Time-based analysis of related keyword searching

• US 7,937,403 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kehl, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Greta L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinrich; Brian E
• Application Number:
  US11/554,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 707/750, 707/767
• US Class Current: 707/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for displaying related search terms in a time sequence format. In example embodiments, a user search database, for retaining search terms that were used during specific times, may be available. The user search database may be searched to find which users have searched on a selected anchor term. The frequency of use of such anchor term may then be displayed in a time sequence format, e.g., over a week time period. The users that have used this selected anchor term may have also searched on other search terms, and the search terms that belong to a selected category of interest and were also used by the anchor term users may also be located in the user search database. These search terms from the selected category may also be displayed in a time sequence format, e.g., in the month preceding or proceeding the anchor use display'"'"'s time period.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) at a search term aggregator server, receiving from a particular user of a client device a query for viewing a plurality of related search terms in a particular category that are used by a plurality of search application users, via one or more search server, who also each used a selected anchor term in the particular category;

(b) from a plurality of user search databases for storing user search information pertaining to each of a plurality of searches by a user for web documents that are relevant to a corresponding search term, obtaining user search information for each search by each user who also conducted at least one search for documents that are relevant to the selected anchor search term, wherein the user search information for each search includes a user identifier, a time of search, a corresponding search term, and a search term category;

(c) filtering the obtained user search information to include only user search information pertaining to searches for web documents that are relevant to the corresponding search terms in the selected category; and

(d) from the filtered user search information, sending to the client device a user interface for selectively displaying the corresponding search terms and the selected anchor search term for each user in a time sequence calendar format that spatially displays when the corresponding search terms and the selected anchor search term were used relative to each other for their corresponding searches in a particular time period and the frequency of use of the corresponding search terms.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filtered user search information includes corresponding search terms that at least one user used prior to the selected anchor term.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filtered user search information includes corresponding search terms that at least one user used subsequent to the selected anchor term.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured for selectively displaying the corresponding search terms of the filtered user search information separately for each user.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured for selectively displaying the corresponding search terms of the filtered user search information for all the users together.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured for selectively displaying only a portion of the corresponding terms for each user on a particular day, wherein such portion is selectable for further displaying a remaining portion of the corresponding terms for such each user for such particular day.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of a particular corresponding search term that was selectively displayed in the user interface to thereby define a new selection of an anchor term and repeating operations (b) through (d) for such new anchor term selection.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the users is an automated entity.

9. An apparatus comprising at least a processor and a memory, wherein the processor and/or memory are configured to perform the following operations:

(a) at a search term aggregator server, receiving from a particular user of a client device a query for viewing a plurality of related search terms in a particular category that are used by a plurality of search application users, via one or more search server, who also each used a selected anchor term in the particular category;

(b) from a plurality of user search databases for storing user search information pertaining to each of a plurality of searches by a user for web documents that are relevant to a corresponding search term, obtaining user search information for each search by each user who also conducted at least one search for documents that are relevant to the selected anchor search term, wherein the user search information for each search includes a user identifier, a time of search, a corresponding search term, and a search term category;

(c) filtering the obtained user search information to include only user search information pertaining to searches for web documents that are relevant to the corresponding search terms in the selected category; and

(d) from the filtered user search information, sending to the client device a user interface for selectively displaying the corresponding search terms and the selected anchor search term for each user in a time sequence calendar format that spatially displays when the corresponding search terms and the selected anchor search term were used relative to each other for their corresponding searches in a particular time period and the frequency of use of the corresponding search terms.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the filtered user search information includes corresponding search terms that at least one user used prior to the selected anchor term.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the filtered user search information includes corresponding search terms that at least one user used subsequent to the selected anchor term.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the user interface is configured for selectively displaying the corresponding search terms of the filtered user search information separately for each user.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the user interface is configured for selectively displaying the corresponding search terms of the filtered user search information for all the users together.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the user interface is configured for selectively displaying only a portion of the corresponding terms for each user on a particular day, wherein such portion is selectable for further displaying a remaining portion of the corresponding terms for such each user for such particular day.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the processor and/or memory are further configured for receiving a selection of a particular corresponding search term that was selectively displayed in the user interface to thereby define a new selection of an anchor term and repeating operations (b) through (d) for such new anchor term selection.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of the users is an automated entity.

17. At least one computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer readable storage medium is in the form of magnetic media, optical media, or magneto-optical media, wherein the computer program instructions are arranged to perform the following operations:

(a) at a search term aggregator server, receiving from a particular user of a client device a query for viewing a plurality of related search terms in a particular category that are used by a plurality of search application users, via one or more search server, who also each used a selected anchor term in the particular category;

(b) from a plurality of user search databases for storing user search information pertaining to each of a plurality of searches by a user for web documents that are relevant to a corresponding search term, obtaining user search information for each search by each user who also conducted at least one search for documents that are relevant to the selected anchor search term, wherein the user search information for each search includes a user identifier, a time of search, a corresponding search term, and a search term category;

(c) filtering the obtained user search information to include only user search information pertaining to searches for web documents that are relevant to the corresponding search terms in the selected category; and

(d) from the filtered user search information, sending to the client device a user interface for selectively displaying the corresponding search terms and the selected anchor search term for each user in a time sequence calendar format that spatially displays when the corresponding search terms and the selected anchor search term were used relative to each other for their corresponding searches in a particular time period and the frequency of use of the corresponding search terms.

18. An at least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the filtered user search information includes corresponding search terms that at least one user used prior to the selected anchor term.

19. An at least one computer readable storage as recited in claim 17, wherein the filtered user search information includes corresponding search terms that at least one user used subsequent to the selected anchor term.

20. An at least one computer readable storage as recited in claim 17, wherein the user interface is configured for selectively displaying the corresponding search terms of the filtered user search information separately for each user.

21. An at least one computer readable storage as recited in claim 17, wherein the user interface is configured for selectively displaying the corresponding search terms of the filtered user search information for all the users together.

22. An at least one computer readable storage as recited in claim 17, wherein the user interface is configured for selectively displaying only a portion of the corresponding terms for each user on a particular day, wherein such portion is selectable for further displaying a remaining portion of the corresponding terms for such each user for such particular day.

23. An at least one computer readable storage as recited in claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions are further arranged for receiving a selection of a particular corresponding search term that was selectively displayed in the user interface to thereby define a new selection of an anchor term and repeating operations (b) through (d) for such new anchor term selection.

24. An at least one computer readable storage as recited in claim 17, wherein at least one of the users is an automated entity.