Sourcing terms into a search engine

• US 8,874,606 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehanna, Lara
• Primary Examiner(s): FILIPCZYK, MARCIN R
• Application Number:
  US13/099,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 707/765, 707/766, 707/767
• US Class Current: 707/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Information may be presented to a user by receiving a selection of one or more terms passively displayed in a document, loading the terms to a search configuration, generating first results responsive to a user'"'"'s predicted interest as expressed in the search configuration, and enabling display of the first results.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing to a user a web page in conjunction with a first search result, the first search result being associated with a first search query comprising one or more terms;

identifying, using at least one processor, contextual information associated with the first search query based on content within the web page;

providing, to the user, a selectable option corresponding to a candidate search term associated with the contextual information, wherein the candidate search term is different than the one or more terms of the first search query;

detecting a user selection of the selectable option corresponding to the candidate search term;

generating a second search query, using the at least one processor, the second search query comprising the one or more terms of the first search query and the candidate search term;

identifying contextual information associated with a second search result associated with the second search query;

determining whether the second search result is contextually relevant to the first search query;

visually distinguishing the candidate search term from other content within an additional web page associated with the second search result when the second search result is contextually relevant to the first search query; and

providing the additional web page corresponding to the second search result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the selectable option corresponding to a candidate search term further comprises providing a plurality of selectable options corresponding to a plurality of candidate search terms.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a user selection of multiple selectable options from among the plurality of selectable options corresponding to the plurality of candidate search terms; and

wherein the second search query comprises the one or more terms of the first search query and multiple candidate search terms.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

upon obtaining the second search result, providing a another selectable option corresponding to a another candidate search term;

detecting a user selection of the another selectable option corresponding to the another candidate search term;

generating a third search query comprising the second search query and the another candidate search term; and

obtaining a third search result associated with the third search query.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether the third search result is responsive to an interest of the user; and

modifying the third search query in accordance with the interest of the user, when the third search result fails to be responsive.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the modifying comprises:

identifying a search term of the third search query that is associated with the third search result; and

deleting the identified search term from the third search query.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the third search result is responsive to the interest of the user comprises:

receiving, from the user, an indication that the third search result fails to be responsive.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the third search result is responsive to the interest of the user comprises:

determining whether the user accesses the third search result; and

determining that the third search result fails to be responsive to an interest of the user, when the user fails to access the third search result.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a portion of an additional web page to the user in conjunction with the third search result; and

enabling the user to specify a modification to the third search query, in response to the displayed portion of the additional web page.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein visually distinguishing the candidate search term comprises at least one of (i) highlighting the candidate search term within a displayed portion of the web page or (ii) underlining the candidate search term within the displayed portion of the web page.

11. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

provide to a user a web page in conjunction with a first search result, the first search result being associated with a first search query comprising one or more terms;

identify contextual information associated with the first search query based on content within the web page;

provide, to the user, a selectable option corresponding to a candidate search term associated with the contextual information, wherein the candidate search term is different than the one or more terms of the first search query;

detect a user selection of the selectable option corresponding to the candidate search term;

generate a second search query, the second search query comprising the one or more terms of the first search query and the candidate search term;

identify contextual information associated with a second search result associated with the second search query;

determine whether the second search result is contextually relevant to the first search query;

visually distinguish the candidate search term from other content within an additional web page associated with the second search result when the second search result is contextually relevant to the first search query; and

provide the additional web page corresponding to the second search result.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide a plurality of selectable options corresponding to a plurality of candidate search terms.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

detect a user selection of multiple selectable options from among the plurality of selectable options corresponding to the plurality of candidate search terms; and

wherein the second search query comprises the one or more search terms of the first search query and multiple candidate search terms.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

upon providing the additional web page, provide another selectable option corresponding to another candidate search term;

detect a user selection of the another selectable option corresponding to the another candidate search term;

generate a third search query comprising the second search query and the another candidate search term; and

obtain a third search result associated with the third search query.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

determine whether the third search result is responsive to an interest of the user; and

modify the third search query in accordance with the interest of the user, when the third search result fails to be responsive.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

identify a search term of the third search query that is associated with the third search result; and

delete the identified search term from the third search query.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive, from the user, an indication that the third search result fails to be responsive.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

determine whether the user accesses the third search result; and

determine that the third search result fails to be responsive to an interest of the user, when the user fails to access the third search result.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

provide a portion of the additional web page to the user in conjunction with the third search result; and

enable the user to specify a modification to the third search query, in response to the displayed portion of the additional web page.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computer system to:

provide to a user a web page in conjunction with a first search result, the first search result being associated with a first search query comprising one or more terms;

identify contextual information associated with the first search query based on content within the web page;

providing, to the user, a selectable option corresponding to a candidate search term associated with the contextual information, wherein the candidate search term is different than the one or more terms of the first search query;

detect a user selection of the selectable option corresponding to the candidate search term;

generate a second search query, the second search query comprising the one or more terms of the first search query and the candidate search term;

identify contextual information associated with a second search result associated with the second search query;

determine whether the second search result is contextually relevant to the first search query;

visually distinguish the candidate search term from other content within an additional web page associated with the second search result when the second search result is contextually relevant to the first search query; and

provide the additional web page corresponding to the second search result.