Autocompletion using previously submitted query data

• US 8,930,350 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Herscovici, Michael, Kim, Hyung-Jin, Guez, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gofman, Alex
• Application Number:
  US12/730,136
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for processing query information includes receiving query information at a server system. The query information includes a portion of a query from a search requestor. The method also includes obtaining a set of predicted queries relevant to the portion of the search requestor query based upon the portion of the query from the search requestor and data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries. The method also includes providing the set of predicted queries to the search requestor.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing query information, comprising:

receiving query information at a server system, wherein the query information includes a portion of a query from a search requestor, the query information being received prior to receiving data indicating that the search requestor has completed the query and the portion of the query from the search requestor being only a portion of a final query;

obtaining a set of predicted queries relevant to the portion of the query from the search requestor based upon the portion of the query from the search requestor and data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries, wherein the set of predicted queries includes two or more predicted queries, and each predicted query is a prediction of a possible final query of the search requestor and wherein each predicted query includes the portion of the query and is different from each other query;

ranking the predicted queries in the set of predicted queries according to a ranking criteria;

providing the ranked set of predicted queries for display to the search requestor;

determining whether an input is received from the search requestor selecting a predicted query, of the ranked set of predicted queries displayed to the search requestor, within a specified time;

in response to a determination that the input from the search requestor selecting a displayed predicted query is not received within the specified time;

obtaining a subsequent ranked set of predicted queries for the portion of the query from the search requestor, the predicted queries in the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries being ranked according to different criteria than the predicted queries in the ranked set of predicted queries; and

providing the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries for display to the search requestor in response to receiving the query information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the set of predicted queries includes ordering the set of predicted queries based upon a ranking criteria.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the ranking criteria is based upon the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries includes click data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries includes location-specific data.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries includes language-specific data.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input from the search requestor identifying a selected query from the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries;

obtaining search results based upon the selected query; and

providing the search results to the search requestor.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the query from the search requestor is defined by at least one delimiter.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the query from the search requestor is defined by at least one search term.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the query from the search requestor is defined by a predefined number of characters.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the ranking criteria includes predefined popularity criteria for each predicted query of the ranked set of predicted queries for a plurality of search requestors; and

the different criteria includes information about the search requestor.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising excluding each predicted query of the ranked set of predicted queries from the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries.

13. A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving query information at a server system, wherein the query information includes a portion of a query from a search requestor, the query information being received prior to receiving data indicating that the search requestor has completed the query and the portion of the query from the search requestor being only a portion of a final query;

obtaining a set of predicted queries relevant to the portion of the query from the search requestor based upon the portion of the query from the search requestor and data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries, wherein the set of predicted queries includes two or more predicted queries, and each predicted query is a prediction of a possible final query of the search requestor and wherein each predicted query includes the portion of the query and is different from each other query;

ranking the predicted queries in the set of predicted queries according to a ranking criteria;

providing the ranked set of predicted queries for display to the search requestor;

determining whether an input is received from the search requestor selecting a predicted query, of the ranked set of predicted queries displayed to the search requestor, within a specified time;

in response to a determination that the input from the search requestor selecting a displayed predicted query is not received within the specified time;

obtaining a subsequent ranked set of predicted queries for the portion of the query from the search requestor, the predicted queries in the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries being ranked according to different criteria than the predicted queries in the ranked set of predicted queries; and

providing the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries for display to the search requestor in response to receiving the query information.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein obtaining the set of predicted queries includes ordering the set of predicted queries based upon a ranking criteria.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the ranking criteria is based upon the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries includes click data.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries includes location-specific data.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries includes language-specific data.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving input from the search requestor identifying a selected query from the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries;

obtaining search results based upon the selected query; and

providing the search results to the search requestor.

20. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the portion of the query from the search requestor is defined by at least one delimiter.

21. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the portion of the query from the search requestor is defined by at least one search term.

22. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the portion of the query from the search requestor is defined by a predefined number of characters.

23. A system comprising:

one or more computers operable to perform operations comprising;

receiving query information, wherein the query information includes a portion of a query from the search requestor, the query information being received prior to receiving data indicating that the search requestor has completed the query and the portion of the query from the search requestor being only a portion of a final query;

obtaining a set of predicted queries relevant to the portion of the query from the search requestor based upon the portion of the query from the search requestor and data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries, wherein the set of predicted queries includes two or more predicted queries, and each predicted query is a prediction of a possible final query of the search requestor and wherein each predicted query includes the portion of the query and is different from each other query;

ranking the predicted queries in the set of predicted queries according to a ranking criteria;

providing the ranked set of predicted queries for display to the search requestor

determining whether an input is received from the search requestor selecting a predicted query, of the ranked set of predicted queries displayed to the search requestor, within a specified time;

in response to a determination that the input from the search requestor selecting a displayed predicted query is not received within the specified time;

obtaining a subsequent ranked set of predicted queries for the portion of the query from the search requestor, the predicted queries in the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries being ranked according to different criteria than the predicted queries in the ranked set of predicted queries; and

providing the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries for display to the search requestor in response to receiving the query information.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein obtaining the set of predicted queries includes ordering the set of predicted queries based upon a ranking criteria.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the ranking criteria is based upon the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries includes click data.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries includes location-specific data.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the data indicative of search requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries includes language-specific data.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more computers are further operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving input from the search requestor identifying a selected query from the subsequent ranked set of predicted queries;

obtaining search results based upon the selected query; and

providing the search results to the search requestor.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the portion of the query from the search requestor is defined by at least one delimiter.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the portion of the query from the search requestor is defined by at least one search term.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the portion of the query from the search requestor is defined by a predefined number of characters.