Enhanced query suggestions in autosuggest with corresponding relevant data

• US 8,990,242 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mehanna, Hussein Mohamed, Govani, Tabreez, Mohiuddin, Asad, Fernandes, Glen Joseph, Satyanarayana, Ashwin, Liu, Xin
• Primary Examiner(s): PEACH, POLINA G
• Application Number:
  US13/209,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20130046777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• US Class Current: 707/767
• 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

Abstract

Methods and computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that facilitate determining enhanced query suggestions are provided. A plurality of query suggestions responsive to a user query are received. Items of data corresponding to the query suggestions are received. Based on the received query suggestions and the received items of data, enhanced query suggestions are determined. In embodiments, an enhanced query suggestion includes one or more items of data related to a respective query suggestion. A user may select at least a portion of an enhanced query suggestion. In embodiments, selection of a portion of an enhanced query suggestion provides additional information.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable hardware storage devices having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing system having a processor and a memory, cause the computing system to perform a method for determining enhanced query suggestions, the method comprising:

receiving at least a portion of a user query;

determining a particular category of data based on the at least a portion of a user query;

receiving a first query suggestion and a second query suggestion, each query suggestion responsive to the at least a portion of a user query;

receiving a first item of data that corresponds to the first query suggestion and a second item of data that corresponds to the second query suggestion, wherein the first item of data and the second item of data both correspond to the same particular category of data determined based on the at least a portion of a user query;

receiving an indicator visually representing the particular category of data;

determining a first enhanced query suggestion and a second enhanced query suggestion, each responsive to the at least a portion of a user query, wherein the first enhanced query suggestion comprises the first query suggestion, the first item of data, and the indicator, wherein the second enhanced query suggestion comprises the second query suggestion, the second item of data, and the indicator, and wherein the determining of the first enhanced query suggestion and the second enhanced query suggestion comprises accessing a database that comprises common queries that have been previously issued or submitted to a search engine or server, and wherein each of the first item of data and the second item of data are separately selectable from the first query suggestion and the second query suggestion, respectively, such that,

upon receiving a user selection of the first query suggestion or the second query suggestion, determining a plurality of query results that satisfy the user selection, and

upon receiving a user selection of the first item of data or the second item of data, presenting an indication of one or more sources from which the corresponding one or more items of data was derived in a pop-up interface area.

2. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of a user query comprises at least a portion of at least one term.

3. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 1, wherein the received one or more query suggestions were determined using a grammatical expansion of the at least a portion of a user query, wherein the grammatical expansion comprises a predetermined pattern for suggesting additional terms that complete the at least a portion of a user query.

4. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 1, wherein receiving the one or more items of data comprises retrieving the one or more items of data from a database storing the one or more items of data corresponding to the one or more query suggestions.

5. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 1, wherein determining one or more enhanced query suggestions responsive to the at least a portion of a user query comprises associating at least one of the one or more items of data with at least one of the one or more query suggestions.

6. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a user selection of one of the one or more query suggestions; and

determining a plurality of query results that satisfy the user selection.

7. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a user selection of one of the one or more enhanced query suggestions; and

determining additional information regarding the one or more enhanced query suggestion.

8. A method performed by one or more server devices for determining enhanced query suggestion in response to receiving at least a portion of a user query, the method comprising:

receiving the at least a portion of a user query;

determining a plurality of query suggestions responsive to the at least a portion of a user query;

determining a particular data type responsive to the at least a portion of a user query;

receiving a plurality of items of data that correspond to the particular data type;

determining an indicator visually representing the particular data type;

for each of the plurality of query suggestions responsive to the at least a portion of a user query, receiving at least one item of data from the plurality of items of data that corresponds to the particular data type;

determining more than one enhanced query suggestions, each of the more than one enhanced query suggestions comprising;

one query suggestion from the plurality of query suggestions responsive to the at least a portion of a user query, an item of data that corresponds to both the particular data type responsive to the at least a portion of a user query and the one query suggestion, and the indicator visually representing the particular data type, wherein the one query suggestion, the item of data, and the indicator are each separately selectable from one another,

wherein the determining more than one enhanced query suggestions comprises accessing a database that comprises common queries that have been previously issued or submitted to a search engine or server;

upon receiving a user selection of at least one of the plurality of query suggestions of the more than one enhanced query suggestions, determining a plurality of query results that satisfy the user selection; and

upon receiving a user selection of at least one of the at least one item of data of the more than one enhanced query suggestions, presenting an indication of one or more sources from which the at least one of the at least one item of data was derived in a pop-up interface area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining a plurality of query suggestions responsive to the at least a portion of a user query comprises generating a grammatical expansion of the at least a portion of a user query.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating a grammatical expansion comprises:

identifying a predetermined pattern for suggesting additional terms that complete the at least a portion of a user query; and

determining one or more additional terms that satisfy the predetermined pattern.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving a plurality of items of data that correspond to the particular data type comprises receiving the plurality of items of data from a database storing one or more of query data or the plurality of items of data that correspond to the particular data type.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a user selection of the selectable enhanced query suggestions; and

determining a plurality of query results that satisfy the user selection.

13. A system for determining enhanced query suggestions that are responsive to at least a portion of a user query, the system comprising:

one or more processors coupled to computer storage medium, the computer storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of computer software components executable by the one or more processors, the computer software components comprising;

a user query component configured to receive at least one indication of at least a portion of a user query;

a data item component configured to determine a particular data type responsive to the at least a portion of the user query and to provide at least one item of data that corresponds to both the at least a portion of a user query and the particular data type;

a query suggestion component configured to determine one or more query suggestions responsive to the at least one indication by accessing query data stored in a database; and

an enhanced query suggestion component configured to;

(1) determine at least one enhanced query suggestion that is responsive to the at least a portion of a user query, the at least one enhanced query suggestion including the at least one item of data, the one or more query suggestions, and an indicator visually representing the particular data type, wherein the at least one item of data, the one or more query suggestions, and the indicator visually representing the particular data type are separately selectable from one another, and wherein the determining the at least one enhanced query suggestion comprises accessing a database that comprises common queries that have been previously issued or submitted to a search engine or server,

(2) determine, upon receiving a user selection of at least one of the one or more query suggestions, a plurality of query results that satisfy the user selection, and

(3) present, upon receiving a user selection of at least one of the at least one item of data, an indication of one or more sources from which the at least one of the at least one item of data was derived in a pop-up interface area.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the database is configured to store one or more of query data, a query log having at least one query previously submitted to the system, or at least one item of data corresponding to the one or more query suggestions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the database is further configured to store associations between the at least one item of data and the one or more enhanced query suggestions.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the data item component is further configured to provide at least one item of data used to determine a particular type of enhanced query suggestion.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the enhanced query suggestion component is further configured to include at least one of the one or more query suggestions and the at least one item of data within at least a portion of the at least one enhanced query suggestion.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the enhanced query suggestion component is further configured to determine a plurality of enhanced query suggestion that are responsive to the at least a portion of a user query, each of the plurality of enhanced query suggestions including an item of data of the same particular data type.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the enhanced query suggestion component determines the at least one enhanced query suggestion while the at least one indication of the least a portion of a user query is received.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the system provides the at least one enhanced query suggestion to be communicated to a user while the at least a portion of a user query is being input via a remote device.