Performing an ordered search of different databases in response to receiving a search query and without receiving any additional user input

• US 7,958,110 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jollify Management Limited
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thrall, John, Anick, Peter, Shah, Mihir, Gourlay, Alastair, Bayley, Oliver Thomas, Hood, Stephen, Durfee, Adam, Rabbat, Ralph, Hall, Ashley Woodman, Kasperski, Richard, Kapur, Shyam
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US12/703,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 707705-711, 707/723, 707737-740, 707/749, 707781-782, 707/731, 707/758, 707/769, 715205-209, 715233-234, 706 45- 50, 705 26- 27, 709/203, 709215-219
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3331 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/334 Query execution G06F16/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Providing a speculative search result for a search query prior to completion of the search query. In response to receiving a search query from a client node, a speculative search result is provided to the client node for the search query prior to receiving an indication from the client node that said search query is completely formed. The speculative search result may be displayed on the same web page on the client node as the search query, while the search query is being entered by the user. As the user further enters the search query, a new speculative search result may be provided to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, performed by one or more computing devices having memory and at least one processor, of providing search results, comprising the steps of:

receiving a search query from a client node;

in response to receiving the search query and without receiving any additional user input from the client node, performing an ordered search of different databases;

wherein performing the ordered search of different databases comprises;

performing, based on the search query, a first search that produces a first set of one or more search results, wherein performing the first search comprises searching a first set of one or more databases;

determining whether the first set of one or more search results satisfy particular criteria;

performing, based on the search query, a second search that produces a second set of one or more search results if and only if the first set of one or more search results do not satisfy the particular criteria, wherein performing the second search comprises searching a second set of one or more databases, wherein the first set of one or more databases is different than the second set of one or more databases;

generating a search result that is based on at least of the first set of one or more search results or the second set of one or more search results; and

providing said search result to said client node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining whether the first set of one or more search results satisfy particular criteria includes determining whether the first set of one or more search results meet a relevance threshold; and

the step of determining is based on relevance scores, assigned to documents in the first set of one or more search results, that reflect relevance between the first set of one or more search results and the search query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the search query is a not-yet-submitted search query;

the step of determining the search result comprises determining a speculative search result based on the not-yet-submitted search query; and

the method further comprising;

determining whether said not-yet-submitted search query meets a criterion for initiating performance of the step of determining the speculative search result, and

performing said determining the speculative search result in response to determining that said not-yet-submitted search query meets the criterion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether said not-yet-submitted search query meets a criterion comprises determining whether said not-yet-submitted search query comprises a complete word.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether said not-yet-submitted search query meets a criterion comprises determining whether said not-yet-submitted search query matches a phrase in a dictionary of pre-defined phrases.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether said not-yet-submitted search query meets a criterion comprises determining whether a pre-determined period of time has passed since a character was last entered in said not-yet-submitted search query.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said databases comprise a database of pre-defined search results each comprising an organized collection of information related to a search query.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the search query is a not-yet-submitted search query;

the step of generating the search result comprises determining a speculative search result based on the not-yet-submitted search query; and

the method further comprising;

receiving a further portion of said not-yet-submitted search query from said client node;

determining an updated speculative search result for said further portion prior to receiving an indication from said client node that said not-yet-submitted search query is completely formed; and

providing said updated speculative search result to said client node, wherein said updated speculative search result identifies at least one item that satisfies said not-yet submitted search query.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the search query is a not-yet-submitted search query;

the step of generating the search result comprises generating a speculative search result based on the not-yet-submitted search query; and

the method further comprising providing a suggestion to said client node to improve said not-yet submitted search query prior to receiving an indication from said client node that said search query is completely formed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the search query is a not-yet-submitted search query;

the search result is a speculative search result;

generating the search result comprises generating the speculative search result for the not-yet-submitted search query prior to receiving an indication from said client node that said not-yet-submitted search query is completely formed;

the first set of one or more search results is a first set of one or more speculative search results;

the second set of one or more search results is a second set of one or more speculative search results;

the method further comprising;

receiving input that indicates that said search query is submitted, and performing a search based on said submitted search query.

11. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 1.

12. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 2.

13. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 3.

14. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 4.

15. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 5.

16. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 6.

17. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 7.

18. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 8.

19. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 9.

20. One or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the performance of the method recited in claim 10.