Presenting result items based upon user behavior

• US 7,792,813 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Selberg, Erik Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai; Hanh B
• Application Number:
  US11/848,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 7, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform methods for identifying and presenting the “best” answer to a given search query as it relates to a particular user based upon that user'"'"'s behavior are provided. Upon receipt of a search query and determination of the search result items satisfying the query, it is determined whether the user has executed the same or substantially similar search in the past and, if so, if there is a particular one of the search result items that s/he has a tendency to select when the search result items are presented. If a particular result is frequently selected, that result is prominently presented (e.g., highlighted, display with a border, displayed in a different font than other results, or the like) among the search result items making it easier for the user to quickly identify the desired result.

Claims

1. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for presenting search result items based upon prior user behavior, the method comprising:

receiving a search query associated with a user identification;

determining a plurality of search result items related to the received search query;

determining if at least one of the plurality of search result items has been previously associated with the user identification in associated with the received search query and selected a predetermined threshold number of times; and

presenting the plurality of search result items, wherein if it is determined that at least one of the plurality of search result items has been previously associated with the user identification in association with the received search query and selected the predetermined threshold number of times, the at least one of the plurality of search result items is prominently presented, wherein determining if at least one of the plurality of search result items has been previously associated with the user identification in association with the received search query a predetermined threshold number of times includes determining if at least one of the plurality of search result items has been previously associated with the user identification is association with a search query identical to the received search query or a search query similar to the received search query;

receiving an indicator that one of the plurality of presented search result items has been selected;

storing an association of the one of the plurality of presented search result items, the received search query, and the user identification;

determining if the one of the plurality of presented search result items associated with the received indicator has previously been selected in association with the user identification;

if it is determined that the one of the plurality of presented search result items associated with the received indicator has previously been selected in association with the user identification, the method further comprises determining if the one of the plurality of presented search result items associated with the received indicator has been selected the predetermined threshold number of times; and

if it is determined that the one of the plurality of presented search result items associated with the received indicator has been selected the predetermined threshold number of times , the method further comprises marking the one of the plurality of presented search result items with a prominent presentation marker, and wherein storing the association of the one of the plurality of presented search result items, the received search query, and the user identification further includes storing the prominent presentation marker in association therewith.

2. The one or more computer storage media of claim 1, wherein presenting the plurality of search result items comprises displaying the plurality of search result items.

3. The one or more computer storage media of claim 2, wherein prominently presenting the at least one of the plurality of search result items comprises at least one of highlighting the at least one of the plurality of search result items, outlining the at least one of the plurality of search result items, displaying the at least one of the plurality of search result items in a different font relative to other displayed search result items, displaying the at least on of the at least one of the plurality of search result items in a different font size relative to the other displayed search result items, displaying the at least one of the least one of the plurality of search result items in a different font color relative to the other displayed search result items, displaying the at least one of the plurality of search result items on an area of a display surface that is separated from the other displayed search result items, copying the at least one of the plurality of search result items and displaying the copied search result item to a prominent location of the display surface, and moving the at least one of the plurality of search result items to a prominent location of the display surface.

4. Computer-readable media having computer-usable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, implement a system for performing a method for presenting search result items based upon prior user behavior, the system comprising:

a search query receiving component for receiving a search query associated with a user identification;

a search results determining component for determining a plurality of search result items related to the received search query;

an association determining component for determining if any of the plurality of search result items has been previously associated with the user identification is association with an identical or similar search query and, if so, for determining if any of the plurality of search result items that has been previously associated with the user identification in association with an identical or similar search query has been selected a predetermined threshold number of times by the user; and

a presenting component for presenting the plurality of search result items, wherein the presenting component prominently presents one or more of the plurality of search result items if it is determined that the one or more of the plurality of search result items has been previously associated with the user identification in association with the identical or similar search query and has been selected the predetermined threshold number of times by the user.

5. The media of claim 4, further comprising a selection indicator receiving component for receiving an indicator that one of the plurality of presented search result items has been selected.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein the association determining component is further configured for determining if the one of the plurality of presented search result items associated with the indicator has been selected a predetermined threshold number of times.

7. The media of claim 6, further comprising a personal definitive marking component for marking the one of the plurality of presented search result items associated with the indicator with a prominent presentation marker.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the presenting component is configured for displaying the plurality of search result items and for displaying the prominent presentation marker in association with the one of the plurality of presented search result items.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein the prominent presentation marker comprises at least one of highlighting the at least one of the plurality of search result items, outlining the at least one of the plurality of search result items, displaying the at least one of the plurality of search result items in a different font relative to other displayed search result items, displaying the at least one of the at least one of the plurality of search result items in a different font size relative to the other displayed search result items, displaying the at least one of the at least one of the plurality of search result items in a different font color relative to the other displayed search result items, displaying the at least one of the plurality of search result items on an area of a display surface that is separated from the other displayed search result items, copying the at least one of the plurality of search result items and displaying the copied search result item to a prominent location of the display surface, and moving the at least one of the plurality of search result items to a prominent location of the display surface.

10. A method is a computing environment for identifying personal definitives based upon prior user behavior, the method comprising:

receiving a first search query associated with a user identification;

determining a first plurality of search result items related to the first search query or a search query similar to the first search query;

presenting the first plurality of search results;

receiving an indicator that one of the first plurality of search result items has been selected;

determining if the one of the first plurality of search result items associated with the received indicator has been selected a predetermined threshold number of times when the one of the first plurality of search result items has been presented in association with the first search query or the search query similar to the first search query and the user identification; and

if is determined that the one of the first plurality of search result items associated with the received indicator has been selected a predetermined threshold number of times when the one of the first plurality of search result items has been presented in association with the first search query of the search query similar to the first search query and the user identification, the method further comprises identifying the one of the first plurality of search result items as a personal definitive associated with the user identification.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising marking the one of the first plurality of search result items identified as a personal definitive associated with the user identification with a prominent presentation marker, and storing the prominent presentation marker in association with the one of the first plurality of search result items identified as a personal definitive associated with the user identification, the received search query or the search query similar to the first query, and the user identification.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a second search query associated with the user identification, the second search query being identical or similar to the first search query;

determining a second plurality of search result items related to the second search query, wherein the second plurality of search result items includes the one of the first plurality of search result items that has been identified as a personal definitive associated with the user identification; and

presenting the second plurality of search result items, wherein the one of the first plurality of search result items that has been identified as a personal;

definitive associated with the user identification is prominently presented.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein presenting the second plurality of search result items comprises displaying the plurality of search result items.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein prominently presenting the at least one of the first plurality of search result items that has been identified as a personal definitive associated with the user identification comprises at least one of highlighting the at least one of the plurality of search result items, outlining the at least one of the plurality of search result items, displaying the at least one of the plurality of search result items in a different font relative to other displayed search result items, displaying the at least one of the at least one of the plurality of search result items in a different font size relative to the other displayed search result items, displaying the at least one of the at least one of the plurality of search result items in a different font color relative to the other displayed search result items, displaying the at least one of the plurality of search result items on an area of a display surface that is separated from the other displayed search result items, and copying the at least one of the plurality of search result items and displaying the copied search result item to a prominent location of the display surface.