Pivot Search Results By Time and Location

• US 20090293011A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nassar, Aladdin A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,839,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection
• 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

Aggregating temporal information and location information to form a collective query. A search query is received from a user to identify search results. Temporal information and location information associated with the query inputs from information sources are received. One or more search results associated with the received query are identified in response to and as a function of the one or more query inputs, the received temporal information and the received location information. One or more graphical identifiers on a map are provided representing the one or more identified results. Each one or more provided graphical identifiers has at least one corresponding temporal identifiers on a calendar such that selecting one graphical identifier on the map focuses a corresponding one temporal identifier on the calendar or selecting one temporal identifier on the calendar selects a corresponding one graphical identifier on the map.

Claims

1. A method for aggregating temporal information and location information from sources to form a collective query, said method comprising:

receiving a search query from a user for identifying related search results, said search query including one or more query inputs, said query inputs being unrestricted to location-based only searches;

receiving temporal information associated with the query inputs from an information source, said information source being independent of the query inputs;

receiving location information associated with the query inputs from another information source, said other information source also being independent of the query inputs;

identifying one or more search results associated with the received query in response to and as a function of the one or more query inputs, the received temporal information and the received location information; and

providing one or more graphical identifiers on a map representing the one or more identified results, said each one or more provided graphical identifiers having at least one corresponding temporal identifiers on a calendar such that a selection of one of the graphical identifiers on the map from the user focuses a corresponding selection of one of the temporal identifiers on the calendar or a selection of one of the temporal identifiers on the calendar from the user selects a corresponding selection of one of the graphical identifiers on the map.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response of the focus, providing additional text information of the one or more identified results on a detail information area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the location information comprises identifying one of the following location information from the user:

internet protocol (IP) address information and location information from the information source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the temporal information comprises identifying one of the following temporal information from the user:

temporal information from the other information source, temporal information when the search query is received, and temporal information when the one or more results are identified.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information source and the other information source comprise a user profile associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user profile including at least one of the following:

default location information, default time zone location, default IP address, IP history, and previous search queries.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input in addition to the received search query from the user, said user input identifying an overriding temporal information and an overriding location information, and wherein identifying comprises identifying the one or more results associated with the received query in response to and as a function of the one or more query inputs, the overriding temporal information and the overriding location information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the one or more included query inputs in the search query to define a temporal information and a location information, and wherein identifying comprises identifying the one or more results associated with the received query in response to and as a function of the one or more query inputs, the received temporal information, the received location information, the defined temporal information and the defined location information.

9. A system for aggregating temporal information and location information from sources to form a collective query, said method comprising:

an interface for receiving a search query from a user for identifying related search results, said search query including one or more query inputs, said query inputs being unrestricted to location-based only searches;

a memory area for storing a term scope library, said stored term scope library defining a temporal scope or location scope for one or more terms;

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions for;

determining whether the one or more query inputs match one of the terms in the term scope library in the memory area;

when it is determined from the determining that the one or more query inputs match the one or more terms in the term scope library, identifying one or more results associated with the received query in response to and as a function of the one or more query inputs and the defined temporal scope or location scope; and

wherein the interface provides one or more graphical identifiers on a map representing the one or more identified results, said each one or more provided graphical identifiers having at least one corresponding temporal identifiers on a calendar such that the processor is configured to select a corresponding selection of one of the temporal identifiers on the calendar in response a selection of one of the graphical identifiers on the map from the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the interface further comprises:

receives temporal information associated with the query inputs from a first information source separate from the query inputs; and

receiving location information associated with the query inputs from a second information source separate from the query inputs.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to identify the one or more results associated with the received query in response to and as a function of the one or more query inputs, the received temporal information and the received location information when it is determined from the determining that the one or more query inputs do not match the one or more of the terms in the term scope library.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to provide additional text information of the one or more identified results on a detail information area in response to the processor selecting the corresponding selection of the one of the temporal identifiers on the calendar, and wherein the interface displays the detail information area for the user.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the information source and the other information source comprise a user profile associated with the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the user profile including at least one of the following:

default location information, default time zone location, default IP address, IP history, and previous search queries.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the interface is further configured to receive a user input in addition to the received search query from the user, said user input identifying an overriding temporal information and an overriding location information, and wherein identifying comprises identifying the one or more results associated with the received query in response to and as a function of the one or more query inputs, the overriding temporal information and the overriding location information.

17. A method for displaying graphical user interface (GUI) for graphically providing a search result as a function of time information and location information, said GUI comprising:

providing a first display area for receiving search inputs from a user for identifying related search results, said search inputs being unrestricted to location-based only searches;

receiving temporal information and location information associated with the search inputs from an information source, said information source being separate from the query inputs;

identifying one or more search results associated with the received search inputs in response to and as a function of the search inputs, the received temporal information and the received location information;

providing a second display area for displaying a map having graphical identifiers;

providing a third display area for displaying a calendar having temporal identifiers; and

wherein each of the graphical identifiers on the map in the second display area corresponds to at least one of the temporal identifiers on the calendar on the third display area such that a selection of one of the graphical identifiers on the map from the user selects a corresponding selection of one of the temporal identifiers on the calendar or a selection of one of the temporal identifiers on the calendar from the user selects a corresponding selection of one of the graphical identifiers on the map.

18. The GUI of claim 17, further comprising analyzing the search inputs in the first display area to define a temporal information and a location information, and wherein identifying comprises identifying the one or more results associated with the received query in response to and as a function of the one or more query inputs, the received temporal information, the received location information, the defined temporal information and the defined location information.

19. The GUI of claim 17, further comprising providing a fourth display area for displaying additional information of the search results in response a selection of one of the graphical identifiers on the map or a selection of one of the temporal identifiers on the calendar.

20. The GUI of claim 17, wherein the information source includes at least one of the following:

default location information, default time zone location, default IP address, IP history, previous search queries, an additional user input of temporal information, and an additional input of location information.