Coordinating different search queries using a translated query cursor

• US 8,260,769 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fuller, Alfred R. K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spieler, William
• Application Number:
  US13/248,990
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 707/721, 707/713, 707/715
• US Class Current: 707/721
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2228 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24539 using cached or materialised query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536

Abstract

A search server system having one or more processors and memory receives, from a client, a current search query including a query cursor corresponding to a prior search query. The query cursor corresponds to a location in a first set of index portions used to perform the prior search query. In response to the current search query, the server decomposes the query cursor into a plurality of components and generates a translated query cursor corresponding to the received search query using one or more of the components. The server subsequently identifies a location in a second set of index portions to start performing the current search query based the translated query cursor. The server generates a set of search results corresponding to the current search query by searching in the second set of index portions starting at the identified location and sends search results to the client.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a computer system comprising one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors so as to perform the method;

receiving, from a client, a current search query including a query cursor corresponding to a prior search query, the query cursor corresponding to a location in a first set of one or more index portions used to perform the prior search query, wherein the current search query specifies a sort order that is different from a sort order of the prior search query;

in response to the current search query;

determining a plurality of components of the query cursor;

generating a translated query cursor corresponding to the received search query using one or more of the components;

identifying a location in a second set of one or more index portions to start performing the current search query based the translated query cursor; and

generating a set of search results corresponding to the current search query by searching in the second set of index portions starting at the identified location; and

sending, to the client, a representation of at least a portion of the set of search results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the components of the query cursor correspond to search terms of the prior search query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the components of the query cursor correspond to predefined sort criteria of the prior search query.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the location in the second set of one or more index portions to start performing the current search query based the translated query cursor includes identifying the location in the second set of one or more index portions based on one or more of the predefined sort criteria of the prior search query.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the components of the query cursor corresponds to a unique identifier of an entity matching the prior search query.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of components of the query cursor corresponding to the prior search query have a first order; and

generating the translated query cursor includes rearranging one or more of the components into a second order different from the first order.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the current search query has opposite sort order from the prior search query.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the current search query is different from the prior search query in one or more of the following ways:

the search terms in the current search query are different from the search terms in the prior search query;

the current search query specifies a first set of one or more predefined sort parameters for sorting that is different from a second set of one or more predefined sort parameters for sorting that is specified by the prior search query;

the current search query requests results in a predefined range that is different from a predefined range of results requested by the prior search query;

or

the current search query specifies a logical relationship between search terms that is different from a logical relationship between search terms in the prior search query.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of index portions used to perform the current search query are different from the set of index portions used to perform the prior search query.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the search query specifies that no more than a predefined number of identifiers are to be retrieved, and the retrieving includes retrieving no more than the predefined number of identifiers.

11. A search server system, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving, from a client, a current search query including a query cursor corresponding to a prior search query, the query cursor corresponding to a location in a first set of one or more index portions used to perform the prior search query, wherein the current search query specifies a sort order that is different from a sort order of the prior search query;

in response to the current search query;

determining a plurality of components of the query cursor;

generating a translated query cursor corresponding to the received search query using one or more of the components;

identifying a location in a second set of one or more index portions to start performing the current search query based the translated query cursor; and

generating a set of search results corresponding to the current search query by searching in the second set of index portions starting at the identified location; and

sending, to the client, a representation of at least a portion of the set of search results.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the components of the query cursor correspond to search terms of the prior search query.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the components of the query cursor correspond to predefined sort criteria of the prior search query.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein identifying the location in the second set of one or more index portions to start performing the current search query based the translated query cursor includes identifying the location in the second set of one or more index portions based on one or more of the predefined sort criteria of the prior search query.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of components of the query cursor corresponding to the prior search query have a first order; and

generating the translated query cursor includes rearranging one or more of the components into a second order different from the first order.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer system with one or more processors, cause the computer system to:

receive, from a client, a current search query including a query cursor corresponding to a prior search query, the query cursor corresponding to a location in a first set of one or more index portions used to perform the prior search query, wherein the current search query specifies a sort order that is different from a sort order of the prior search query;

in response to the current search query;

determine a plurality of components of the query cursor;

generate a translated query cursor corresponding to the received search query using one or more of the components;

identify a location in a second set of one or more index portions to start performing the current search query based the translated query cursor; and

generate a set of search results corresponding to the current search query by searching in the second set of index portions starting at the identified location; and

send, to the client, a representation of at least a portion of the set of search results.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein one or more of the components of the query cursor correspond to search terms of the prior search query.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein one or more of the components of the query cursor correspond to predefined sort criteria of the prior search query.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein identifying the location in the second set of one or more index portions to start performing the current search query based the translated query cursor includes identifying the location in the second set of one or more index portions based on one or more of the predefined sort criteria of the prior search query.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of components of the query cursor corresponding to the prior search query have a first order; and

generating the translated query cursor includes rearranging one or more of the components into a second order different from the first order.