Searching a database including prioritizing results based on historical data
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, at a server, from a client, one or more input search terms;
in response to the server receiving the one or more input search terms;
the server retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database based on a search conducted based on the received one or more input search terms, wherein the database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon;
the server filtering the retrieved plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, wherein the filtering is based at least partially upon a first criterion, wherein the first criterion is one of;
a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed, ora number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed; and
the server returning to the client, as the one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, only a filtered set of one or more coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering;
wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons returned as the one or more search results is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database based on the one or more input search terms;
wherein the filtering comprises selecting a particular coupon to include in the filtered set of one or more coupons based on at least one of;
a number of times the particular coupon has been previously both returned as a search result and printed in response to the same one or more input search terms, ora number of times the particular coupon has been previously both returned as a search result and redeemed in response to the same one or more input search terms;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided that include techniques for searching a database. One method includes receiving one or more input search terms and providing a database. The database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon. The method further includes identifying one or more coupons in the database based on the received input search terms. The method further includes selecting one or more coupons from the identified coupons. A given coupon can be selected based on a number of times the given coupon has been previously printed. A given coupon can also be selected based on a number of times the given coupon has been previously redeemed. The method further includes presenting one or more coupons to the user where the presented one or more coupons include the selected one or more coupons.
106 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a server, from a client, one or more input search terms;
in response to the server receiving the one or more input search terms;the server retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database based on a search conducted based on the received one or more input search terms, wherein the database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon; the server filtering the retrieved plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, wherein the filtering is based at least partially upon a first criterion, wherein the first criterion is one of; a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed, or a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed; and the server returning to the client, as the one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, only a filtered set of one or more coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering; wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons returned as the one or more search results is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database based on the one or more input search terms; wherein the filtering comprises selecting a particular coupon to include in the filtered set of one or more coupons based on at least one of; a number of times the particular coupon has been previously both returned as a search result and printed in response to the same one or more input search terms, or a number of times the particular coupon has been previously both returned as a search result and redeemed in response to the same one or more input search terms; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a server, from a client, one or more input search terms; determining a category for the one or more input search terms; and in response to the server receiving the one or more input search terms; the server retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database based on a search conducted based on the received one or more input search terms, wherein the database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon; identifying at least a particular coupon of the plurality of coupons in the database based on a particular search term within the determined category, wherein the particular search term is a term other than the one or more input search terms; the server filtering the retrieved plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, wherein the filtering is based at least partially upon a first criterion, wherein the first criterion is one of; a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed, or a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed; and the server returning to the client, as the one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, only a filtered set of one or more coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering; wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons returned as the one or more search results is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database based on the one or more input search terms; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a server, from a client, one or more input search terms; in response to the server receiving the one or more input search terms; the server retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database based on a search conducted based on the received one or more input search terms, wherein the database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon; the server filtering the retrieved plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, wherein the filtering is based at least partially upon a first criterion, wherein the first criterion is one of; a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed, or a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed; and the server returning to the client, as the one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, only a filtered set of one or more coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering; wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons returned as the one or more search results is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database based on the one or more input search terms; determining a category for one of the selected one or more coupons; and identifying at least a particular coupon of the plurality of coupons in the database based on a particular search term within the determined category, wherein the particular search term is a term other than the one or more input search terms; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.
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24. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause:
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receiving, at a server, from a client, one or more input search terms; in response to the server receiving the one or more input search terms; the server retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database based on a search conducted based on the received one or more input search terms, wherein the database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon; the server filtering the retrieved plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, wherein the filtering is based at least partially upon a first criterion, wherein the first criterion is one of; a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed, or a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed; and the server returning to the client, as the one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, only a filtered set of one or more coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering; wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons returned as the one or more search results is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database based on the one or more input search terms; wherein the filtering comprises selecting a particular coupon to include in the filtered set of one or more coupons based on at least one of; a number of times the particular coupon has been previously both returned as a search result and printed in response to the same one or more input search terms, or a number of times the particular coupon has been previously both returned as a search result and redeemed in response to the same one or more input search terms. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause:
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receiving, at a server, from a client, one or more input search terms; determining a category for the one or more input search terms; and in response to the server receiving the one or more input search terms; the server retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database based on a search conducted based on the received one or more input search terms, wherein the database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon; identifying at least a particular coupon of the plurality of coupons in the database based on a particular search term within the determined category, wherein the particular search term is a term other than the one or more input search terms; the server filtering the retrieved plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, wherein the filtering is based at least partially upon a first criterion, wherein the first criterion is one of; a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed, or a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed; and the server returning to the client, as the one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, only a filtered set of one or more coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering; wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons returned as the one or more search results is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database based on the one or more input search terms. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause:
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receiving, at a server, from a client, one or more input search terms; in response to the server receiving the one or more input search terms; the server retrieving a plurality of coupons from a database based on a search conducted based on the received one or more input search terms, wherein the database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon; the server filtering the retrieved plurality of coupons to select which coupons in the plurality of coupons to return as one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, wherein the filtering is based at least partially upon a first criterion, wherein the first criterion is one of; a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously printed, or a number of times a given coupon in the plurality of coupons has been previously redeemed; and the server returning to the client, as the one or more search results for the one or more input search terms, only a filtered set of one or more coupons comprising coupons selected as a result of the filtering; wherein the filtered set of one or more coupons returned as the one or more search results is smaller than the plurality of coupons retrieved from the database based on the one or more input search terms; determining a category for one of the selected one or more coupons; and identifying at least a particular coupon of the plurality of coupons in the database based on a particular search term within the determined category, wherein the particular search term is a term other than the one or more input search terms.
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Specification