Dynamic client interaction for search

• US 8,554,755 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Richardson, Matthew R., Ragno, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US12/326,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 707705-711, 707722-723, 707/748, 707/758, 707/767, 707/771, 707/777, 707/780, 707/828, 707/943, 707/948, 707/259, 707/731, 705 26- 27, 715761-762, 715/968, 715259-261, 715/268, 704/1, 704 8- 10, 709/203, 709215-220, 345/650, 345/676
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24534 Query rewriting; Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/738 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A system for guiding a search for information is presented. The system comprises a user interface that accepts a phrase and receives at least one suggestion based at least in part on the phrase. The system also includes a phrase suggestion engine that matches the phrase with the at least one suggestion. Methods of using the system are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer implemented search system, comprising:

a processor that executes code stored on a computer readable medium to perform following acts;

receiving a portion of a search query from a user interface;

providing a suggestion in response to the portion of the search query to the user interface;

updating, by the processor, the suggestion in response to receiving an additional portion of the search query;

performing searches as a function of the suggestion and the updated suggestion;

providing search results corresponding to the searches; and

utilizing previous search results to perform additional searches on the search query in response to determination that a user enters the additional portion of the search query, wherein the portion of the search query is entered by the user via the user interface that accepts the portion of the search query and receives the suggestion, the user interface is at least one of a command line interface, a text-based interface, a graphical user interface, a web-based interface, a stylus-based interface, a pen-based data input system, a keypad, a speech recognition system, or a handwriting recognition system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the search query is one of a prefix, a regular expression, a suffix, an infix, a pattern, a substring, and a string.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is associated with a speech recognition system that recognizes the portion of the search query.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is associated with a handwriting recognition system that recognizes the portion of the search query.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least a part of the search results that are based at least in part upon the search query.

6. A dynamic search system for assisting in query generation, comprising:

memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions to implement;

a user interface that;

accepts a search query from a user, and

provides search results based at least in part upon the search query; and

a search server that;

provides suggestions to the search query in response to at least a portion of a phrase entered by the user, the phrase being associated with the search query,

determines that the user enters an additional portion of the phrase associated with the search query in a predetermined period of time,

provides additional suggestions based at least in part on the additional portion of the phase in response to determination that the user entered the additional portion of the phrase, and

performs searches incrementally responsive to the suggestions, the additional suggestions, and previous search results, wherein a portion of the search query is entered by the user via the user interface, the user interface is at least one of a command line interface, a text-based interface, a graphical user interface, a web-based interface, a stylus-based interface, a pen-based data input system, a keypad, a speech recognition system, or a handwriting recognition system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the search server comprises a search engine that communicates with the user interface to transmit search results to the user interface based upon the search query and the suggestions.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the search server comprises a guide engine that communicates with the user interface to transmit phrases, including single characters or groups of characters to a query segment engine.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the query segment engine assembles portions of the phrases received from the guide engine and determines suggestions and transmits the suggestions to the user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the portions of the phrases received from the guide engine are used as at least one of a prefix, a root, and a suffix, in performing the search query.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the phrase is one of a prefix, a regular expression, a suffix, an infix, a pattern, a substring, and a string.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface is associated with a speech recognition system that recognizes the portion of the search query and a handwriting recognition system that recognizes the portion of the search query.

13. A computer-implemented method of searching, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems comprising one or more processors,

receiving a portion of a search query from a user interface;

providing suggestions in response to the portion of the search query to the user interface;

performing initial searches as a function of the suggestions to obtain initial search results;

determining an additional portion of the search query, and subsequently updating, by the processor, the suggestions to create updated suggestions;

performing additional searches based at least in part on the initial search results and the updated suggestions;

providing search results corresponding to the searches; and

utilizing previous search results to perform additional searches on the search query in response to determination that a user enters the additional portion of the search query, wherein the portion of the search query is entered by the user via the user interface that accepts the portion of the search query and receives the suggestion, the user interface is at least one of a command line interface, a text-based interface, a graphical user interface, a web-based interface, a stylus-based interface, a pen-based data input system, a keypad, a speech recognition system, or a handwriting recognition system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the providing suggestions includes at least one of providing a probability measure or providing a ranking of the suggestions.