Method and apparatus for performing a search

• US 7,844,589 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Panchapakesan, Venkat, Acton, Brian, Wang, Xuejun
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Tim T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahn; Sangwoo
• Application Number:
  US10/725,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,556 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-205, 705/1
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating search results with higher relevancy. More specifically, the present invention provides a listing of narrowing or related search terms based upon the search term submitted by the user. The present invention effectively guides users to narrow their search by guiding users to select or click on highly related search terms. In one embodiment, the listing of the highly related search terms is generated in accordance with sales and/or click information, e.g., via scoring of search terms that is premised on sales and/or click information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for searching, said method comprising:

storing, by at least one server computer, sales information related to a plurality of search terms, wherein the sales information includes an accumulation of a plurality of purchase transactions of a plurality of users;

receiving, by the at least one server computer, a first search term from a user;

generating, by the at least one server computer using the first search term, a first set of search results in response to receiving the first search term from the user; and

dynamically generating, by the at least one server computer, a user interface page for the user, the user interface page comprising the first set of search results and a plurality of candidate search terms related to said first search term in accordance with relevancy scores calculated based in part on the sales information and click information related to the first search term, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms comprise a plurality of potential alternative search terms, and at least some or the plurality of candidate search terms being organized in accordance with brands, wherein the brands related to the first search term are determined based upon the sales information, wherein each of said plurality of potential alternative search terms is selectable by the user to request a second set of search results, and in response to a selection, by the user, of one of said plurality of potential alternative search terms, a second set of search results is generated for the user using the selected potential alternative search term, and wherein at least one user of said plurality of users does not have a user profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms are organized in accordance with products.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms are organized in accordance with related searches.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms are presented as links to other destinations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said candidate search terms are generated off-line.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said candidate search terms are organized in a look-up table.

7. The method claim 6, wherein said look-up table is a hash table.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said candidate search terms are generated in accordance with a span that defines a number of word units.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said span is greater than one word unit.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said candidate search terms are refined in accordance with an inflection distance.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said inflection distance is a measure of closeness between two search terms.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing said first search term with a dictionary prior to providing said plurality of candidate search terms.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said dictionary comprises a brand dictionary that comprises a plurality of brands.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein if said first search term is deemed to be a brand, then at least one of said plurality of candidate search terms is presented as a product of said brand.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said dictionary comprises an artist dictionary that comprises at least one of singers, performers, bands, and actors.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

normalizing said plurality of candidate search terms in accordance with occurrence time of said plurality of candidate search terms.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

normalizing said plurality of candidate search terms in accordance with display position of said plurality of candidate search terms.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein click information includes purchase data.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the purchase data is based upon purchase behavior of a plurality of users.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein click information includes purchase data and click data.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the purchase data is based upon purchase behavior of a plurality of users.

18. An apparatus for computer-implemented searching, comprising:

a memory for storing sales information related to a plurality of search terms, wherein the sales information includes an accumulation of a plurality of purchase transactions of a plurality of users;

means for receiving a first search term from a user; and

a processor for;

generating a first set of search results using the first search term in response to receiving the first search term from the user, and

dynamically generating a user interface page for the user, the user interface page comprising the first set of search results and a plurality of candidate search terms related to said first search term in accordance with relevancy scores calculated based in part on the sales information and click information related to the first search term, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms comprise a plurality of potential alternative search terms, and at least some of the plurality of candidate search terms being organized in accordance with brands, wherein the brands related to the first search term are determined based upon the sales information, wherein each of said plurality of potential alternative search terms is selectable by the user to request a second set of search results, and in response to a selection, by the user, of one of said plurality of potential alternative search terms, a second set of search results is generated for the user using the selected potential alternative search term, and wherein at least one user of said plurality of users does not have a user profile.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms are organized in accordance with products.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms are organized in accordance with related searches.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms are presented as links to other destinations.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said candidate search terms are generated off-line.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said candidate search terms are organized in a look-up table.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said look-up table is a hash table.

45. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein click information includes purchase data.

47. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein click information includes purchase data and click data.

25. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

storing sales information related to a plurality of search terms, wherein the sales information includes an accumulation of a plurality of purchase transactions of a plurality of users;

receiving a first search term from a user;

generating a first set of search results using the first search term in response to receiving the first search term from the user; and

dynamically generating, a user interface page for the user, the user interface page comprising the first set of search results and a plurality of candidate search terms related to said first search term in accordance with relevancy scores calculated based in part on the sales information and click information related to the first search term, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms comprise a plurality of potential alternative search terms, and at least some of the plurality of candidate search terms being organized in accordance with brands, wherein the brands related to the first search term are determined based upon the sales information, wherein each of said plurality of potential alternative search terms is selectable by the user to request a second set of search results, and in response to a selection, by the user, of one of said plurality of potential alternative search terms, a second set of search results is generated for the user using the selected potential alternative search term, and wherein at least one user of said plurality of users does not have a user profile.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms are organized in accordance with products.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms is organized in accordance with related searches.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said plurality of candidate search terms are presented as links to other destinations.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said candidate search terms are generated off-line.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said candidate search terms are organized in a look-up table.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein said look-up table is a hash table.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said candidate search terms are generated in accordance with a span that defines a number of word units.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein said span is greater than one word unit.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said candidate search terms are refined in accordance with an inflection distance.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein said inflection distance is a measure of closeness between two search terms.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

comparing said first search term with a dictionary prior to providing said plurality of candidate search terms.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein said dictionary comprises a brand dictionary that comprises a plurality of brands.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein if said first search term is deemed to be a brand, then at least one of said plurality of candidate search terms is presented as a product of said brand.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein said dictionary comprises an artist dictionary that comprises at least one of singers, performers, bands, and actors.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, the method further comprising:

normalizing said plurality of candidate search terms in accordance with occurrence time of said plurality of candidate search terms.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, the method further comprising:

normalizing said plurality of candidate search terms in accordance with display position of said plurality of candidate search terms.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein click information includes purchase data.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein the purchase data is based upon purchase behavior of a plurality of users.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein click information includes purchase data and click data.