Intent-based presentation of search results

• US 9,536,001 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramsey, William, Agrawal, Nitin, Dube, Simant, Gulli, Antonio, Jha, Binit Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): MORRISON, JAY A
• Application Number:
  US13/675,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter include computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and computer systems configured to respond to a search query from a computer user. In response to receiving a search query from the computer user, search results are obtained. A plurality of user intents are identified according to the obtained search results. The obtained search results are then grouped according to the subject matter of the search results, where each group corresponds to one of the plurality of user intents. A first user intent (with the corresponding group of search results) is selected. A search results page is generated from the search results of the group the search results corresponding to the selected first user intent and the generated search results page is returned to the computer user in response to the search query.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for responding to a search query from a computer user, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of search results from a content store in response to a search query received from a computer user, wherein each of the obtained search results is associated with a score;

identifying a plurality of user intents from the obtained search results;

grouping the obtained search results into a plurality of groups of search results, each of the plurality of groups corresponding to one of the identified plurality of user intents;

selecting a first user intent from the plurality of user intents, wherein the first user intent is selected according to the group of search results of the plurality of groups having the highest scoring search results;

generating one or more search results pages including a first search results page, wherein the first search results page is generated from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent, and wherein each search results page is generated such that each search results page includes search results of a single user intent of the plurality of user intents; and

providing at least the first search results page to the computer user in response to the search query.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the score associated with each search results is determined according to at least one of user context information, explicit user profile information, user preferences, and relevance of the search result to the search query.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising expanding the search query received from the computer user, and wherein obtaining search results responsive to the search query comprises obtaining search results for the expanded search query.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a second user intent from the plurality of user intents, the second user intent being a different user intent than the first user intent;

determining an intent-specific search query for the group of search results corresponding to second user intent; and

including the intent-specific search query as a related search query in the generated search results page.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein generating the search results page comprises generating the search results page from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent and including a subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent in a less prominent position on the search results page, one or more related search links corresponding to the first user intent, and one or more related search links corresponding to the second user intent.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent are included below a fold of the generated search results page, wherein the fold indicates a location on the generated search results page such that above the fold, a subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the first user intent are initially visible and below the fold, the subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent are not initially visible on displaying the generated search results page.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a plurality of intent-specific search queries for each of the plurality of groups of search results excluding the group of search results corresponding to the first user intent; and

including a subset of the plurality of intent-specific search queries as a set of related search queries in the generated search results page.

8. A computer-readable medium bearing computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computing system comprising at least a processor, carry out a method for responding to a search query from a user, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of search results from a content store in response to a search query received from a computer user, wherein each of the obtained search results is associated with a score;

identifying a plurality of user intents according to the obtained search results;

grouping the obtained search results into a plurality of groups, each of the plurality of groups corresponding to one of the identified plurality of user intents;

selecting a first user intent from the plurality of user intents based on the search query, wherein the first user intent is selected according to the group of search results of the plurality of groups having the highest scoring search results;

generating one or more search results pages from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent in response to the received search query from the computer user, wherein each search results page is generated such that the groups of search results are aligned with search results pages such that each generated search results page comprises only search results of a single user intent; and

providing the generated search results page to the computer user in response to the search query.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises expanding the search query received from the computer user, and wherein obtaining search results responsive to the search query comprises obtaining search results for the expanded search query.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the score associated with each search results is determined according to at least one of user context information, explicit user profile information, user preferences, and relevance of the search result to the search query.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a second user intent from the plurality of user intents, the second user intent being a different user intent that the first user intent;

determining an intent-specific search query for the group of search results corresponding to second user intent; and

including the intent-specific search query as a related search query in the generated search results page with one or more related search queries corresponding to the first user intent, wherein the related search query corresponding to the second user intent is included in a less prominent position on the search results page as comparison to the one or more related search queries corresponding to the first user intent.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein generating the search results page comprises generating the search results page from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent and also including a subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent in a less prominent position on the search results page.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the second user intent and a subset of search results from the group of search results corresponding to the first user intent are included below the fold of the generated search results page.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a plurality of intent-specific search queries for each of the plurality of groups of search results excluding the group of search results corresponding to the first user intent; and

including a subset of the plurality of intent-specific search queries as a set of related search queries in the generated search results page.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein each group of the search results is presented on the search results page as a tabbed view of search results.

16. A computer system for providing online search services, the system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory as part of or in conjunction with additional components to respond to a search query from a computer user, the additional components comprising:

a communication component by which the computer system receives the search query from the computer user and returns a generated search results page to the computer user over a network;

a search results retrieval component that obtains a plurality of search results from a content store in response to the computer system receiving the search query from the computer user, wherein each of the obtained search results are associated with a score;

an intent identification component that identifies a plurality of user intents from the search results obtained by the search results retrieval component responsive to the computer system receiving the search query from the computer user;

a search results grouping component that groups the search results obtained by obtained by the search results retrieval component into a plurality of groups of search results, each of the plurality of groups corresponding to one of the identified plurality of user intents; and

an intent selection component that selects a first user intent from the plurality of user intents as the primary intent of the search query based on the search query, wherein the intent selection component selects the first user intent from the plurality of user intents according to the group of search results having the highest scoring search results;

a search results page generator that generates one or more search results pages in response to receiving the search query from the group of search results corresponding to the selected first user intent, wherein the search results page generator generates the one or more search results pages such that the groups of search results are aligned with search results pages such that each search results page is targeted to single user intent.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein each of the obtained search results are associated with a score, and wherein selecting a first user intent from the plurality of user intents comprises selecting the first user intent corresponding to the group of search results having the highest scoring search results.

18. The computer system of claim 17 further comprising:

an intent-specific search query component that determines an intent-specific search query for each of the plurality of groups of search results excluding the group of search results corresponding to the first user intent; and

wherein the search results page generator includes a plurality of intent-specific search queries as a set of related search queries in the generated search results page.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein each group of the search results is presented on the search results page as a tabbed view of search results.