PERSONALIZED SEARCH

• US 20080109422A1
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dedhia, Harshal D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,519,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Systems and methods have been developed for performing an advanced or detailed search based on information previously collected about a searcher'"'"'s interests. In response to a search request, the searcher'"'"'s interests are retrieved and inspected. In an embodiment, the interests may be obtained from multiple systems including those not associated with the search system. Based on the searcher'"'"'s interests, the search request may be limited or otherwise modified from the actual request received. The results of the limited search may then presented to the searcher as the results of the requested search.

Claims

1. A method for searching an index comprising:

receiving a first search query from a client, the first search query containing one or more first search terms and being a command to search the index for entries matching the one or more first search terms;

retrieving historical client interest data associated with the client, the historical client interest data including at least some information passively collected from the client based on the client'"'"'s past actions;

dynamically selecting one or more client limitations based on historical client interest data associated with the client;

searching the index for entries matching the one or more first search terms and the one or more client limitations associated with the client; and

transmitting limited search results to the client, the limited search results identifying the entries matching the one or more first search terms and one or more client limitations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein searching further comprises:

generating a second search query, the second search query containing the one or more first search terms and at least one client limitation term based on the client limitations associated with the client; and

searching the index for entries matching the second search query.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting with the limited search results an indication of the client limitations used to generate limited search results.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the historical client interest data associated with the client is selected from a client search history, a client consumption history and a client purchase history.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

comparing the first search terms with client limitations associated with the client interest data; and

selecting the one or more client limitations based on the results of the comparison.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

generating a relevancy score for each client limitation term associated with the client interest data; and

selecting the one or more client limitation term based on the relevancy score.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

monitoring actions performed by the client over time to generate historical client interest data; and

receiving a command from the client to return limited search results based on the historical client interest data.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the limited search results to one or more criteria; and

if the limited search results to do meet at least one of the criteria, transmitting full search results to the client, the full search results identifying the entries matching the one or more first search terms.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein each client limitation corresponds to a different predetermined category associated with a different subset of entries in the index.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

searching the index for entries matching the one or more first search terms;

receiving a request from the client to display results indicative of all entries; and

transmitting full search results to the client, the full search results identifying the entries matching the one or more first search terms.

11. A method of performing searches of an index comprising:

maintaining information indicative of a searcher'"'"'s prior interests;

in response to a search request from a searcher with known prior interests, comparing the search request to the known prior interests;

searching the index;

generating a full results set of entries matching the search request; and

based on the known prior interests, modifying the full results set to create a modified results set.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting the modified results set to the searcher; and

indicating to the searcher that the modified results set is not the full results set that would have been generated from the search request.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein modifying further comprises:

selecting one or more prior interest search parameters based on a relevancy between the search request and the known prior interests;

using the one or more prior interest search parameters in modifying the full results set.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

transmitting to the searcher the one or more prior interest search parameters.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

searching the full results set for entries matching the one or more prior interest search parameters.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating the modified results set by removing entries from the full results set that do not match the one or more prior interest search parameters.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating the modified results set by changing how entries from the full results set that do not match the one or more prior interest search parameters are displayed relative to entries from the full results set that do match the one or more prior interest search parameters.

18. A system for searching an index comprising:

a searchable index of entries;

a search module adapted to search for entries matching search terms and search parameters;

a personalization module adapted to receive a search request from a client and, if the search request is from a client with known interests, to create a limited search request from the received search request and transmit the limited search request to the search module;

a communication module adapted to transmit search results to the client; and

a client interest datastore containing known interests of clients.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the personalization module further comprises:

a relevancy module adapted to compare a received search request with the known interests of a client and to select one or more client search terms or client search parameters based on the comparison.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the communication is further adapted to transmit an indication to the client that the transmitted search results were generated by a limited search request.

20. (canceled)

22. A method of searching an index comprising:

receiving a basic search request from a client, the basic search request including search terms;

generating advanced search parameters for the client based on known interests of the client;

performing an advanced search using the advanced search parameters and the search terms; and

returning a limited results set generated by the advanced search as the results of the basic search request.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

indicating to the client that the limited results set is not the results of the basic search request.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

wherein the known interests are derived from prior searches performed by the client.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

wherein the known interests are derived from client identification information previously provided by the client.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein performing further comprises:

determining a relevancy between the search terms and the known interests of the client.