System to generate related search queries

• US 20060288000A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Gupta, Raghav
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

System and methods are described to provide new recommendations to a search interface to assist users in navigating toward new searches that are likely to generate results aligned with the user'"'"'s searching intentions. An algorithm analyzes previous search sessions to determine additional locations for the user to go. In an example of a commerce system, new information placement may be added to the top of search and listings pages to show links to new searches that can be run by the user. On a periodic basis, the search recommendations may be updated, for example based on the most current changes in user behavior.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a search engine to execute a database search during a session, wherein the data base search is based upon a current user determined search query; and

a recommendation engine to analyze prior searches performed for other users to determine one or more recommended searches for the current user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the recommendation engine analyzes a search history of the other users and determines a success level in a predetermined activity of the other users.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the predetermined activity is a commerce transaction.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the commerce transaction is placing a bit in an auction.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the recommendation engine determines a rank for the one or more recommended searches based on post-search user or system behavior with respect to the database and the prior searches performed for the other users.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the user behavior indicates that subsequent to each of the one or more recommended searches a threshold number of users purchased one or more products/services identified by the associated recommended search.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the recommendation engine does not provide the one or more recommended searches for the current user if the current user determined search query contains an identified grammatical error.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the current user determined search query contains a product title, and the recommendation filters the one or more recommended searches to avoid displaying recommendations that overlap with the product title.

9. A system comprising:

a search engine to execute a database search during a session, wherein the data base search is based upon a current user determined search query A; and

a recommendation engine to analyze prior searches performed for prior users and recommend search query B to the current user, wherein the recommendation engine tracks a number of prior users that performed search query A, then performed search query B, and then performed predetermined post-search activity with respect to a result set returned by search query B.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein search query B does not include terminology in common with search query A.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the post-search activity comprises a threshold number of users purchased one or more products/services identified by search query B.

12. A method of making search recommendations comprising:

determining a first number of users that performed a database search using search query A;

determining a second number as a subset of the first number of users that performed a database search using search query B subsequent to performing the database search using search query A, and performed a predetermined post-search activity with respect to the search using search query B; and

recommending search query B to a current user executing a database search using the search query A.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the predetermined post-search activity with respect to the search using search query B comprises purchasing one or more products/services.

14. A machine-readable medium including a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, perform the method of claim 12.

15. A method of managing a computerized commerce system where a user interface includes page views obtained during a session in response to user specified search queries, the method comprising:

tracking session data to determine sequential page views, wherein page view B is viewed immediately after page view A;

editing the tracked session data based upon search queries including a search phrase and a category constraint used to view search pages A and B, wherein editing comprises eliminating the tracked session data if the category constraint of the search queries is not the same for both page views A and B, or if the search phrase of the search queries is the same for both page views A and B; and

maintaining a historical count of a number of times users viewed page view A followed page view B based upon the edited tracked session data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein editing the tracked session data based upon a search phrase and a category constraint further comprises eliminating the tracked session data if the category constraint is on a prohibited list.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein editing the tracked session data based upon a search phrase and a category constraint further comprises eliminating the tracked session data if the search phrase contains a complex search operator.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein tracking session data further comprises tracking predetermined post-search user activity with respect to page view B.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the predetermined post-search user activity comprises purchasing one or more products/services.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprises recommending a search query to view page view B in response to a user specified search query resulting in viewing page view A.

21. A method of managing a computerized commerce system having a user interface including page views obtained during a session in response to specified search queries, the method comprising:

associating page views, wherein a first page view is associated with a second page view based upon viewing frequency and post search user activity;

receiving a user specified search query producing a search result including the first page view; and

recommending a system specified search query to the producing a search result including the second page view.