Creating forums associated with a search string
First Claim
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1. A method of managing forums, the method comprising:
- receiving a search string for searching an electronic catalog of items, the search string including a plurality of search terms;
identifying items associated with the search string to create a search result;
generating variations of the search string, the variations including a modified arrangement of the plurality of search terms that form the search string;
determining whether a forum associated with the search string or with one of the variations of the search string exists b determining if the search string or one of the variations of the search string is associated with at least one of a tag having a tag forum, a category having a category forum, or an existing search term having a search forum;
at least partly in response to determining that a forum associated with the search string or one of the variations exists, selecting a forum from at least one of the tag forum, the category forum, or the search forum;
at least partly in response to determining that a forum associated with the search string or one of the variations does not exist, creating the forum by logging each variation with an associated weight, the weight being aggregated for each occurrence of the variation to create a variation aggregate score, the forum being created for the variation when the variation aggregate score reaches a threshold value; and
causing a display of the selected or created forum as a part of the search result.
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Abstract
Creation, association, and/or placement of search forums for searches strings enable users to discuss aspects of both searches and elements associated with the searches, and further enable the users to view discussions from other users. The search forum may be generated from variations of the search string. In addition or alternatively, search strings may be associated with existing item forums, category forums, and tag forums. Search forums may be placed with, for example, search results or with items, categories, and/or tags, among other possibilities, to provide user access to the search forums.
56 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of managing forums, the method comprising:
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receiving a search string for searching an electronic catalog of items, the search string including a plurality of search terms; identifying items associated with the search string to create a search result; generating variations of the search string, the variations including a modified arrangement of the plurality of search terms that form the search string; determining whether a forum associated with the search string or with one of the variations of the search string exists b determining if the search string or one of the variations of the search string is associated with at least one of a tag having a tag forum, a category having a category forum, or an existing search term having a search forum; at least partly in response to determining that a forum associated with the search string or one of the variations exists, selecting a forum from at least one of the tag forum, the category forum, or the search forum; at least partly in response to determining that a forum associated with the search string or one of the variations does not exist, creating the forum by logging each variation with an associated weight, the weight being aggregated for each occurrence of the variation to create a variation aggregate score, the forum being created for the variation when the variation aggregate score reaches a threshold value; and causing a display of the selected or created forum as a part of the search result. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method comprising:
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obtaining a search string of at least one search term, the search string to facilitate retrieving elements in a search result that are related to at least one of the search terms; and generating a search forum based on the at least one search term included in the search string, the generating to include; creating a plurality of variations of the search string, each of the plurality of variations including at least one search term and a weight; aggregating the weights for each variation to create a variation aggregate score; and creating the search forum for variations when the associated variation aggregate score reaches a threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, performs acts comprising:
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creating variations of a search string, each variation having a weight corresponding to a similarity between the variation and the search string; creating a search forum from at least one of the variations, the creating to include; aggregating the weights of each variation to create an aggregate weight associated with the variation; and determining when the aggregate weight associated with the variation reaches a threshold value; and causing the display of the search forum. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification