Methods and systems for providing a response to a query

• US 8,037,087 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (IAC/InterActiveCorp)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (IAC/InterActiveCorp)
• Inventors: Curtis, Andy, Gerasoulis, Apostolos, Levin, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US12/148,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/727, 707/728, 707/769, 707/723, 707/803, 709/218, 709/217, 715/272, 715/234, 715/248
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• 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 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a response to a query. Multiple users'"'"' search engine activity in regard to a query is correlated. A response is provided based upon this correlated search engine activity information. For one embodiment of the invention, in the context of search engine result optimization, the user activity and/or user information of multiple users, during a search session, is correlated with queries to effect an evolving association between queries and the organization and presentation of documents. Systems in accordance with such embodiments employ the ability to store users'"'"' activity over the entire search session, thus making possible the correlation of a number of different types of user activity and user information. The use of correlated user input allows such systems to provide relevant search results without the limitations imposed by the key-word-based systems of the prior art.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a query from a user;

correlating search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users, the search engine activity information pertaining to a search session of a respective independent user for a query related to the received query, the search session being defined by a reasonable time limit or a limit on intervening actions in search engine activity; and

providing search results to the user corresponding to the received query, wherein providing search results to the user comprises determining one or more of query associations that is a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query based on the correlated query-to-query activity and indicating to the user which of the provided query suggestions have been determined to be a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-query information.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-pick information.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query has multiple meanings and the correlated query-to-query activity is based upon a particular one of the multiple meanings.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein correlating comprises associating all queries issued during a search session with all other queries issued during the search session.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein correlating comprises associating all queries recorded during a search session that are correlated with all other picks during the search session.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a log of the search engine activity information pertaining to the search session and wherein correlating comprises calculating a score parametrically based on the search engine activity information in the log pertaining to the search session.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting search results to the user comprises providing one or more query suggestions via a link based on the query-to-query activity.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting search results to the user comprises search results associated with a query different than the received query based on the query-to-query activity.

10. A machine-readable storage medium that provides executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a query from a user;

correlating search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users, the search engine activity information pertaining to a search session of a respective independent user for a query related to the received query, the search session being defined by a reasonable time limit or a limit on intervening actions in search engine activity; and

providing search results to the user corresponding to the received query, wherein providing search results to the user comprises determining one or more of query associations that is a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query based on the correlated query-to-query activity and indicating to the user which of the provided query suggestions have been determined to be a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-query information.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein the search engine activity information of each of two or more independent users is query-to-pick information.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein a particular characteristic of the query is that the query has multiple meanings and the correlated query-to-query activity is based upon a particular one of the multiple meanings.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein correlating comprises associating all queries issued during the search session with all other queries issued during the search session.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein correlating comprises associating all queries recorded during the search session that are correlated with all other picks during the search session.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10 further comprising maintaining a log of the search engine activity information pertaining to the search session and wherein correlating comprises calculating a score parametrically based on the search engine activity information in the log pertaining to the search session.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein presenting search results to the user comprises providing one or more query suggestions via a link based on the query-to-query activity.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein presenting search results to the user comprises search results associated with a query different than the received query based on the query-to-query activity.