Sharing user distributed search results

• US 8,849,810 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lucovsky, Mark, Collison, Derek L., Sjogreen, Carl P.
• Primary Examiner(s): OBISESAN, AUGUSTINE KUNLE
• Application Number:
  US12/909,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20110040622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications

Abstract

A universal distributed search system allows users to find and distribute search results (possibly including advertisements) to those with whom they communicate. The search results can be easily distributed by the user via a simple interface that allows the search results to be easily added to the user'"'"'s content. Search queries entered by the user or search results received from search components may be automatically refined by the system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by one or more processors associated with a device, an interface to facilitate composition of a message by a first user;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, a search query,

obtaining the search query including one or more of;

generating, by the one or more processors and based on a content of the message, the search query, or

receiving, via the interface, the search query from the first user,

the search query not being generated by the one or more processors when the search query is received from the first user via the interface;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, search results identifying documents that are relevant to the search query;

refining, by the one or more processors, the search results based on a type of application associated with the composition of the message;

providing, by the one or more processors, the refined search results for display to the first user,

the refined search results being provided for display via a first region of the interface when the search query is generated by the one or more processors, and

the refined search results being provided for display via a second region of the interface when the search query is received from the first user,

the second region being different from the first region, and

the first region including a button that, when selected by the first user, causes the first region to be removed from the interface,

the search query not being generated by the one or more processors when the button is selected;

receiving, by the one or more processors and from the first user, a selection of a particular one of the refined search results,

the particular one of the refined search results being associated with a geographic location;

incorporating, by the one or more processors and based on receiving the selection, data, associated with the particular one of the refined search results, into the message to form a modified message,

the data associated with the particular one of the refined search results including;

a link to a particular document that is associated with the particular one of the refined search results, and

a snippet including a portion of text included in the particular document,

the portion being selected from the text included in the particular document based on content of the message and a user profile associated with the first user,

 

the user profile being determined based on at least one of;

 

a prior search associated with the first user, or

 

information provided by the first user; and

causing, by the by the one or more processors, the modified message to be sent to a second user,

the link, when selected by the second user, being associated with a web page presenting a map of the geographic location relative to a geographic location of the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, where the particular one of the refined search results corresponds to an advertisement.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

assigning a monetary credit to the first user, based on a selection of the link by the second user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

charging an advertiser associated with the advertisement, based on the selection of the link by the second user.

5. The method of claim 1, where obtaining the search query includes:

generating the search query based on the user profile.

6. The method of claim 5, where generating the search query further includes:

recognizing, in the content of the message, information associated with an entity,

where the information includes at least one of;

a postal address,

a name of a commercial product,

a name of an organization, or

an entity name from a list of entity names specified by the first user; and

generating the search query based on the entity.

7. The method of claim 1, where the data associated with the particular one of the refined search results further includes information identifying the search query.

8. A system comprising:

one or more server devices to;

obtain search results identifying documents that are relevant to a search query,

the search query being;

provided by a first user via an application used to compose a message intended for a second user, or

generated based on a content of the message,

 

the search query not being generated when the search query is provided by the first user;

refine the search results based on a type of the application;

provide, to the first user, the refined search results,

the refined search results being provided via a first region of an interface when the search query is generated based on the content of the message,

the refined search results being provided via a second region of the interface when the search query is provided by the first user,

the second region being different from the first region, and

the first region including a button that, when selected by the first user, causes the first region to be removed from the interface,

 

the search query not being generated when the button is selected;

a selection of a particular one of the refined search results by the first user causing data associated with the particular one of the refined search results to be incorporated into the message intended for the second user,

the data associated with the particular one of the refined search results including;

a link to a particular document associated with the particular one of the refined search results, and

a snippet that includes a portion of text from the particular document,

 

the portion, included in the snippet, being selected from the text included in the particular document based on content of the message and a user profile associated with the first user,

 

the user profile being determined based on at least one of a prior search associated with the first user, or information provided by the first user, and

the particular one of the refined search results being associated with a geographic location;

receive a request from the second user to access, via the link, information associated with the particular one of the refined search results; and

provide, to the second user, the information associated with the particular one of the refined search results,

the information including a web page presenting a map of the geographic location relative to a geographic location of the second user.

9. The system of claim 8, where the particular one of the refined search results corresponds to an advertisement, and

where the one or more server devices are further to:

assign a monetary credit, to the first user, based on receiving the request from the second user.

10. The system of claim 9, where the one or more server devices are further to:

charge an advertiser, associated with the advertisement, based on receiving the request from the second user.

11. The system of claim 8, where the message is associated with a particular topic, and

where the one or more server devices are further to:

adjust, based on the received request, a reputation score of the first user with respect to the particular topic.

12. The system of claim 11, where the message is associated with at least one of:

a message board associated with the particular topic, or

a blog post interface associated with the particular topic.

13. The system of claim 8, where the particular one of the refined search results relates to at least one of an image, a video, a map, or a commercial product.

14. One or more memory devices to store instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to provide an interface to facilitate composition of a message by a first user;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine a user profile, associated with the first user, based on at least one of;

a prior search associated with the first user, or

information provided by the first user;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to refine, based on a type of application associated with the composition of the message by the first user, search results obtained based on a search query,

the search query being;

received from the first user via the interface, or

generated based on a content of the message,

the search query not being generated when the search query is received from the first user;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to present the refined search results via the interface,

the refined search results being presented via a first region of the interface when the search query is generated based on the content of the message, and

the refined search results being presented via a second region of the interface when the search query is received from the first user,

the second region being different from the first region, and

the first region including a button that, when selected by the first user, causes the first region to be removed from the interface,

the search query not being generated when the button is selected;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive, via the interface, a selection of a particular one of the refined search results, from the first user,

the particular one of the refined search results being associated with a geographic location;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to incorporate data associated with the particular one of the refined search results into the message, based on receiving the selection, to form a modified message,

the data associated with the particular one of the refined search results including;

a link to a document associated with the particular one of the refined search results, and

a snippet that includes a portion of text from the document,

the portion, included in the snippet, being selected from the text included in the document based on a content of the message and the user profile; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to provide the modified message to a second user,

the link, when activated by the second user, being associated with a web page presenting a map of the geographic location relative to a geographic location of the second user.

15. The one or more memory devices of claim 14, where the particular one of the refined search results corresponds to an advertisement.

16. The one or more memory devices of claim 14, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions to recognize information, in the message, associated with an entity,

where the information includes at least one of a postal address, a name of a commercial product, a name of an organization, or an entity name from a list of entity names specified by the first user; and

one or more instructions to generate the search query based on the recognized information.

17. One or more devices comprising:

one or more processors to;

obtain search results that are relevant to a search query,

the search query being;

generated by the one or more processors, or received from a first user,

 

the search query not being generated by the one or more processors when the search query is received from the first user;

refine the search results based on a type of an application used by a first user to compose a message to a second user;

provide the refined search results to the first user,

the refined search results being provided via a first region of an interface when the search query is generated by the one or more processors, and

the refined search results being provided via a second region of the interface when the search query is received from the first user,

the second region being different from the first region, and

the first region including a button that, when selected by the first user, causes the first region to be removed from the interface,

the search query not being generated by the one or more processors when the button is selected,

a selection of a particular one of the refined search results causing data associated with the particular one of the refined search results to be incorporated into a message to a second user,

the data including;

a link to a document associated with the particular one of the refined search results, and

a snippet that includes a portion of text from the document,

the portion, included in the snippet, being selected from the text included in the document based on a content of the message and a user profile associated with the first user,

 

the user profile being determined based on at least one of a prior search associated with the first user, or information provided by the first user, and

the particular one of the refined search results being associated with a geographic location;

receive, from the second user, a request to access, via the link, information associated with the particular one of the refined search results; and

provide, to the second user, the information associated with the particular one of the refined search results,

the information including a web page presenting a map of the geographic location relative to a geographic location of the second user.

18. The one or more devices of claim 17, where the message is associated with a particular topic, and

where the one or more processors are further to:

adjust, based on the received request, a reputation score of the first user with respect to the particular topic.

19. The one or more devices of claim 18, where the message is associated with at least one of:

a message board associated with the particular topic, or

a blog post interface associated with the particular topic.

20. The one or more devices of claim 17, where the one or more processors are further to:

generate the search query based on the user profile.

21. The one or more devices of claim 17, where the one or more processors are further to:

assign a monetary credit to the first user based on receiving the request from the second user.