Automated search

• US 8,458,177 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2009
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Athsani, Athellina, Tsaran, Vitaliy, Brightman, Alan Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehichioya, Fred I
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOWEN, RICHARD L
• Application Number:
  US12/364,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/732
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for automated search which may allow users to program their mobile devices to automatically bring up search results when a user or his mobile device meets a certain set of spatial, temporal, activity, or social context conditions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

collecting status information for a plurality of entities;

determining a subset of entities from the plurality of entities, wherein the subset of entities is currently co-located within a specified distance of a particular entity from the plurality of entities;

analyzing the collected status information for the subset of entities;

determining, based upon analyzing the collected status information for the subset of entities, shared characteristic data for the subset of entities;

determining an activity of the particular entity based on the shared characteristic data;

retrieving, from profile data for the particular entity, search condition data identifying one or more search conditions;

automatically initiating a search when both the collected status information for the particular entity and the activity satisfy the one or more search conditions identified in the search condition data;

updating profile data for the particular entity based upon the determined activity; and

providing search results;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information for a particular entity from the plurality of entities includes one or more of a time of day, a location of the particular entity, a current activity for the particular entity, social context information for the particular entity or browsing activity information for the particular entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular entity is a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular entity is a user-designated entity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to initiating the search, determining that a current time is within a range of times-of-day during which automatic initiation of searches is permissible.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving timing information that specifies a future time at which the one or more search condition become valid;

storing the timing information; and

prior to initiating the search, determining that a current time is not sooner than the future time indicated in the timing information;

wherein the future time is later than a time at which the timing information is received from the user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile data for the particular entity includes explicit profile data specified by the particular entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting status information for the plurality of entities includes collecting status information from a social networking website.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein updating profile data for the particular entity based upon the determined activity includes updating profile data for the particular entity to include data that indicates the determined activity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the shared characteristic data comprises determining, based on status information for the subset of entities, that the subset of entities has a shared characteristic of being pop music lovers;

and wherein the determining an activity of the particular entity comprises determining that the particular entity is currently at a pop music concert.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile data for the particular entity includes data that can be used as one or more of a search query or a search condition.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the profile data for the particular entity includes implicit profile data for the particular entity, and

the method further comprises determining the implicit profile data for the particular entity by analyzing historical status information for the particular entity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein analyzing the historical status information for the particular entity includes identifying, in the historical information for the particular entity, data that can be used as one or more of a search query or a search condition.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein analyzing the historical status information for the particular entity includes using a relevancy algorithm to compare the historical status information for the particular entity with the one or more search conditions to determine relevancy.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause:

collecting status information for a plurality of entities;

determining a subset of entities from the plurality of entities, wherein the subset of entities is currently co-located within a specified distance of a particular entity from the plurality of entities;

analyzing the collected status information for the subset of entities;

determining, based upon analyzing the collected status information for the subset of entities, shared characteristic data for the subset of entities;

determining an activity of the particular entity based on the shared characteristic data;

retrieving, from profile data for the particular entity, search condition data identifying one or more search conditions;

automatically initiating a search when both the collected status information for the particular entity and the activity satisfy the one or more search conditions identified in the search condition data;

updating profile data for the particular entity based upon the determined activity; and

providing search results.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the status information for a particular entity from the plurality of entities includes one or more of a time of day, a location of the particular entity, a current activity for the particular entity, social context information for the particular entity or browsing activity information for the particular entity.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the particular entity is a user.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the particular entity is a user-designated entity.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, further storing additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors causes:

prior to initiating the search, determining that a current time is within a range of times-of-day during which automatic initiation of searches is permissible.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, further storing additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors causes:

receiving timing information that specifies a future time at which the one or more search conditions become valid;

storing the timing information; and

prior to initiating the search, determining that a current time is not sooner than the future time indicated in the timing information;

wherein the future time is later than a time at which the timing information is received from the user.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the profile data for the particular entity includes explicit profile data specified by the particular entity.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein updating profile data for the particular entity based upon the determined activity includes updating profile data for the particular entity to include data that indicates the determined activity.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the determining the shared characteristic data comprises determining, based on status information for the subset of entities, that the subset of entities has a shared characteristic of being pop music lovers;

and wherein the determining an activity of the particular entity comprises determining that the particular entity is currently at a pop music concert.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the profile data for the particular entity includes data that can be used as one or more of a search query or a search condition.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein:

the profile data for the particular entity includes implicit profile data for the particular entity, and

the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media store additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors causes determining the implicit profile data for the particular entity by analyzing historical status information for the particular entity.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25, wherein analyzing the historical status information for the particular entity includes identifying, in the historical information for the particular entity, data that can be used as one or more of a search query or a search condition.

27. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25, wherein analyzing the historical status information for the particular entity includes using a relevancy algorithm to compare the historical status information for the particular entity with the one or more search conditions to determine relevancy.

28. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 27, wherein the collecting status information for the plurality of entities includes collecting status information from a social networking website.