Predictive query suggestion caching

• US 9,323,808 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kanefsky, Steven T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Syling
• Application Number:
  US14/026,553
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707765-767, 707/713, 707/722, 707/736, 707758-760, 707/781, 707999001-999005, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24534 Query rewriting; Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• 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 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

Methods, systems, an apparatus, and computer program products, for pre-caching query suggestions. In one aspect, a method includes receiving from a client device a request for a search resource; providing to the client device in response to the request the search resource, the search resource including: first instructions that cause the client device to generate a search interface that includes a first query input field; initial query suggestions; second instructions that cause the client device to: store the initial query suggestions in a suggestion store on the client device; compare query characters input in the first query input field to the query suggestions stored in the suggestion store; select query suggestions that match the query characters input in the first query input field based on the comparison; and display the selected query suggestions as query suggestions for the query characters input into the first query input field.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a memory storage apparatus in data communication with the data processing apparatus, the memory storage apparatus storing server instructions that when executed by the data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving from a client device data indicative of a location of the client device and a request for a search interface resource, wherein the search interface resource is a resource that is rendered on a user device and provides an interface through which a search query may be entered;

accessing, prior to providing the search interface resource to the client device and in response to the request for the search interface resource, location specific query suggestions determined from data separate from content of the search interface resource, wherein each location specific query suggestion is a query suggestion associated with an area and is only eligible to be displayed as a query suggestion when the client device location is within the area;

selecting, from the location specific query suggestions and before the entering of a query on the client device in the search interface resource, initial query suggestions for providing with the search interface resource and prior to rendering the search interface resource at the client device, each initial query suggestion being a location specific query suggestion associated with an area that includes the location of the client device;

providing to the client device in response to the request the search interface resource, the search resource including;

first instructions that cause the client device to generate search interface resource that includes a first query input field; and

initial query suggestions, wherein each initial query suggestion, upon user selection from the search interface resource, is processed by a search service as a query, and wherein the initial query suggestions are provided to the client device with the search resource without a request for the initial query suggestions from the client device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the search resource includes second instructions cause the client device to:

store the initial query suggestions in a suggestion store on the client device;

compare query characters input in the first query input field to the query suggestions stored in the suggestion store;

select query suggestions that match the query characters input in the first query input field based on the comparison; and

display the selected query suggestions as query suggestions for the query characters input into the first query input field.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the second instructions cause the client device to:

provide the query characters input in the first query input field to the data processing apparatus as a query suggestion request;

receive, in response to the request, additional query suggestions from the data processing apparatus; and

store the additional query suggestions in the suggestion store; and

the server instructions cause the data processing apparatus to provide the additional query suggestions to the client device in response to the query suggestion request.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second instructions cause the client device to provide a separate query suggestion request for each entry of a query character into the query input field.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the server instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to provide a search results resource in response to the query received from the client device, the search results resource including;

third instructions that cause the client device to generate a search results page that displays search results referencing resources determined to be responsive to the query;

additional query suggestions; and

fourth instructions that cause the client device to store the additional query suggestions in the suggestion store on the client device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the search results page includes a second query input field; and

the fourth instructions cause the client device to;

compare query characters input in the second query input field to the query suggestions stored in the suggestion store;

select query suggestions that match the query characters input in the second query input field based on the comparison; and

display the selected query suggestions as query suggestions for the query characters input into the second query input field.

7. A computer-implemented method performed by a data processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving from a client device data indicative of a location of the client device and a request for a search interface resource, wherein the search interface resource is a resource that is rendered on a user device and provides an interface through which a search query may be entered;

accessing, prior to providing the search interface resource to the client device and in response to the request for the search interface resource, location specific query suggestions determined from data separate from content of the search interface resource, wherein each location specific query suggestion is a query suggestion associated with an area and is only eligible to be displayed as a query suggestion when the client device location is within the area;

selecting, from the location specific query suggestions and before the entering of a query on the client device in the search interface resource, initial query suggestions for providing with the search interface resource and prior to rendering the search interface resource at the client device, each initial query suggestion being a location specific query suggestion associated with an area that includes the location of the client device;

providing to the client device in response to the request the search interface resource, the search resource including;

first instructions that cause the client device to generate search interface resource that includes a first query input field; and

initial query suggestions, wherein each initial query suggestion, upon user selection from the search interface resource, is processed by a search service as a query, and wherein the initial query suggestions are provided to the client device with the search resource without a request for the initial query suggestions from the client device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the search resource include second instructions that cause the client device to:

store the initial query suggestions in a suggestion store on the client device;

compare query characters input in the first query input field to the query suggestions stored in the suggestion store;

select query suggestions that match the query characters input in the first query input field based on the comparison; and

display the selected query suggestions as query suggestions for the query characters input into the first query input field.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the second instructions cause the client device to;

provide the query characters input in the first query input field to the data processing apparatus as a query suggestion request;

receive, in response to the request, additional query suggestions from the data processing apparatus; and

store the additional query suggestions in the suggestion store; and

further comprising providing the additional query suggestions to the client device in response to the query suggestion request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second instructions cause the client device to provide a separate query suggestion request for each entry of a query character into the query input field.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing a search results resource in response to the query received from the client device, the search results resource including;

third instructions that cause the client device to generate a search results page that displays search results referencing resources determined to be responsive to the query;

additional query suggestions; and

fourth instructions that cause the client device to store the additional query suggestions in the suggestion store on the client device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the search results page includes a second query input field; and

the fourth instructions cause the client device to;

compare query characters input in the second query input field to the query suggestions stored in the suggestion store;

select query suggestions that match the query characters input in the second query input field based on the comparison; and

display the selected query suggestions as query suggestions for the query characters input into the second query input field.

13. A non-transitory memory storage apparatus storing instructions that when executed by a data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a client device data indicative of a location of the client device and a request for a search interface resource, wherein the search interface resource is a resource that is rendered on a user device and provides an interface through which a search query may be entered;

accessing, prior to providing the search interface resource to the client device and in response to the request for the search interface resource, location specific query suggestions determined from data separate from content of the search interface resource, wherein each location specific query suggestion is a query suggestion associated with an area and is only eligible to be displayed as a query suggestion when the client device location is within the area;

selecting, from the location specific query suggestions and before the entering of a query on the client device in the search interface resource, initial query suggestions for providing with the search interface resource and prior to rendering the search interface resource at the client device, each initial query suggestion being a location specific query suggestion associated with an area that includes the location of the client device;

providing to the client device in response to the request the search interface resource, the search resource including;

first instructions that cause the client device to generate search interface resource that includes a first query input field; and

initial query suggestions, wherein each initial query suggestion, upon user selection from the search interface resource, is processed by a search service as a query, and wherein the initial query suggestions are provided to the client device with the search resource without a request for the initial query suggestions from the client device.

14. The non-transitory memory storage apparatus of claim 13, wherein the search resource includes second instructions cause the client device to:

store the initial query suggestions in a suggestion store on the client device;

compare query characters input in the first query input field to the query suggestions stored in the suggestion store;

select query suggestions that match the query characters input in the first query input field based on the comparison; and

display the selected query suggestions as query suggestions for the query characters input into the first query input field.

15. The non-transitory memory storage apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the second instructions cause the client device to:

provide the query characters input in the first query input field to the data processing apparatus as a query suggestion request;

receive, in response to the request, additional query suggestions from the data processing apparatus; and

store the additional query suggestions in the suggestion store; and

the server instructions cause the data processing apparatus to provide the additional query suggestions to the client device in response to the query suggestion request.

16. The non-transitory memory storage apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second instructions cause the client device to provide a separate query suggestion request for each entry of a query character into the query input field.

17. The non-transitory memory storage apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the server instructions further cause the data processing apparatus to provide a search results resource in response to the query received from the client device, the search results resource including;

third instructions that cause the client device to generate a search results page that displays search results referencing resources determined to be responsive to the query;

additional query suggestions; and

fourth instructions that cause the client device to store the additional query suggestions in the suggestion store on the client device.

18. The non-transitory memory storage apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the search results page includes a second query input field; and

the fourth instructions cause the client device to;

compare query characters input in the second query input field to the query suggestions stored in the suggestion store;

select query suggestions that match the query characters input in the second query input field based on the comparison; and

display the selected query suggestions as query suggestions for the query characters input into the second query input field.