System and method for generating attribute-based selectable search extension

• US 20060206475A1
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Naam, Ramez, Weare, Christopher B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A system and related techniques generate alternative search terms derived from a set of search results. A user may input a set of search terms such as keywords or other inputs, and receive a set of search results back, for instance in rank order of estimated relevance to the user'"'"'s search terms and search intention. In addition to the hyperlink or other results may have associated with them a set of selectable alternative search links, for instance indicating “show me more with titles like this” when for instance a Web page title contains the user'"'"'s search terms. Other results may present other attributes, depending on the evaluated distinctiveness potential alternative information content of attributes of that Web page or other result, which attributes may further include, for example, the presence of image files, PDF™ files, audio or video files or attachments, Web pages or other hits indicating certain date ranges, or other attributes or characteristics. In embodiments an attribute or attribute of a result may be assessed for inclusion as an alternative search attributes or limiter based on the attribute'"'"'s deviation in an attribute space from an average of the attributes of the original set of search results, or otherwise. A user may click or otherwise select the alternative search suggestion, for instance indicating “show me more PDFs” and be presented with an updated set of search results containing Web pages or other hits, links or results each of which is, contains or has attached a file or content of that type. Users may thus receive categories of search results more closely aligned with their search intent when characteristic attributes may be a factor in desired content.

Claims

1. A system for generating attribute-based selectable search extensions, comprising:

an input interface to receive a set of search terms; and

search extension logic, the search extension logic communicating with the input interface to receive the set of search terms, access a set of initial search results based on the set of search terms and generate a set of attribute-based selectable search extensions associated with the set of initial search results.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the set of search terms are received via at least one of a networked search service and desktop search on local storage.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions comprises at least one selectable link associated with at least one result in the set of initial search results.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions comprises search extensions based on attributes of at least one of file type, presence of image data, match in result title, quality of match, freshness of match, presence of address data and presence of contact data.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein at least one attribute is selected to generate the at least one selectable link associated with the at least one result in the set of initial search results based on a measure of the at least one attribute in an attribute space.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein selection of at least one of the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions initiates further search processing to generate search results conditioned on at least one associated attribute.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the further search processing generates search results conditioned on two or more associated attributes.

8. A method for generating attribute-based selectable search extensions, comprising:

receiving a set of search terms;

accessing a set of initial search results based on the set of search terms; and

generating a set of attribute-based selectable search extensions associated with the set of initial search results.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the set of search terms are received via at least one of a networked search service and desktop search on local storage.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions comprises at least one selectable link associated with at least one result in the set of initial search results.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions comprises search extensions based on attributes of at least one of file type, presence of image data, match in result title, quality of match, freshness of match, presence of address data and presence of contact data.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein at least one attribute is selected to generate the at least one selectable link associated with the at least one result in the set of initial search results based on a measure of the at least one attribute in an attribute space.

13. A method according to claim 8, further comprising initiating further search processing to generate search results conditioned on at least one associated attribute based on a selection of at least one of the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the further search processing generates search results conditioned on two or more associated attributes.

15. A set of attribute-based selectable search extensions, the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions being generated by a method comprising:

receiving a set of search terms;

accessing a set of initial search results based on the set of search terms; and

generating a set of attribute-based selectable search extensions associated with the set of initial search results.

16. A set of attribute-based selectable search extensions according to claim 15, wherein the set of search terms are received via at least one of a networked search service and desktop search on local storage.

17. A set of attribute-based selectable search extensions according to claim 15, wherein the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions comprises at least one selectable link associated with at least one result in the set of initial search results.

18. A set of attribute-based selectable search extensions according to claim 15, wherein the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions comprises search extensions based on attributes of at least one of file type, presence of image data, match in result title, quality of match, freshness of match, presence of address data and presence of contact data.

19. A set of attribute-based selectable search extensions according to claim 17, wherein at least one attribute is selected to generate the at least one selectable link associated with the at least one result in the set of initial search results based on a measure of the at least one attribute in an attribute space.

20. A set of attribute-based selectable search extensions according to claim 15, wherein the method further comprises initiating further search processing to generate search results conditioned on at least one associated attribute based on a selection of at least one of the set of attribute-based selectable search extensions.