Location based query suggestion

• US 8,301,639 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Myllymaki, Jussi, Singleton, David P., Cutter, Al, Lewis, Matthew, Eblen, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): MORRISON, JAY A
• Application Number:
  US12/697,054
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for suggesting search queries based on location. One of the methods includes determining a current location of the user. A selection of the user'"'"'s past search queries is generated, where each past search query in the selection is associated with a query location related to the query. A respective score is assigned to each past search query in the selection. The score for each query is based at least in part on the proximity of the current location to the query location of the query. One or more of the past search queries in the selection are provided for presentation to the user on the user'"'"'s electronic device based on the assigned scores.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a current location of a user of an electronic device;

generating a selection of a plurality of the user'"'"'s past search queries in response to determining the current location of the user, where each past search query in the selection is associated with a query location that is determined from terms of the past search query and independently of a user location when the past search query was submitted;

assigning a respective score to each past search query in the selection, where the score for each past search query is based at least in part on the distance between the current location and the query location of the past search query; and

providing one or more of the past search queries in the selection for presentation to the user on the user'"'"'s electronic device based on the assigned scores and in response to determining the current location of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more query search results previously selected by the user after having been previously presented to the user in response to one or more of the user'"'"'s past search queries, where each of the one or more query search results is associated with a query location related to a past search query;

assigning a respective score to each of the one or more identified query search results based at least in part on a distance between the query location associated with the query search result and the user'"'"'s current location; and

providing one or more of the query search results for presentation to the user on the user'"'"'s electronic device based on the assigned scores and in response to determining the current location of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a score to a past search query in the selection comprises assigning the score based at least in part on how recently the past search query was input by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a score to a past search query comprises assigning the score based at least in part on how often the user frequents the user'"'"'s current location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a score to a past search query comprises assigning the score based at least in part on the number of search results selected by the user when the past search query'"'"'s search results were previously presented to the user.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a current location of a user of an electronic device;

retrieving a plurality of items from a data store in response to determining the current location of the user, the data store storing a plurality of queries and search results responsive to the queries, each query and responsive search result associated with a query location that is determined from terms of the query and independently of a user location when the query was submitted;

assigning a score to each of the plurality of retrieved items based on the distance between the current location and the query location associated with the retrieved item; and

providing one or more of the retrieved items for presentation to the user on the electronic device based on the scores and in response to determining the current location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the score for the retrieved item further comprises basing the score on the how often the user frequents the current location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the score for the retrieved item further comprises basing the score on the distance between the current location and the query location associated with the retrieved item.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein when the retrieved item is a query, determining the score for the retrieved item further comprises basing the score at least in part on the number of search results selected by the user when the query'"'"'s search results were previously presented to the user.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the score for the retrieved item further comprises basing the score on when the retrieved item was stored in the data store.

11. A computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a current location of a user of an electronic device;

generating a selection of a plurality of the user'"'"'s past search queries in response to determining the current location of the user, where each past search query in the selection is associated with a query location that is determined from terms of the past search query and independently of a user location when the past search query was submitted;

assigning a respective score to each past search query in the selection, where the score for each past search query is based at least in part on the distance between the current location and the query location of the past search query; and

providing one or more of the past search queries in the selection for presentation to the user on the user'"'"'s electronic device based on the assigned scores and in response to determining the current location of the user.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

identifying one or more query search results previously selected by the user after having been previously presented to the user in response to one or more of the user'"'"'s past search queries, where each of the one or more query search results is associated with a query location related to a past search query;

assigning a respective score to each of the one or more identified query search results based at least in part on a distance between the query location associated with the query search result and the user'"'"'s current location; and

providing one or more of the query search results for presentation to the user on the user'"'"'s electronic device based on the assigned scores and in response to determining the current location of the user.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein assigning a score to a past search query comprises assigning the score based at least in part on how recently the past search query was input by the user.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein assigning a score to a past search query comprises assigning the score based at least in part on how often the user frequents the user'"'"'s current location.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein assigning a score to a past search query comprises assigning the score based at least in part on the number of search results selected by the user when the past search query'"'"'s search results were previously presented to the user.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more storage devices coupled to the one or more processors and configurable for storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

determining a current location of a user of an electronic device;

generating a selection of a plurality of the user'"'"'s past search queries in response to determining the current location of the user, where each past search query in the selection is associated with a query location that is determined from terms of the past search query and independently of a user location when the past search query was submitted;

assigning a respective score to each past search query in the selection, where the score for each past search query is based at least in part on the distance between the current location and the query location of the past search query; and

providing one or more of the past search queries in the selection for presentation to the user on the user'"'"'s electronic device based on the assigned scores and in response to determining the current location of the user.

17. The system of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

identifying one or more query search results previously selected by the user after having been previously presented to the user in response to one or more of the user'"'"'s past search queries, where each of the one or more query search results is associated with a query location related to a past search query;

assigning a respective score to each of the one or more identified query search results based at least in part on a distance between the query location associated with the query search result and the user'"'"'s current location; and

providing one or more of the query search results for presentation to the user on the user'"'"'s electronic device based on the assigned scores and in response to determining the current location of the user.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein assigning a score to a past search query in the selection comprises assigning the score based at least in part on how recently the past search query was input by the user.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein assigning a score to a past search query comprises assigning the score based at least in part on how often the user frequents the user'"'"'s current location.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein assigning a score to a past search query comprises assigning the score based at least in part on the number of search results selected by the user when the past search query'"'"'s search results were previously presented to the user.