Search results generation and sorting

• US 8,266,173 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reztlaff, James R. II, Ryan, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Yuk Ting
• Application Number:
  US11/763,363
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/31 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

Searching electronic items stored in memory may include receiving search query terms, compiling a list of electronic items containing at least one instance of each query term, and sorting the list of electronic items based on one or more criteria. From the sorted list, search results may be determined and displayed.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least partially by a handheld electronic book reader device, the method comprising:

under control of one or more systems of the handheld electronic book reader device configured with executable instructions,

receiving query terms input to the handheld electronic book reader device by a user;

compiling a list of electronic items stored in memory of the handheld electronic book reader device that contain at least one instance of each query term;

sorting the list of electronic items based on a number of instances of the query terms in each electronic item, wherein sorting the list comprises;

determining, for each electronic item in the list, a fuzz factor which is indicative of a likelihood that each electronic item has the query terms located within a predetermined proximity of each other; and

organizing the list based on the fuzz factor, wherein the fuzz factor comprises a number that is derived using less processing than determining that at least one instance of the query terms are located within the predetermined proximity of each other;

determining an electronic item from the sorted list that has at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other in the electronic item; and

displaying, on a display of the handheld electronic book reader device, results including the electronic item and other electronic items from the sorted list determined to have at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuzz factor=(IT1+IT2+ . . . +ITQ)/Q, where IT1 is a number of instances of a first query term, IT2 is a number of instances of a second query term, ITQ is a number of instances of a Q^th query term and, Q is the number of query terms received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuzz factor comprises a minimum number of occurrences of the query terms.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises displaying a set of results including a predetermined number of electronic items having at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other, and wherein the determining is iteratively performed on the electronic items in order of the sorted list until the predetermined number of electronic items having at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other is reached.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a request to view a next set of search results;

beginning with a next electronic item in the sorted list and continuing in order of the sorted list, iteratively determining electronic items having at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other until the predetermined number of electronic items for the next set of search results is reached; and

displaying the next set of results on the display of the handheld electronic book reader device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the list is compiled based on a master index of terms in electronic items stored in memory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is fixed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity comprises a byte offset between query terms.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic items comprise electronic books.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying results comprises displaying electronic items in order of a number of near value matches in the electronic items, each near value match comprising an instance of query terms being located within the predetermined proximity of each other in an electronic item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is, for each electronic item, based at least in part on a length of the respective electronic item.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is, for each electronic item, based at least in part on a quantity of query terms input to the handheld electronic book reader device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is, for each electronic item, based at least in part on average word size of the respective electronic item.

14. A handheld electronic book reader device comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions executable on the processor to;

receive query terms input to the handheld electronic book reader device by a user;

compile a list of electronic items stored in memory of the handheld electronic book reader device that contain at least one instance of each query term;

sort the list of electronic items based on a number of instances of the query terms in each electronic item by;

determining, for each electronic item in the list, a fuzz factor which is indicative of a likelihood that each electronic item has the query terms located within a predetermined proximity of each other; and

organizing the list based on the fuzz factor, wherein the fuzz factor comprises a number that is derived using less processing than determining that at least one instance of the query terms are located within the predetermined proximity of each other;

determine an electronic item from the sorted list that has at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other in the electronic item; and

display, on a display of the handheld electronic book reader device, results including the electronic item and other electronic items from the sorted list determined to have at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, configure a processor of a device to perform acts comprising:

receiving query terms input to the device by a user;

compiling a list of electronic items stored in memory of the device that contain at least one instance of each query term;

sorting the list of electronic items based on a number of instances of the query terms in each electronic item, wherein sorting the list comprises;

determining a fuzz factor for each electronic item in the list, and organizing the list based on the fuzz factor wherein the fuzz factor comprises a number that is derived using less processing than determining that at least one instance of the query terms are located within a predetermined proximity of each other and which is indicative of a likelihood that each electronic item has the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other;

determining electronic items from the sorted list having at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other in an electronic item, wherein the predetermined proximity varies based on one or more of the following;

size of each respective electronic item, a quantity of query terms input to the device, or average word size of the electronic item; and

displaying, on a display of the device, results including electronic items from the sorted list determined to have at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the fuzz factor=(IT1+IT2+ . . . +ITQ)/Q, where IT1 is a number of instances of a first query term, IT2 is a number of instances of a second query term, ITQ is a number of instances of a Q^th query term and, Q is the number of query terms received.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the fuzz factor comprises a minimum number of occurrences of the query terms.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the displaying comprises displaying a set of results including a predetermined number of electronic items having at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other, and wherein the determining is iteratively performed on the electronic items in order of the sorted list until the predetermined number of electronic items having at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other is reached.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, further comprising computer-executable instructions for:

receiving a request to view a next set of search results;

beginning with a next electronic item in the sorted list and continuing in order of the sorted list, iteratively determining electronic items having at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other until the predetermined number of electronic items for the next set of search results is reached; and

displaying the next set of results on the display of the device.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the list is compiled based on a master index of terms in electronic items stored in memory.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the predetermined proximity comprises a byte offset between query terms.

22. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, configure a processor of a handheld electronic book reader device to perform acts comprising:

receiving query terms input to the handheld electronic book reader device by a user;

compiling a list of electronic items stored in memory of the handheld electronic book reader device that contain at least one instance of each query term;

sorting the list of electronic items based on a number of instances of the query terms in each electronic item, wherein sorting the list comprises;

determining, for each electronic item in the list, a fuzz factor which is indicative of a likelihood that each electronic item has the query terms located within a predetermined proximity of each other; and

organizing the list based on the fuzz factor, wherein the fuzz factor is based at least in part on a number of instances of a first query term and a number of instances of a second query term and wherein calculating the fuzz factor uses less processing than determining that at least one instance of the query terms are located within the predetermined proximity of each other;

determining an electronic item from the sorted list that has at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other in the electronic item, wherein the predetermined proximity is variable based on one or more of the following;

size of each respective electronic item, a quantity of query terms input to the handheld electronic book reader device, or average word size of the electronic item; and

providing for display, on a display of the handheld electronic book reader device, results including the electronic item and other electronic items from the sorted list determined to have at least one instance of the query terms located within the predetermined proximity of each other.