Language learning opportunities and general search engines

• US 9,070,303 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Jing, Kun, Shi, Jin, Guan, Hongchao
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, NICHOLAS E
• Application Number:
  US13/486,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 707/246, 707/760, 707/706, 434/157, 715/264, 715/265
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04

Abstract

Methods, computer systems, and computer-readable storage media for determining that a user of a general search engine has intent to not only view search results in a native language on a general search engine results page, but also to have non-native language learning opportunities presented on the general search engine results page. The non-native language learning opportunities include a set of search results drawn from a non-native language document source and presented in the non-native language. Other opportunities include a non-native language dictionary definition of a received search query, a non-native language translation of the search query, and on-demand translation tools available on the general search engine results page.

Claims

1. One or more computer storage devices having embodied thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a general search engine, perform a method for a native language user (the “

user”

) to learn a non-native language by having non-native language learning opportunities presented on a general search engine results page associated with the general search engine, wherein the user has specified via one or more settings that only the native language be presented on the general search engine results page associated with the general search engine and that only native language document sources be searched by the general search engine, the method comprising;

receiving a first search query from the user, the first search query comprising at least one or more words comprised of characters or symbols associated with the native language;

determining that the user has implicit intent to have the non-native language learning opportunities presented on the general search engine results page based solely on one or more features associated with the first search query or an online history associated with the user;

accessing a first data store having documents in the native language and identifying a first set of native language documents associated with the first search query;

overriding the user'"'"'s specification that the general search engine search only native language document sources and accessing a second data store having documents in the non-native language and identifying a second set of non-native language documents associated with the first search query; and

overriding the user'"'"'s specification that only the native language be presented on the general search engine results page and simultaneously presenting the first and second sets of documents as a first and a second set of search results on the general search engine results page, the first and second sets of search results presented in the native language and the non-native language respectively.

2. The devices of claim 1, wherein the determining that the user has implicit intent to have the non-native language learning opportunities presented on the general search engine results page comprises at least one of:

determining that the user has utilized a language learning portal in association with the non-native language at a point previous in time to the receiving of the first search query from the user;

or

determining that the first search query further comprises one or more words comprised of characters associated with the non-native language.

3. The devices of claim 2, wherein the native language was also utilized in association with the language learning portal.

4. The devices of claim 2, further comprising:

translating the first search query into a second search query, the second search query including one or more words composed only of characters associated with the non-native language; and

presenting the second search query on the general search engine results page.

5. The devices of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a dictionary definition of the first search query on the general search engine results page, the dictionary definition presented in the non-native language.

6. The devices of claim 5, further comprising:

presenting a selectable icon in association with the dictionary definition of the first search query;

receiving a selection of the selectable icon; and

initiating play of an audio pronunciation of the first search query in the non-native language.

7. A computerized method carried out by a general search engine having one or more processors for a native language user (the “

user”

) to have non-native language learning opportunities presented on a general search engine results page, wherein the user has specified via one or more settings that only the native language be presented on the general search engine results page and that only native language document sources be searched by the general search engine, the method comprising;

receiving a first search query from the user, the first search query comprising at least one or more words comprised of characters in the native language;

determining that the user has implicit intent to learn the non-native language based solely upon at least one of;

(1) determining that the user has utilized a language learning portal in association with the non-native language at a point previous in time to the receiving of the first search query from the user, or

(2) determining that the first search query further comprises one or more words comprised of characters in the non-native language;

translating the first search query into a second search query, the second search query comprised only of one or more words in the non-native language characters;

accessing a first data store having documents in the native language and identifying a first set of native language documents associated with the first search query;

overriding the user'"'"'s specification that the general search engine search only native language document sources and accessing a second data store having documents in the non-native language and identifying a second set of non-native language documents associated with the second search query; and

overriding the user'"'"'s specification that only the native language be presented on the general search engine results page and simultaneously presenting the first and second sets of documents as a first and a second set of search results on the general search engine results page, the first and second sets of search results presented in the native language and the non-native language respectively.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the native language is the primary language of the user.

9. A system for having non-native language learning opportunities presented on a general search engine results page associated with a general search engine, wherein a user has specified via one or more settings that only the user'"'"'s native language be presented on the general search engine results page and that only native language document sources be searched by the general search engine, the system comprising:

a computing device associated with the general search engine having one or more processors and one or more computer-storage media; and

a data store coupled to the computing device,

wherein the general search engine;

receives a search query from the user, the search query comprising one or more words comprised of characters or symbols associated with the native language;

without the user making an explicit selection, determines that the user has implicit intent to have the non-native language learning opportunities presented on the general search engine results page;

accesses a first data store having documents in the native language and identifies a first set of native language documents associated with the search query;

overrides the user'"'"'s specification that the general search engine search only native language documents sources and accesses a second data store having documents in the non-native language and identifies a second set of non-native language documents associated with the search query; and

overrides the user'"'"'s specification that only the native language be presented on the general search engine results page and communicates for presentation on the general search engine results page the first and second sets of documents as a first and a second set of search results, the first and second sets of search results presented in the native language and the non-native language respectively.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device further communicates for presentation on the general search engine results page a translation of the search query in the non-native language.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device further communicates for presentation on the general search engine results page a dictionary definition of the search query in the non-native language.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device further communicates for presentation on the general search engine results page a translation of the second set of search results in the native language.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second sets of search results are presented simultaneously on the general search engine results page.