Local query suggestions

• US 9,626,454 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kogan, David, Koulomzin, Daniel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chbouki, Tarek
• Application Number:
  US14/797,598
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for providing query suggestions. One of the methods includes receiving query log data that identifies a query and a location where the query was issued. A point of interest near the location where the query was issued is identified. A category of the point of interest near the location where the query was issued is identified. The query is associated with the category of the point of interest near the location where the query was issued.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, multiple complete queries that were submitted on multiple occasions from user devices at multiple respective locations;

identifying, by the computing system, a collection of multiple geographic categories that are each associated with multiple respective points of interest;

associating, by the computing system, each particular complete query of the multiple complete queries that were received by the computing system with a geographic category from among the collection of multiple geographic categories, based on a user device at which the particular complete query was entered being within a threshold proximity to any of the multiple points of interest that belong to the category; and

responsive to the computing system obtaining a partial query that includes one or more characters and obtaining a first location of a computing device at which the partial query was issued;

accessing, by the computing system, information that associates each particular query of the multiple queries with a geographic category from the collection of multiple categories,

identifying, by the computing system, a first point of interest that is within a first predefined proximity to the first location at which the partial query was issued,

determining that the first point of interest belongs to a first geographic category of the collection of multiple geographic categories,

obtaining a complete query that is associated by the information with the first geographic category,

providing, to the computing device at which the partial query was issued, the obtained complete query to be displayed as a complete query suggestion concurrently with display by the computing device of the partial query,

receiving, by the computing system, an indication that user input at the computing device selected the complete query suggestion that the computing device displayed concurrently with the partial query,

identifying, by the computing system, one or more results that are responsive to the selected complete query suggestion, and

providing, by the computing system, the one or more results that are responsive to the selected complete query suggestion for receipt and presentation by the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic category is associated with a group of different points of interest.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the group of different points of interest includes a second point of interest other than the first point of interest, and a first complete query suggestion is a complete query issued by a second user device different from a first user device at a second point of interest different from the first point of interest within a second predefined proximity to a second location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predefined proximity specifies a threshold distance between the first point of interest and the first location.

5. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising

receiving, by a computing system, multiple complete queries that were submitted on multiple occasions from user devices at multiple respective locations;

identifying, by the computing system, a collection of multiple geographic categories that are each associated with multiple respective points of interest;

associating, by the computing system, each particular complete query of the multiple complete queries that were received by the computing system with a geographic category from among the collection of multiple geographic categories, based on a user device at which the particular complete query was entered being within a threshold proximity to any of the multiple points of interest that belong to the category; and

responsive to the computing system obtaining a partial query that includes one or more characters and obtaining a first location of a computing device at which the partial query was issued;

accessing, by the computing system, information that associates each particular query of the multiple queries with a geographic category from the collection of multiple categories,

identifying, by the computing system, a first point of interest that is within a first predefined proximity to the first location at which the partial query was issued,

determining that the first point of interest belongs to a first geographic category of the collection of multiple geographic categories,

obtaining a complete query that is associated by the information with the first geographic category,

providing, to the computing device at which the partial query was issued, the obtained complete query to be displayed as a complete query suggestion concurrently with display by the computing device of the partial query,

receiving, by the computing system, an indication that user input at the computing device selected the complete query suggestion that the computing device displayed concurrently with the partial query,

identifying, by the computing system, one or more results that are responsive to the selected complete query suggestion, and

providing, by the computing system, the one or more results that are responsive to the selected complete query suggestion for receipt and presentation by the computing device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first geographic category is associated with a group of different points of interest.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the group of different points of interest includes a second point of interest other than the first point of interest, and a first complete query suggestion is a complete query issued by a second user device different from a first user device at a second point of interest different from the first point of interest within a second predefined proximity to a second user location.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the first predefined proximity specifies a threshold distance between the first point of interest and the first location.

9. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that when executed by a system cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, multiple complete queries that were submitted on multiple occasions from user devices at multiple respective locations;

identifying, by the computing system, a collection of multiple geographic categories that are each associated with multiple respective points of interest;

associating, by the computing system, each particular complete query of the multiple complete queries that were received by the computing system with a geographic category from among the collection of multiple geographic categories, based on a user device at which the particular complete query was entered being within a threshold proximity to any of the multiple points of interest that belong to the category;

responsive to the computing system obtaining a partial query that includes one or more characters and obtaining a first location of a computing device at which the partial query was issued;

accessing, by the computing system, information that associates each particular query of the multiple queries with a geographic category from the collection of multiple categories,

identifying, by the computing system, a first point of interest that is within a first predefined proximity to the first location at which the partial query was issued,

determining that the first point of interest belongs to a first geographic category of the collection of multiple geographic categories,

obtaining a complete query that is associated by the information with the first geographic category,

providing, to the computing device at which the partial query was issued, the obtained complete query to be displayed as a complete query suggestion concurrently with display by the computing device of the partial query,

receiving, by the computing system, an indication that user input at the computing device selected the complete query suggestion that the computing device displayed concurrently with the partial query,

identifying, by the computing system, one or more results that are responsive to the selected complete query suggestion, and

providing, by the computing system, the one or more results that are responsive to the selected complete query suggestion for receipt and presentation by the computing device.

10. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first geographic category is associated with a group of different points of interest.

11. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 10, wherein the group of different points of interest includes a second point of interest other than the first point of interest, and a first complete query suggestion is a complete query issued by a second user device different from a first user device at a second point of interest different from the first point of interest within a second predefined proximity to a second location.

12. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first predefined proximity specifies a threshold distance between the first point of interest and the first location.