CATEGORY SEARCHING

• US 20090177655A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: GOEL, Surendra, Martin, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Performing a category search to identify categories of web sites that relate to a search term includes receiving at least one search term that then is compared with a hierarchy of category identifiers, and with terms related to one or more categories, to determine whether matches exist. A category identifier is selected based on the matches that are determined to exist within the hierarchy and the terms, and at least the category identifier is displayed. Performing a search to identify web sites and categories of web sites that relate to a search term also may include receiving at least one search term that then is compared with a list of recommended web sites, previously performed searches, a hierarchy of category identifiers, and terms related to one or more categories to determine whether matches exist. Results based on matches that are determined to exist are displayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of performing a search, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user, at least one query term;

in response to receiving the at least one query term, accessing, from electronic storage, potentially related query terms;

comparing the at least one query term with the accessed potentially related query terms;

based on comparison results, identifying a list of related query terms that are related to the at least one query term, each entry in the list of related query terms including one or more query terms that match at least one query term from the at least one query term;

presenting, responsive to receipt of the at least one query term and prior to presenting results from any search process to identify search results other than the list of related query terms identified based on the comparison results, the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms;

receiving a selection of a particular user selectable control element that corresponds to a particular entry in the list of related query terms; and

in response to receiving the selection of the particular user selectable control element;

identifying the particular entry, in the list of related query terms, corresponding to the particular user selectable control element;

accessing one or more query terms included in the particular entry;

generating a list search results corresponding to the accessed one or more query terms included in the particular entry by performing a search process, using the accessed one or more query terms included in the particular entry, to identify electronic network-based search results; and

presenting the list of search results.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms includes presenting query terms included in the list of query terms as user selectable control elements.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms includes presenting at least one query term included in each entry in the list of related query terms as the user selectable control element corresponding to the entry.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the list of related query terms that are related to the at least one query term comprises identifying a list of related query terms that are related to the at least one query term and that have been included a relatively high number of searches previously performed within a threshold period of time prior to receiving the at least one query term.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a list search results corresponding to the one or more query terms that are related to the at least one query term and included in the particular entry includes accessing, from electronic storage, search results corresponding to the one or more query terms that are related to the at least one query term and included in the particular entry.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing, from electronic storage, potentially related query terms includes accessing, from electronic storage, previously received query terms associated with previously performed searches.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms includes presenting the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms concurrently with an advertisement.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms includes presenting the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms concurrently with an interface control configured to enable a user to enter query terms.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing, from electronic storage, information related to recommend sites;

comparing the at least one query term with the accessed information related to recommend sites;

based on comparison results, determining a list of recommended sites that correspond to the at least one query term; and

presenting the list of recommended sites.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein presenting the list of recommended sites includes presenting the list of recommended sites concurrently with the list of related query terms.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing, from electronic storage, category identifiers associated with a hierarchy of categories;

comparing the at least one query term with the accessed category identifiers associated with the hierarchy of categories;

based on comparison results, determining one or more categories that correspond to the at least one query term; and

presenting category information related to the one or more categories that correspond to the at least one query term.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein presenting category information related to the list of categories that correspond to the at least one query term includes presenting category information related to the list of categories that correspond to the at least one query term concurrently with the list of related query terms.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:

identifying a list of related query terms that are related to the at least one query term includes identifying a list of related query terms that are shared by the at least one query term; and

presenting the list of related query terms includes presenting the list of related query terms that are shared by the at least one query term.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting, responsive to receipt of the at least one query term and prior to presenting results from any search process to identify search results other than the list of related query terms identified based on the comparison results, the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms comprises presenting, at least initially, only the list of related query terms.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting, responsive to receipt of the at least one query term and prior to presenting results from any search process to identify search results other than the list of related query terms identified based on the comparison results, the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms comprises presenting the list of related query terms without first performing a search process to identify electronic network-based search results responsive to receipt of the at least one query term.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting, responsive to receipt of the at least one query term and prior to presenting results from any search process to identify search results other than the list of related query terms identified based on the comparison results, the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms is conditioned on a number of entries included in the list of related query terms being greater than or equal to a threshold.

17. An electronic system including one or more devices that are controlled by but distinguished from software, the electronic system comprising:

at least one processing device configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a user, at least one query term;

in response to receiving the at least one query term, accessing, from electronic storage, potentially related query terms;

comparing the at least one query term with the accessed potentially related query terms;

based on comparison results, identifying a list of related query terms that are related to the at least one query term, each entry in the list of related query terms including one or more query terms that match at least one query term from the at least one query term;

presenting, responsive to receipt of the at least one query term and prior to presenting results from any search process to identify search results other than the list of related query terms identified based on the comparison results, the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms;

receiving a selection of a particular user selectable control element that corresponds to a particular entry in the list of related query terms; and

in response to receiving the selection of the particular user selectable control element;

identifying the particular entry, in the list of related query terms, corresponding to the particular user selectable control element;

accessing one or more query terms included in the particular entry;

generating a list search results corresponding to the accessed one or more query terms included in the particular entry by performing a search process, using the accessed one or more query terms included in the particular entry, to identify electronic network-based search results; and

presenting the list of search results.

18. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by at least one computer cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user, at least one query term;

in response to receiving the at least one query term, accessing, from electronic storage, potentially related query terms;

comparing the at least one query term with the accessed potentially related query terms;

based on comparison results, identifying a list of related query terms that are related to the at least one query term, each entry in the list of related query terms including one or more query terms that match at least one query term from the at least one query term;

presenting, responsive to receipt of the at least one query term and prior to presenting results from any search process to identify search results other than the list of related query terms identified based on the comparison results, the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms;

receiving a selection of a particular user selectable control element that corresponds to a particular entry in the list of related query terms; and

in response to receiving the selection of the particular user selectable control element;

identifying the particular entry, in the list of related query terms, corresponding to the particular user selectable control element;

accessing one or more query terms included in the particular entry;

generating a list search results corresponding to the accessed one or more query terms included in the particular entry by performing a search process, using the accessed one or more query terms included in the particular entry, to identify electronic network-based search results; and

presenting the list of search results.

19. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein presenting, responsive to receipt of the at least one query term and prior to presenting results from any search process to identify search results other than the list of related query terms identified based on the comparison results, the list of related query terms with a user selectable control element corresponding to each entry in the list of related query terms is conditioned on a number of entries included in the list of related query terms being greater than or equal to a threshold.

20. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein identifying the list of related query terms that are related to the at least one query term comprises identifying a list of related query terms that are related to the at least one query term and that have been included a relatively high number of searches previously performed within a threshold period of time prior to receiving the at least one query term.