User control of search filter bubble

• US 8,886,644 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Stracke, John Richard Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US13/666,803
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/708, 707/722, 707/769, 707731-734, 709/201, 709/203, 709/213, 709/217
• US Class Current: 707/732
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

In one aspect, the present disclosure can be embodied in a method that includes receiving a search query from a user via an interface of a search engine. User-selected options are identified for excluding at least one search category in a plurality of predetermined search categories. Each search category corresponds to one or more query signals and page signals used by the search engine to execute search queries. The search query is executed based on the user-selected options, one or more query signals related to the search query received from the user, and one or more page signals related to each potential result of the search query to be executed. Search results are provided to the user based on the executed search query.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing user-controlled search personalization, the method comprising:

receiving a search query from a user via a web interface provided to the user via a web browser executable at a computing device of the user;

responsive to receiving the search query, identifying user-selected options for limiting personalization of search results for the search query based on at least one excluded search category selected from a plurality of predetermined search categories, each search category including one or more of a plurality of query signals and page signals used by a search engine to execute search queries, the query signals corresponding to user-specific attributes including an IP address associated with the web browser, and the page signals corresponding to attributes of potential search results of the search query, and wherein the at least one excluded search category includes a query signal corresponding to the IP address associated with the web browser;

obtaining search results for the search query based on the user-selected options and a computed score associated with each potential search result obtained for the search query; and

providing the obtained search results for display to a user at the user'"'"'s computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the web interface includes a list of user-selectable options displayed in the web browser, each user-selectable option corresponding to at least one of the plurality of predetermined search categories.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

mapping each of the user-selectable options of the list displayed in the web browser to one or more of the plurality of query signals and page signals used by the search engine to execute search queries.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing step includes excluding, from the search query to be executed, at least one of the plurality of query signals and page signals corresponding to an excluded search category.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the search results provided to the user include a listing of web pages displayed in a content area of the web browser.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of page signals include a frequency of search terms within web page content, a language of the web page content, a source of the web page content and a type of the web page content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the source of the web page content is based on a geographic location at which a web site including the web page content is hosted.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of query signals include a geographic location of the user, a search history of the user, and the user'"'"'s social connections associated with a public profile of the user in a social networking service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the geographic location of the user is determined based on a network address associated with the web browser.

10. A machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a search query from a user via a web interface provided to the user via a web browser executable at a computing device of the user;

identifying user-selected options for excluding at least one search category from a plurality of predetermined search categories, each search category corresponding to one or more of a plurality of query signals and page signals used by a search engine to execute search queries, the query signals corresponding to user-specific attributes including an IP address associated with the web browser, and the page signals corresponding to attributes of potential search results of the search query, and wherein the at least one excluded search category includes a query signal corresponding to the IP address associated with the web browser;

storing the identified user-selected options in a data store accessible to the processor;

responsive to receiving the search query from the user, selecting one or more query signals from the plurality of query signals related to the search query and one or more page signals related to potential results of the search query to be executed, based on the stored user-selected options;

executing the search query based on the selected query and page signals; and

providing search results to the user based on the executed search query.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the interface of the search engine is a web interface provided to the user via a web browser executable at a computing device of the user.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the interface of the search engine includes a list of user-selectable options displayed in the web browser, each user-selectable option corresponding to at least one of the plurality of predetermined search categories.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

mapping each of the user-selectable options of the list displayed in the web browser to one or more of the plurality of query signals and page signals used by the search engine to execute search queries.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein executing the search query includes excluding from the executed search at least one of the plurality of query signals and page signals corresponding to an excluded search category.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the search results provided to the user include a listing of web pages displayed in a content area of the web browser.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of page signals include a frequency of search terms within web page content, a language of the web page content, a source of the web page content and a type of the web page content.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the source of the web page content is based on a geographic location at which a web site including the web page content is hosted.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of query signals include a geographic location of the user, a search history of the user, and the user'"'"'s social connections associated with a public profile of the user in a social networking service.

19. A system for providing user-controlled search personalization, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a display; and

a memory device including processor-readable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to perform functions to;

identify user-selected options for excluding at least one search category in a plurality of predetermined search categories, each search category corresponding to one or more of a plurality of query signals and page signals used by a search engine to execute search queries, wherein the at least one search category includes a query signal corresponding to an IP address associated with a web browser;

mapping each of the identified user-selectable options to one or more of a plurality of query signals and page signals used by a search engine to execute search queries submitted by the user via an interface of the search engine loaded within the web browser;

store the mapping in association with a profile of the user within a data store accessible to the processor;

receive a search query from a user via a web interface provided to the user via the web browser executable at a computing device of the user;

in response to receipt of the search query from the user via the interface of the search engine within the web browser, select one or more query signals from the plurality of query signals related to the search query received from the user and one or more page signals from the plurality of page signals related to each potential result of the search query to be executed, based on the stored mapping;

execute the search query based on the selected query and page signals; and

provide search results to the user using the display via the interface of the search engine based on the executed search query.