Context based data searching

• US 7,958,104 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corrino Holdings LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: UTOPIO INC.
• Inventors: O'Donnell, Shawn C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Hanh B
• Application Number:
  US12/043,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/710, 707/722, 707/726, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• 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

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software are provided for facilitating data searching over a network. For example, in one implementation, a first component may be adapted to communicate with a user via a user device over the network. A second component may be adapted to receive a search request from the user via the user device over the network, process the search request by identifying zero or more contexts related to the user based on information that may be passed with the search request or via other sources, and provide zero or more search results in response to the search request. A database may be adapted to store information, including contextual information, related to the user. The second component may select information from the database related to zero or more contexts in order to provide zero or more search results to the user. Various other implementations are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating data searching over a network, the system comprising:

a first component adapted to communicate with a user via a user device over the network;

a second component adapted to receive a search request from the user via the user device over the network, process the search request by identifying a context chain related to the user based on information passed with the search request, and provide a search result in response to the search request; and

a database adapted to store information including the context chain related to the user, the context chain including a plurality of contexts, each context in the plurality of contexts being a private context in which content is controlled by a publisher, or a public context in which content is not controlled by a publisher,

wherein the second component selects at least one context from the context chain from which to obtain the search result.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a subset of the plurality of contexts in the context chain are formed as a group of contexts.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is associated with at least one user data object stored in the database in a record, and wherein the user data object includes user parameters and related information including a user ID and a user credential, and wherein the user ID identifies the user or the user device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one publisher data object stored in the database in a record, and wherein the publisher data object includes publisher parameters and related information including at least one of a publisher ID, a publisher name, and a publisher description, and wherein the publisher data object represents a viewpoint of one or more users across a range of searchable topics, and wherein the publisher ID identifies a publisher that publishes a response to a challenge within the one or more contexts.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one tag data object stored in the database in a record, and wherein the tag data object includes tag parameters and related information including a tag ID that associates a word or phrase with the one or more contexts.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one context data object stored in the database in a record, and wherein the context data object includes context parameters and related information including a context ID.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one response data object stored in the database in a record, and wherein the response data object includes response parameters and related information including at least one of response metadata and response instructions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one challenge data object stored in the database in a record, and wherein the challenge data object includes challenge parameters and related information including at least one of challenge acceptance data and challenge expression data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first component is adapted to communicate with the user device via a network browser application.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user device further comprises a user input device that allows audio communication with the user, and wherein the network browser application is adapted to recognize speech as an input from the user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second component is adapted to verify the identity of the user based on information passed with the search request.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the database is adapted to maintain a user account associated with the user, and wherein the user account includes account information related to the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user information comprises confidential information of the user including at least one of an account number and a password.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a network device including at least one of a network computer or a network server.

15. A method for facilitating data searching over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a search request from a user device via the network, the search request including information related to the user device;

processing the search request by identifying a context chain related to the user device based on information passed with the search request, the context chain including a plurality of contexts, each context in the plurality of contexts being a private context in which content is controlled by a publisher, or a public context in which content is not controlled by a publisher;

and

responding to the search request by providing at least one search result to the user device, the search result being obtained from at least one context in the plurality of contexts.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising processing the selected contextual information based on the at least one context and information passed with the search request.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the user device is associated with at least one user data object stored in a database record, and wherein the user data object includes user parameters and related information including a user ID and a user credential, and wherein the user ID identifies the user device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one publisher data object stored in a database record, and wherein the publisher data object includes publisher parameters and related information including at least one of a publisher ID, a publisher name, and a publisher description, and wherein the publisher data object represents a viewpoint of one or more users across a range of searchable topics, and wherein the publisher ID identifies a publisher that publishes a response to a challenge within the one or more contexts.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one tag data object stored in a database record, and wherein the tag data object includes tag parameters and related information including a tag ID that associates a word or phrase with the one or more contexts.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one context data object stored in a database record, and wherein the context data object includes context parameters and related information including a context ID.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one response data object stored in a database record, and wherein the response data object includes response parameters and related information including at least one of response metadata and response instructions.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one context in the plurality of contexts is associated with at least one challenge data object stored in a database record, and wherein the challenge data object includes challenge parameters and related information including at least one of challenge acceptance data and challenge expression data.

23. A software program encoded in one or more non-transitory media structurally and functionally interrelated to the software program in such a manner that enables the software program to act as computer component and realize functionality, the software program when executed:

receives a search request from a user device via the network, the search request including information related to the user device;

processes the search request by identifying at least one context related to the user device based on information passed with the search request, the context chain including a plurality of contexts, each context in the plurality of contexts being a private context in which content is controlled by a publisher, or a public context in which content is not controlled by a publisher; and

responds to the search request by providing at least one search result to the user device, the search result being obtained from at least one context in the plurality of contexts.

24. The software program of claim 23, wherein a subset of the plurality of contexts in the context chain are formed as a group of contexts.