Automated search

• US 9,002,840 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Athsani, Athellina, Tsaran, Vitaliy, Brightman, Alan Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): BOWEN, RICHARD L
• Application Number:
  US13/908,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20130262509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/732
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for automated search which may allow users to program their mobile devices to automatically bring up search results when a user or his mobile device meets a certain set of spatial, temporal, activity, or social context conditions.

Claims

1. A search query server comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, causes;

the search query server that is separate from a mobile device to generate and store, for a user of the mobile device, profile data that indicates one or more search queries and one or more search conditions for the one or more search queries, wherein the one or more search queries are generated by the search query server based upon historical activity information for the user,

the search query server to generate and transmit to the mobile device graphical user interface data which, when processed at the mobile device, causes the one or more search queries to be displayed on the mobile device and allows the one or more search queries to be modified on the mobile device to create one or more modified search queries,

the search query server to receive, from the mobile device, query data that indicates the one or more modified search queries,

the search query server to update the profile data for the user with the one or more modified search queries,

the search query server to determine a current status of the user,

the search query server to determine whether the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions for the one or more modified search queries indicated by the profile data for the user, and

in response to the search query server determining that the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions for the one or more modified queries indicated by the profile data for the user;

the search query server to automatically initiate a search by processing the one or more modified search queries indicated by the profile data for the user to obtain one or more search results, and

the search query server to transmit the one or more search results to the mobile device for display on the mobile device.

2. The search query server of claim 1, wherein the one or more memories store additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the search query server to determine the current status of the user based upon one or more current statuses of one or more other users located within a specified distance of the user.

3. The search query server of claim 1, wherein the one or more memories store additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the search query server to determine the current status of the user from a social networking service.

4. The search query server of claim 1, wherein the one or more search conditions include one or more of one or more locations, a specified time, one or more user activities, one or more social contexts, or one or more browsing activities.

5. The search query server of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more search conditions indicate one or more activities,

the current status of the user includes a current activity of the user, and

the search query server determining whether the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions indicated by the profile data includes the search query server determining whether the current activity of the user matches any of the activities from the one or more activities indicated by the one or more search conditions.

6. The search query server of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more search conditions indicate one or more activities,

the current status of the user includes a current activity of the user that is inferred from one or more current activities of one or more other users, and

the search query server determining whether the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions indicated by the profile data includes the search query server determining whether the current activity of the user that is inferred from one or more current activities of one or more other users matches any of the activities from the one or more activities indicated by the one or more search conditions.

7. The search query server of claim 1, wherein the historical activity information for the user includes one or more of historical browsing activity for the user or historical location information for the user.

8. The search query server of claim 1, wherein the historical activity information for the user includes one or more online searches conducted by the user.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause:

a search query server that is separate from a mobile device to generate and store, for a user of the mobile device, profile data that indicates one or more search queries and one or more search conditions for the one or more search queries, wherein the one or more search queries are generated by the search query server based upon historical activity information for the user,

the search query server to generate and transmit to the mobile device graphical user interface data which, when processed at the mobile device, causes the one or more search queries to be displayed on the mobile device and allows the one or more search queries to be modified on the mobile device to create one or more modified search queries,

the search query server to receive, from the mobile device, query data that indicates the one or more modified search queries,

the search query server to update the profile data for the user with the one or more modified search queries,

the search query server to determine a current status of the user,

the search query server to determine whether the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions for the one or more modified search queries indicated by the profile data for the user, and

in response to the search query server determining that the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions for the one or more modified queries indicated by the profile data for the user;

the search query server to automatically initiate a search by processing the one or more modified search queries indicated by the profile data for the user to obtain one or more search results, and

the search query server to transmit the one or more search results to the mobile device for display on the mobile device.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, further storing additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the search query server to determine the current status of the user based upon one or more current statuses of one or more other users located within a specified distance of the user.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, further storing additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause the search query server to determine the current status of the user from a social networking service.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the one or more search conditions include one or more of one or more locations, a specified time, one or more user activities, one or more social contexts, or one or more browsing activities.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein:

the one or more search conditions indicate one or more activities,

the current status of the user includes a current activity of the user, and

the search query server determining whether the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions indicated by the profile data includes the search query server determining whether the current activity of the user matches any of the activities from the one or more activities indicated by the one or more search conditions.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein:

the one or more search conditions indicate one or more activities,

the current status of the user includes a current activity of the user that is inferred from one or more current activities of one or more other users, and

the search query server determining whether the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions indicated by the profile data includes the search query server determining whether the current activity of the user that is inferred from one or more current activities of one or more other users matches any of the activities from the one or more activities indicated by the one or more search conditions.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the historical activity information for the user includes one or more of historical browsing activity for the user or historical location information for the user.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9, wherein the historical activity information for the user includes one or more online searches conducted by the user.

17. A computer-implemented method comprising:

a search query server that is separate from a mobile device generating and storing, for a user of the mobile device, profile data that indicates one or more search queries and one or more search conditions for the one or more search queries, wherein the one or more search queries are generated by the search query server based upon historical activity information for the user,

the search query server generating and transmitting to the mobile device graphical user interface data which, when processed at the mobile device, causes the one or more search queries to be displayed on the mobile device and allows the one or more search queries to be modified on the mobile device to create one or more modified search queries,

the search query server receiving, from the mobile device, query data that indicates the one or more modified search queries,

the search query server updating the profile data for the user with the one or more modified search queries,

the search query server determining a current status of the user,

the search query server determining whether the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions for the one or more modified search queries indicated by the profile data for the user, and

in response to the search query server determining that the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions for the one or more modified queries indicated by the profile data for the user;

the search query server automatically initiating a search by processing the one or more modified search queries indicated by the profile data for the user to obtain one or more search results, and

the search query server transmitting the one or more search results to the mobile device for display on the mobile device.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein:

the one or more search conditions indicate one or more activities,

the current status of the user includes a current activity of the user that is inferred from one or more current activities of one or more other users, and

the search query server determining whether the current status of the user satisfies the one or more search conditions indicated by the profile data includes the search query server determining whether the current activity of the user that is inferred from one or more current activities of one or more other users matches any of the activities from the one or more activities indicated by the one or more search conditions.