Anticipated query generation and processing in a search engine

• US 7,836,044 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kamvar, Sepandar D., Jeh, Glen M., Haveliwala, Taher H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy; Hung T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/875,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20050283468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 5, 707/713
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query

Abstract

A search system monitors the input of a search query by a user. Before the user finishes entering the search query, the search system identifies and sends a portion of the query as a partial query to the search engine. Based on the partial query, the search engine creates a set of predicted queries. This process may take into account prior queries submitted by a community of users, and may take into account a user profile. The predicted queries are be sent back to the user for possible selection. The search system may also cache search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries in anticipation of the user selecting one of the predicted queries. The search engine may also return at least a portion of the search results corresponding to one or more of the predicted queries.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed at a server system for processing a search query, comprising:

receiving at the server system a portion of the search query from a search requestor at a client system that is distinct from the server system;

at the server system, responding to receiving the portion of the search query, including;

predicting from the portion of the search query a plurality of predicted queries;

selecting one or more of the plurality of predicted queries based, at least in part, on information obtained from a user profile of the search requestor;

obtaining search results for the selected one or more predicted queries; and

transmitting the plurality of predicted queries and one or more of the search results to the search requestor at the client system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the plurality of predicted queries using a collection of queries from a community of users.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing at least one or more characters of the portion of the search query to entries in a dictionary; and

creating the plurality of predicted queries from one or more of the entries in the dictionary whose entries include the at least one or more characters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of predicted queries is created from entries in the dictionary whose entries begin with the at least one or more characters.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the portion of the search query includes a complete search term of the search query.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting the dictionary from a set of one or more dictionaries.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

selecting the dictionary based on the information obtained from the user profile of the search requestor.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

creating the dictionary based on a collection of queries from multiple search requestors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of one or more of the plurality of predicted queries is further based in part on popularity of the one or more of the plurality of predicted queries.

10. A computer-implemented method performed at a server system for processing a search query, comprising:

receiving at the server system a portion of the search query from a search requestor at a client system that is distinct from the server system;

at the server system, responding to receiving the portion of the search query, including;

predicting from the portion of the search query a plurality of predicted queries;

selecting one or more of the plurality of predicted queries based, at least in part, on information obtained from a user profile of the search requestor;

obtaining search results for the selected one or more predicted queries;

caching the search results at the server system; and

transmitting the plurality of predicted queries to the search requestor at the client system; and

transmitting, in response to selection of a respective predicted query by the search requestor, one or more of the cached search results to the search requestor at the client system.

11. A computer-implemented method performed at a server system for processing a search query, comprising:

creating at the server system a dictionary from a community of users;

receiving at the server system a portion of the search query from a search requestor at a client system that is distinct from the server system;

at the server system responding to receiving the portion of the search query, including;

identifying entries in the dictionary which match the portion of the search query;

selecting a plurality of the matching entries in the dictionary;

ordering the plurality of matching entries to create a plurality of predicted queries;

transmitting the plurality of predicted queries to the search requestor;

selecting one or more of the plurality of predicted queries for obtaining search results based, at least in part, on information obtained from a user profile of the search requestor;

obtaining search results for the selected queries;

caching the search results; and

transmitting, in response to selection of a respective predicted query of the selected queries by the search requestor, at least a portion of the cached search results to the search requestor at the client system.

12. A search query processing system, comprising:

one or more central processing units for executing programs; and

a server executable by the one or more central processing units, the server comprising;

instructions for receiving a portion of the search query from a search requestor at a client system that is distinct from the search query processing system;

instructions for responding to receiving the portion of the search query, including;

instructions for predicting from the portion of the search query a plurality of predicted queries;

instructions for selecting one or more of the plurality of predicted queries based, at least in part, on information obtained from a user profile of the search requestor;

instructions for obtaining search results for the selected one or more predicted queries; and

instructions for transmitting the plurality of predicted queries and one or more of the search results to the search requestor at the client system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the predicting instructions further comprise:

instructions for selecting the plurality of predicted queries using a collection of queries from a community of users.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions for predicting further comprise:

instructions for comparing at least one or more characters of the portion of the search query to entries in a dictionary; and

instructions for creating the plurality of predicted queries from one or more of the entries in the dictionary whose entries include the at least one or more characters.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions for predicting further comprise instructions for selecting the plurality of predicted queries based on entries in the dictionary whose entries begin with the at least one or more characters.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more characters of the portion are search terms.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the server further comprises:

instructions for selecting the dictionary from a set of one or more dictionaries.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions for selecting the dictionary further comprise:

instructions for selecting the dictionary based on the information obtained from the user profile of the search requestor.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the server further comprises:

instructions for creating the dictionary based on a collection of queries from multiple search requestors.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions for selecting one or more of the plurality of predicted queries further comprise:

instructions for selecting one or more of the plurality of predicted queries further based in part on popularity of the one or more of the plurality of predicted queries.

21. A search query processing system, comprising:

one or more central processing units for executing programs; and

a server executable by the one or more central processing units, the server comprising;

instructions for receiving a portion of the search query from a search requestor at a client system that is distinct from the search query processing system;

instructions for responding to receiving the portion of the search query, including;

instructions for predicting from the portion of the search query a plurality of predicted queries;

instructions for selecting one or more of the plurality of predicted queries based, at least in part, on information obtained from a user profile of the search requestor;

instructions for obtaining search results for the selected one or more predicted queries; and

instructions for caching the search results at the server system; and

instructions for transmitting the plurality of predicted queries to the search requestor at the client system; and

instructions for transmitting, in response to selection of a respective predicted query by the search requestor, one or more of the cached search results to the search requestor at the client system.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and one or more computer programs embedded therein, the one or more computer programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

receive a portion of the search query from a search requestor at a client system that is distinct from the computer system; and

respond to receiving the portion of the search query, including;

predicting from the portion of the search query a plurality of predicted queries;

selecting one or more of the plurality of predicted queries based, at least in part, on information obtained from a user profile of the search requestor;

obtaining search results for the selected one or more predicted queries; and

transmitting the plurality of predicted queries and one or more of the search results to the search requestor at the client system.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

select the plurality of predicted queries using a collection of queries from a community of users.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

compare at least one or more characters of the portion of the search query to entries in a dictionary; and

create the plurality of predicted queries from one or more of the entries in the dictionary whose entries include the at least one or more characters.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the plurality of predicted queries is created from entries in the dictionary whose entries begin with the at least one or more characters.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the one or more characters of the portion are search terms.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

select the dictionary from a set of one or more dictionaries.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

select the dictionary based on the information obtained from the user profile of the search requestor.

29. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

create the dictionary based on a collection of queries from multiple search requestors.

30. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to select one or more of the plurality of predicted queries further based in part on popularity of the one or more of the plurality of predicted queries.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and one or more computer programs embedded therein, the one or more computer programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

receive a portion of the search query from a search requestor at a client system that is distinct from the computer system;

respond to receiving the portion of the search query, including;

predicting from the portion of the search query a plurality of predicted queries;

selecting one or more of the plurality of predicted queries based, at least in part, on information obtained from a user profile of the search requestor;

obtaining search results for the selected one or more predicted queries;

caching the search results at the server system; and

transmitting the plurality of predicted queries to the search requestor at the client system; and

transmit, in response to selection of a respective predicted query by the search requestor, one or more of the cached search results to the search requestor at the client system.