Searching indexed and non-indexed resources for content

• US 8,090,708 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Held, David, Korn, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US12/907,004
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/100, 707/741, 707/711
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for searching indexed and non-indexed content. One method includes updating an index of a corpus of resources from time to time to generate an updated index for use by a search engine. Change data specifying changes made by users affecting resources are recorded. An index search result based on the most-recently updated index is received in response to a user search query. The change data is searched to identify any changes to the resources made by the user that relate to the search query and if any such changes are found, a revised search result is generated from the changes and the index search result and provided to the user as a response to the first query.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

updating a computer searchable index of a corpus of resources from time to time to generate an updated index for use by a search engine to provide index search results to search queries, the search results for any search query being based on a most recently updated index;

recording in a computer readable memory change data specifying changes made by users affecting resources in the corpus, including recording for each change a respective user making the change, the recorded changes occurring so late as not to be reflected in the most recently updated index;

receiving a first search query from a first user and a corresponding first index search result based on the most recently updated index, wherein the first index search result comprises resources indexed in the most-recently updated index that satisfy the query; and

searching the change data recorded in the memory to identify any changes to the corpus of resources made by the first user that relate to the first search query and if any such changes are found, generating a revised search result from the changes and the first index search result and providing the revised search result to the first user as a response to the first query, and otherwise providing the first index search result to the first user as a response to the first query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the changes include a modification of a resource associated with the first user, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises:

determining that the modification causes the resource to no longer satisfy the first search query; and

removing the resource from the first index search result.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the changes include a modification of a resource associated with the first user, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises:

determining that the modification causes the resource to satisfy the first search query; and

adding the resource to the first index search result.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the changes include a deletion of a resource, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises removing the resource from the first index search result.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the changes include an addition of a resource, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises:

determining that the addition causes the resource to satisfy the first search query; and

including the resource in the first index search result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a host provides indexing services and searching services to users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the corpus of resources is recorded in a table;

and generating the revised search result from the changes and the first index search result comprises;

searching the table for the recorded changes specifying changes made by the first user; and

altering the first index search result to reflect the recorded changes.

8. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

updating a computer searchable index of a corpus of resources from time to time to generate an updated index for use by a search engine to provide index search results to search queries, the search results for any search query being based on a most recently updated index;

recording in a computer readable memory change data specifying changes made by users affecting resources in the corpus, including recording for each change a respective user making the change, the recorded changes occurring so late as not to be reflected in the most recently updated index;

receiving a first search query from a first user and a corresponding first index search result based on the most recently updated index, wherein the first index search result comprises resources indexed in the most-recently updated index that satisfy the query; and

searching the change data recorded in the memory to identify any changes to the corpus of resources made by the first user that relate to the first search query and if any such changes are found, generating a revised search result from the changes and the first index search result and providing the revised search result to the first user as a response to the first query, and otherwise providing the first index search result to the first user as a response to the first query.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the changes include a modification of a resource associated with the first user, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises:

determining that the modification causes the resource to no longer satisfy the first search query; and

removing the resource from the first index search result.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the changes include a modification of a resource associated with the first user, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises:

determining that the modification causes the resource to satisfy the first search query; and

adding the resource to the first index search result.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the changes include a deletion of a resource, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises removing the resource from the first index search result.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the changes include an addition of a resource, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises:

determining that the addition causes the resource to satisfy the first search query; and

including the resource in the first index search result.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a host provides indexing services and searching services to users.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the corpus of resources is recorded in a table;

and generating the revised search result from the changes and the first index search result comprises;

searching the table for the recorded changes specifying changes made by the first user; and

altering the first index search result to reflect the recorded changes.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

updating a computer searchable index of a corpus of resources from time to time to generate an updated index for use by a search engine to provide index search results to search queries, the search results for any search query being based on a most recently updated index;

recording in a computer readable memory change data specifying changes made by users affecting resources in the corpus, including recording for each change a respective user making the change, the recorded changes occurring so late as not to be reflected in the most recently updated index;

receiving a first search query from a first user and a corresponding first index search result based on the most recently updated index, wherein the first index search result comprises resources indexed in the most-recently updated index that satisfy the query; and

searching the change data recorded in the memory to identify any changes to the corpus of resources made by the first user that relate to the first search query and if any such changes are found, generating a revised search result from the changes and the first index search result and providing the revised search result to the first user as a response to the first query, and otherwise providing the first index search result to the first user as a response to the first query.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the changes include a modification of a resource associated with the first user, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises:

determining that the modification causes the resource to no longer satisfy the first search query; and

removing the resource from the first index search result.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the changes include a modification of a resource associated with the first user, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises:

determining that the modification causes the resource to satisfy the first search query; and

adding the resource to the first index search result.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the changes include a deletion of a resource, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises removing the resource from the first index search result.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the changes include an addition of a resource, and wherein generating the revised search result comprises:

determining that the addition causes the resource to satisfy the first search query; and

including the resource in the first index search result.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein a host provides indexing services and searching services to users.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the corpus of resources is recorded in a table;

and generating the revised search result from the changes and the first index search result comprises;

searching the table for the recorded changes specifying changes made by the first user; and

altering the first index search result to reflect the recorded changes.