to the independent users in response to the search query, wherein each independent user is enabled to select at least one of the provided search results, receive and record a first search result selection of the independent users, provide one or more search results to the independent users based on the first search result selection, wherein each independent user is enabled to select at least one of the provided search results and selection of the first search result provides one or more additional search results, receive and record a selection of a second search result from the one or more additional search results by the independent users, correlate the recorded second search result selection with the recorded first search result selection, receive a search engine query, determine the relevancy of the second search result to the first search result, wherein the determination of the relevancy of the weighted search results includes;

determining, by the server DPS, at least one of the quantity of independent users selecting the weighted search result and the duration of time the independent users view the weighted search result; and

comparing, by the server DPS, at least one of the quantity of independent user selections of the weighted search result and the duration of time the weighted search result is viewed with the relevance of the remaining search results in the plurality of search results selected by the independent users determine whether to provide the second search result to the user based on the second search result'"'"'s relevancy to the first search result, and provide a plurality of search results in response to the query, wherein the plurality of search results includes the first search result and the correlated second search result; and

one or more client DPSs enabled to communicate with the server DPS, wherein the communication includes providing at least one of a search engine query and a first and second search result selection to the server DPS and receiving one or more search results.