Category suggestions relating to a search

• US 8,027,988 B1
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Reid, Elizabeth Hamon, Egnor, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Uyen T.
• Application Number:
  US12/366,491
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/353 into predefined classes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

A system determines categories for business listings identified in a list of search results and assigns scores to the categories. The system presents one or more high scoring ones of the categories as one or more category suggestions relating to the list of search results.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more server devices, comprising:

receiving, at a processor of the one or more server devices, a search query from a client device;

selecting, using a processor of the one or more server devices, a plurality of documents based on the search query;

identifying, using a processor of the one or more server devices, one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents;

generating, using a processor of the one or more server devices, a score for each of the one or more categories;

selecting, using a processor of the one or more server devices, a category of the one or more categories, as a recommended category, based on the scores generated for the one or more categories; and

presenting, using a processor of the one or more server devices, information regarding the plurality of documents and the recommended category to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the search query relates to businesses in a particular geographic area.

3. The method of claim 1, where identifying the one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents includes:

using yellow page data or web directory data to identify the one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents.

4. The method of claim 1, where identifying the one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents includes:

accessing a memory that stores information regarding categories associated with documents, and

using the information stored in the memory to identify the one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents.

5. The method of claim 1, where generating the score for each of the one or more categories includes, for a given category:

determining a number of documents, of the plurality of documents, associated with the category, where the score, for the category, is based on the determined number.

6. The method of claim 1, where generating the score for each of the one or more categories includes, for a given category:

obtaining scores of documents, in the plurality of documents, associated with the category, and

combining the obtained scores to generate the score for the category.

7. The method of claim 6, where the score of one of the documents corresponds to at least one of an information retrieval score or a link-based score of the one of the documents.

8. The method of claim 1, where the recommended category is associated with a plurality of different naming schemes, and

where presenting information regarding the plurality of documents and the recommended category includes:

selecting one of the plurality of different naming schemes, and

presenting information, regarding the recommended category, using the selected one of the plurality of different naming schemes.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the client device, a selection relating to the recommended category presented to the client device;

modifying, in response to the received selection, the search query based on information regarding the recommended category;

performing a search based on the modified search query; and

presenting, to the client device, search results based on the performed search.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the client device, a selection relating to the recommended category presented to the client device;

performing, in response to the received selection, a search to identify documents that relate to the search query and that are associated with the recommended category; and

presenting, to the client device, information relating to the identified documents.

11. The method of claim 1, where presenting information regarding the plurality of documents and the recommended category includes:

providing, for one of the plurality of documents, at least two of;

a name of a business associated with the one of the plurality of documents,

a geographical address associated with the business,

a telephone number associated with the business,

information regarding directions to the geographical address associated with the business,

information regarding one or more documents that refer to the business, or

a map of a geographical area that includes the geographical address associated with the business, and

providing a link corresponding to the recommended category, where selection of the link, corresponding to the recommended category, causes a search to be performed for documents associated with the recommended category.

12. A system, comprising:

one or more server devices comprising;

means for receiving information regarding a plurality of documents;

means for identifying one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents;

means for generating a score for each of the one or more categories; and

means for selecting one of the one or more categories, as a category suggestion, based on the scores generated for the one or more categories.

13. The system of claim 12, where the means for generating the score for each of the one or more categories includes, for a given category:

means for determining a number of documents, of the plurality of documents, associated with the category, where the score, for the category, is based on the determined number.

14. The system of claim 12, where the means for generating the score for each of the one or more categories includes, for a given category:

means for obtaining scores of documents, in the plurality of documents, associated with the category, and

means for combining the obtained scores, of the documents, to obtain the score for the category.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory, where the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a search query from a client device;

identify a plurality of documents based on the search query;

identify one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents;

generate a score for each category of the one or more categories, where the score for a given category is based on a quantity of documents, in the plurality of documents, associated with the category; and

select one of the one or more categories to present, as a category suggestion, in connection with the plurality of documents, the category suggestion being selected based on the scores generated for the one or more categories.

16. The system of claim 15, where, when identifying the one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents, the processor executes instructions to use yellow page data or web directory data to identify the one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents.

17. The system of claim 15, where the category suggestion is associated with a plurality of different naming schemes, and

where, when selecting the one of the one or more categories to present as a category suggestion, the processor executes instructions to:

select one of the plurality of different naming schemes.

18. The system of claim 15, where the processor further executes instructions to:

receive a selection relating to the category suggestion,

modify, in response to the received selection, the search query based on information regarding the category suggestion,

perform a search based on the modified search query, and

present search results based on the performed search.

19. The system of claim 15, where the processor further executes instructions to present information regarding the plurality of documents and the category suggestion in response to the search query.

20. The system of claim 19, where, when presenting the information regarding the plurality of documents and the category suggestion, the processor further executes instructions to:

provide, for one of the plurality of documents, at least two of;

a name of a business associated with the one of the plurality of documents,

a geographical address associated with the business,

a telephone number associated with the business,

information regarding directions to the geographical address associated with the business,

information regarding one or more documents that refer to the business, or

a map of a geographical area that includes the geographical address associated with the business, and

provide a link corresponding to the category suggestion, where selection of the link, corresponding to the category suggestion, causes a search to be performed for documents associated with the category suggestion.

21. A system, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory, where the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive a search query from a client device;

identify a plurality of documents based on the search query;

obtain a score for each document in the plurality of documents;

identify one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents;

determine a score for each category of the one or more categories, where the score for a given category is based on the obtained score of one or more documents, in the plurality of documents, associated with the category, and

select one of the one or more categories to present, as a category suggestion, in connection with the plurality of documents, the one of the one or more categories being selected based on the scores determined for the one or more categories.

22. The system of claim 21, where, when identifying the one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents, the processor executes instructions to:

access a memory that stores information regarding categories associated with documents, and

use the information stored in the memory to identify the one or more categories associated with the plurality of documents.

23. The system of claim 21, where, when determining the score for a given category of the one or more categories, the processor executes instructions to:

combine the obtained scores, for the given category of the one or more categories, to obtain the score for the given category.

24. The system of claim 21, where the score, for one of the plurality of documents, corresponds to at least one of an information retrieval score or a link-based score.

25. The system of claim 21, where the processor further executes instructions to:

receive a selection relating to the category suggestion,

perform, in response to the received selection, a search to identify documents that relate to the search query and that are associated with the category suggestion, and

present information relating to the identified documents.

26. The system of claim 21, where processor further executes instructions to present information regarding the plurality of documents and the category suggestion in response to the search query.

27. The system of claim 26, where, when presenting the information regarding the plurality of documents and the category suggestion, the processor further executes instructions to:

provide, for one of the plurality of documents, at least two of;

a name of a business associated with the one of the plurality of documents,

a geographical address associated with the business,

a telephone number associated with the business,

information regarding directions to the geographical address associated with the business,

information regarding one or more documents that refer to the business, or

a map of a geographical area that includes the geographical address associated with the business, and

provide a link corresponding to the category suggestion, where selection of the link, corresponding to the category suggestion, causes a search to be performed for documents associated with the category suggestion.