Methods and systems for providing a response to a query

• US 8,065,299 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Curtis, Andy, Gerasoulis, Apostolos, Levin, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US12/148,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/727, 707/728, 707/769, 707/770, 709/218, 715/272
• US Class Current: 707/727
• 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 method comprising:

receiving and recording, by a server digital processing system (DPS), a first query received from a plurality of independent users during a search session;

providing, by the server DPS, one or more search results to the independent users in response to the query during their respective search sessions, wherein each independent user is enabled to pick at least one of the provided search results;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a plurality of search results picked by the independent users during their respective search sessions;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a plurality of second queries received from the independent users during their respective search sessions;

receiving, by the server DPS, the first query from a user;

determining, by the server DPS, a first topic associated with the first query;

correlating, by the server DPS, the first query with at least one of the recorded second queries to form a query-to-query association and a recorded picked search result and to form a query-to-pick association in order to determine a second topic related to the first topic; and

providing, by the server DPS, a response to the first query based upon the determined first and second topics.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a particular characteristic of the first query is that the first query is an erroneous spelling of a supposed intended query and the response to the first query is based upon the supposed intended query.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a particular characteristic of the first query is that the first query has multiple representations and the response to the first query is based upon a particular one of the multiple representations.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a particular characteristic of the first query is that the first query contains more relevant portions and less relevant portions and the response to the first query is based upon the more relevant portions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the particular characteristic of the first query is that the first query is associated with a plurality of result product types and the response to the query is based upon the association.

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

receiving and recording, by a server digital processing system (DPS), a first query received from a plurality of independent users during a search session;

providing, by the server DPS, one or more search results to the independent users in response to the query during their respective search sessions, wherein each independent user is enabled to pick at least one of the provided search results;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a plurality of search results picked by the independent users during their respective search sessions;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a plurality of second queries received from the independent users during their respective search sessions;

receiving, by the server DPS, the first query from a user;

determining, by the server DPS, a first topic associated with the first query;

correlating, by the server DPS, the first query with at least one of the recorded second queries to form a query-to-query association and a recorded picked search result and to form a query-to-pick association in order to determine a second topic related to the first topic; and

providing, by the server DPS, a response to the first query based upon the determined first and second topics.

7. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein a particular characteristic of the first query is that the first query is an erroneous spelling of a supposed intended query and the response to the first query is based upon the supposed intended query.

8. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein a particular characteristic of the first query is that the first query has multiple representations and the response to the first query is based upon a particular one of the multiple representations.

9. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein a particular characteristic of the first query is that the first query contains more relevant portions and less relevant portions and the response to the first query is based upon the more relevant portions.

10. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein a particular characteristic of the first query is that the first query is associated with a plurality of result product types and the response to the first query is based upon the association.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving and recording, by a server digital processing system (DPS), a first query received from a plurality of independent users during a search session;

providing, by the server DPS, one or more search results to the independent users in response to the query during their respective search sessions, wherein each independent user is enabled to pick at least one of the provided search results;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a plurality of search results picked by the independent users during their respective search sessions;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a plurality of second queries received from the independent users during their respective search sessions;

receiving, by the server DPS, the first query from a user;

determining, by the server DPS, a first topic associated with the first query;

correlating, by the server DPS, the first query with at least one of the recorded second queries to form a query-to-query association and a recorded picked search result and to form a query-to-pick association in order to determine a second topic related to the first topic; and

providing, by the server DPS, one or more query suggestions to the user, the one or more query suggestions based upon the determined first and second topics.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the one or more query suggestions are provided via a link provided along with search results for the first query.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining one or more of the query suggestions is a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled first query; and

indicating to the user which of the provided query suggestions have been determined to be a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled first query.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the evaluation of one or more of the query suggestions as a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled first query is based on criteria selected from the group consisting of textual similarity to the first query, more common than the received first query, issued subsequently to the first query more often than issued prior to the first query, and results in a greater number of user picks than the first query.

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

receiving and recording, by a server digital processing system (DPS), a first query received from a plurality of independent users during a search session;

providing, by the server DPS, one or more search results to the independent users in response to the query during their respective search sessions, wherein each independent user is enabled to pick at least one of the provided search results;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a plurality of search results picked by the independent users during their respective search sessions;

receiving and recording, by the server DPS, a plurality of second queries received from the independent users during their respective search sessions;

receiving, by the server DPS, the first query from a user;

determining, by the server DPS, a first topic associated with the first query;

correlating, by the server DPS, the first query with at least one of the recorded second queries to form a query-to-query association and a recorded picked search result and to form a query-to-pick association in order to determine a second topic related to the first topic; and

providing, by the server DPS, one or more query suggestions to the user, the one or more query suggestions based upon the determined first and second topics.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein one or more query suggestions are provided via a link provided along with search results for the first query.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether one or more of the query suggestions is a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled first query; and

indicating to the user which of the provided query suggestions have been determined to be a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled first query.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the evaluation of one or more of the query suggestions as a correct spelling of an erroneously spelled received query is based on criteria selected from the group consisting of textual similarity to the first query, more common than the first query, issued subsequently to the first query more often than issued prior to the first query, and results in a greater number of user picks than the first query.