Query completions in the context of a user's own document

• US 9,135,250 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Duddu, Sarveshwar, Finkelstein, Lev
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, THUY T
• Application Number:
  US13/774,640
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 707/728
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus are described herein that include receiving a partial query entered into a search field on a computing device, and data indicating a document presented on the computing device during entry of the partial query. The presented document has been edited by a user of the computing device. Search results are then obtained which identify respective lists of search results documents for corresponding candidate query completions in a set obtained for the partial query. Similarity scores are then calculated for candidate query completions based at least in part on a similarity between content in the displayed document and content in search result documents in the corresponding lists. One or more candidate query completions in the set are then selected as refined query completions for the partial query based at least in part on the similarity scores and provided for presentation by the computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a partial query entered into a search field on a computing device, and receiving data indicating a document presented on the computing device during entry of the partial query, wherein the presented document has been edited by a user of the computing device;

obtaining a set of candidate query completions for the partial query;

identifying one or more search result documents for each of one or more respective candidate query completions in the set;

calculating similarity scores for candidate query completions in the set, wherein calculating a similarity score for a given candidate query completion of the set of candidate query completions is based at least in part on a similarity between content in the presented document and content in the one or more search result documents identified for the given candidate query completion;

selecting one or more of the candidate query completions in the set as refined query completions for the partial query based at least in part on the similarity scores; and

providing the refined query completions for presentation by the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying the search result documents includes obtaining search quality scores for the search result documents, and

selecting the one or more of the candidate query completions is further based on the search quality scores for the search result documents.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sorting the set of candidate query completions using the similarity scores to create a ranking, and wherein selecting one or more of the candidate query completions in the set as the refined query completions is based at least in part on the ranking.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting one or more of the candidate query completions comprises selecting a predetermined number of highest ranked of the candidate query completions as the refined query completions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

obtaining the set of candidate query completions includes obtaining initial ranking scores for the candidate query completions in the set; and

selecting one or more of the candidate query completions as the refined query completions is further based on the initial ranking scores.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the presented document is presented within an application containing the search field.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the received data includes a unique document identifier for the presented document.

8. A system including memory and one or more processors operable to execute instructions, stored in the memory, including instructions to perform the operations of:

receiving a partial query entered into a search field on a computing device, and receiving data indicating a document presented on the computing device during entry of the partial query, wherein the presented document has been edited by a user of the computing device;

obtaining a set of candidate query completions for the partial query;

identifying one or more search result documents for each of one or more respective candidate query completions in the set;

calculating similarity scores for candidate query completions in the set, wherein calculating a similarity score for a given candidate query completion of the set of candidate query completions is based at least in part on a similarity between content in the presented document and content in the one or more search result documents identified for the given candidate query completion;

selecting one or more of the candidate query completions in the set as refined query completions for the partial query based at least in part on the similarity scores; and

providing the refined query completions for presentation by the computing device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the instructions to identify the search result documents includes instructions to obtain search quality scores for search result documents in the respective lists, and

the instructions to select the one or more of the candidate query completions is further based on the search quality scores for the search result documents.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions to sort the set of candidate query completions using the similarity scores to create a ranking, and wherein selecting one or more of the candidate query completions in the set as the refined query completions is based at least in part on the ranking.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions to select one or more of the candidate query completions comprises instructions to select a predetermined number of highest ranked of the candidate query completions as the refined query completions.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the instructions to obtain the set of candidate query completions includes instructions to obtain initial ranking scores for the candidate query completions in the set; and

the instructions to select one or more of the candidate query completions as the refined query completions is further based on the initial ranking scores.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the presented document is presented within an application containing the search field.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the received data includes a unique document identifier for the presented document.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a partial query entered into a search field on a computing device, and receiving data indicating a document presented on the computing device during entry of the partial query, wherein the presented document has been edited by a user of the computing device;

obtaining a set of candidate query completions for the partial query;

identifying one or more search result documents for each of one or more respective candidate query completions in the set;

calculating similarity scores for candidate query completions in the set, wherein calculating a similarity score for a given candidate query completion of the set of candidate query completions is based at least in part on a similarity between content in the presented and content in the one or more search result documents identified for the given candidate query completion;

selecting one or more of the candidate query completions in the set as refined query completions for the partial query based at least in part on the similarity scores; and

providing the refined query completions for presentation by the computing device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

identifying the search result documents includes obtaining search quality scores for the search result documents, and selecting the one or more of the candidate query completions is further based on the search quality scores for the search result documents.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising sorting the set of candidate query completions using the similarity scores to create a ranking, and wherein selecting one or more of the candidate query completions in the set as the refined query completions is based at least in part on the ranking.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein selecting one or more of the candidate query completions comprises selecting a predetermined number of highest ranked of the candidate query completions as the refined query completions.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

obtaining the set of candidate query completions includes obtaining initial ranking scores for the candidate query completions in the set; and

selecting one or more of the candidate query completions as the refined query completions is further based on the initial ranking scores.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the presented document is presented within an application containing the search field.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the received data includes a unique document identifier for the presented document.