Collaborative searching

• US 9,223,874 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Pearcy, Derek Patton
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Issac M
• Application Number:
  US14/537,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-899
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A first user computing device is identified as being collocated with a second user computing device and an invitation is sent over a wireless communication channel for delivery to the first user computing device. The invitation invites the first user computing device to join a collaborative search session with the second user computing device. A first one of a plurality of search contexts is selected for use by the second user computing device within the collaborative search session. The first user computing device uses a second, different one of the plurality of search contexts during the collaborative search session, and presentations of search results within the collaborative search session are organized according to the first search context on the second user computing device and organized according to the second search context on the first user computing device.

Claims

1. At least one non-transitory, machine-accessible storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed on a machine, cause the machine to:

identify that a first user computing device is collocated with a second user computing device based on detecting physical proximity of the second user computing device with the first user computing device over a wireless communication channel;

send an invitation over the wireless communication channel for delivery to the first user computing device, wherein the invitation invites the first user computing device to join a collaborative search session with the second user computing device based on the collocation of the first and second user computing devices; and

determine a first one of a plurality of search contexts to be used by the second user computing device within the collaborative search session, wherein the first user computing device is to use a second, different one of the plurality of search contexts during the collaborative search session, and presentations of search results within the collaborative search session are to be organized according to the first search context on the second user computing device and organized according to the second search context on the first user computing device.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to receive a portion of the search results in response to a query, wherein each of the first and second user computing devices is to receive a respective portion of the search results.

3. The storage medium of claim 2, wherein the query comprises an initial query within the collaborative search session and the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to, send the initial query to a search engine on behalf of both the first and second user computing devices.

4. The storage medium of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to identify the initial query to the first user computing device.

5. The storage medium of claim 2, wherein the query comprises query terms from the first and second user computing devices, a first subset of the query terms originate from the first user computing device, and a different subset of the query terms originate from the second user computing device.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

identify an update to the search results; and

modify the presentation of the search results on the second user computing device based on the update, wherein the update causes both devices to receive updated search results.

7. The storage medium of claim 6, wherein the update is also received by the first computing device and the presentation of the search results of the first user computing device is also modified based on the update, wherein the respective modified presentations of the search results are presented concurrently on each of the first and second user computing devices, and the modification to the presentation of the search results of the first user computing device is different from the modification to the presentation of the search results of the second user computing device based on the first and second search contexts.

8. The storage medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to send query update data generated by the second user computing device, and the update to the search results is based on the query update data.

9. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the query update data is based on a user interaction with the presentation of the search results on the second user computing device.

10. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the query update comprises at least one of a search query, an additional search query term, a filter to be applied to a set of search results, a request to sort a set of search results, inputs from a query branching by one of the devices participating in the collaborative search session, an interaction with a presentation of a set of search results, and feedback data relating to one or more results returned in a set of search results.

11. The storage medium of claim 6, wherein the update is based on query update data generated by the first user computing device based on a user interaction with the presentation of the search results on the first user computing device.

12. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to host the collaborative search session at the second user computing device.

13. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the collaborative search session is hosted by a remote search server.

14. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to identify that the first computing device has accepted the invitation and joined the collaborative search session.

15. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein at least the first search context is selected by a user.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second search context is based on a user selection.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein a user input at the second user computing device assigns the second search context to the first user computing device.

18. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of search contexts comprises two or more of a geographical map context, a text list of hyperlinks context, a listing of digital images context, a listing of videos context, a listing of search result categories context, and a person-centric search result context.

19. A method comprising:

identifying that a first user computing device is collocated with a second user computing device based on detecting physical proximity of the second user computing device with the first user computing device over a wireless communication channel;

sending an invitation over the wireless communication channel for delivery to the first user computing device, wherein the invitation invites the first user computing device to join a collaborative search session with the second user computing device based on the collocation of the first and second user computing devices; and

determining a first one of a plurality of search contexts to be used by the second user computing device within the collaborative search session, wherein the first user computing device is to use a second, different one of the plurality of search contexts during the collaborative search session, respective versions of the search results are to be presented concurrently on each of the first and second user communications devices, and presentations of search results within the collaborative search session are to be organized according to the first search context on the second user computing device and organized according to the second search context on the first user computing device.

20. A system comprising:

a memory configured to store data;

a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data; and

a first user computing device;

a second user computing device comprising a collaborative search tool, wherein the collaborative search tool is to;

identify that the first user computing device is collocated with the second user computing device based on detecting physical proximity of the second user computing device with the first user computing device over a wireless communication channel;

cause an invitation to be sent over the wireless communication channel to the first user computing device, wherein the invitation invites the first user computing device to join a collaborative search session with the second user computing device based on the collocation of the first and second user computing devices; and

determine a first one of a plurality of search contexts to be used by the second user computing device within the collaborative search session, wherein the first user computing device is to use a second, different one of the plurality of search contexts during the collaborative search session, respective versions of the search results are to be presented concurrently on each of the first and second user communications devices, and presentations of search results within the collaborative search session are to be organized according to the first search context on the second user computing device and organized according to the second search context on the first user computing device.