System and method for context sensitive searching

• US 7,716,158 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McConnell, Christopher C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harper; Leon
• Application Number:
  US10/754,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20050154711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/104.1, 707/100, 707/10, 707/1, 707/5, 707/4
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and system which allow the addition of context into a search involves the use of state monitors in the computing environment. The state monitors record information such as the installed hardware, software, user preferences, and operating modes. The state information is used to modify information gathered via a user search to make the search results more relevant to the user in the context of his computing environment. The monitors, along with logical operators and variables, assess the current state of the machine and modify the displayed search results by excluding irrelevant information, biasing up information relevant to the computing environment and biasing down other information less relevant to the computing environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for using state information of components in a computing environment as context to modify retrieved information, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of state associations that relate any particular state with at least one result, wherein at least one association comprises an association to exclude information corresponding to a first state, wherein a particular state comprises at least one of a hardware state, an operating system condition, a user preference, or a software application operating parameter;

receiving a search request;

retrieving, from a database, information related to the search request; and

modifying the information retrieved in accordance with the at least one state association if the at least one result is related to the retrieved information, wherein the association to exclude prevents information corresponding to a first state from appearing as modified information;

wherein context is applied to the retrieved information using the state information of the components in the computing environment, wherein the state information comprises the group consisting of a hardware component state and a software component operating mode state; and

presenting the modified information on a computer display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating at least one state association comprises using a monitor to determine the particular state and correlating the particular state with at the at least one result that is affected by the particular state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating at least one state association comprises correlating a state with a help topic in a software program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information related to a search request comprises searching in a database of help topics and returning information based on the search request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the information retrieved further comprises using one or more of logical operators and variables in conjunction with two or more state monitors before applying the step of excluding.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the information retrieved comprises:

biasing up a first selected item of the retrieved information by assigning the first selected item with a high ranking, whereby the first selected item is placed near the top a list of modified information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying the information retrieved further comprises using one or more of logical operators and variables in conjunction with two or more state monitors before applying the step of biasing up.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the information retrieved comprises:

biasing down a second selected item of the retrieved information by assigning the second selected item with a low ranking, whereby the second selected item is placed away from the top of a list of modified information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein modifying the information retrieved further comprises using one or more of logical operators and variables in conjunction with two or more state monitors before applying the step of biasing down.

6. A computer system for a including context in a search for information, the system having at least one monitor that detects state information of hardware and software components in the system, the system comprising:

a processor having access to memory, the memory having instructions which, when executed, perform the method comprising;

creating a plurality of state associations that relate any particular state with at least one result, wherein at least one association comprises an association to exclude information corresponding to a first state, wherein a particular state comprises at least one of a hardware state, an operating system condition, a user preference, or a software application operating parameter;

receiving a search request;

retrieving, from a database, information related to the search request; and

modifying the information retrieved in accordance with the at least one state association if the at least one result is related to the retrieved information, wherein the association to exclude prevents information corresponding to the first state from appearing as modified information;

wherein context is applied to the retrieved information using the state information of the components in the computer system, wherein the state information comprises the group consisting of a hardware component state and a software component operating mode state; and

a display device wherein the modified information is presented for review.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for including state context into search results, the method performed using state information of components in a computing environment, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of state associations that relate any particular state with at least one result, wherein at least one association comprises an association to exclude information corresponding to a first state, wherein a particular state comprises at least one of a hardware state, an operating system condition, a user preference, or a software application operating parameter;

receiving a search request;

retrieving from a database information related to a search request; and

modifying the information retrieved in accordance with the at least one state association if the at least one result is related to the retrieved information, wherein the association to exclude prevents information corresponding to the first state from appearing as modified information;

wherein context is applied to the retrieved information using the state information of the components in the computing environment, wherein the state information comprises the group consisting of a hardware component state and a software component operating mode state; and

presenting the modified information on a computer display.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method step of creating at least one state association comprises using a monitor to determine the particular state and correlating the particular state with at the at least one result that is affected by the particular state.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method step of creating at least one state association comprises correlating a state with a help topic in a software program.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method step of retrieving information related to a search request comprises searching in a database of help topics and returning information based on the search request.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method step of modifying the information retrieved further comprises using one or more of logical operators and variables in conjunction with two or more state monitors before applying the at least one step of excluding.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the step of modifying the information retrieved comprises:

biasing up a first selected item of the retrieved information by assigning the first selected item with a high ranking, whereby the first selected item is placed near the top a list of modified information.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the step of modifying the information retrieved further comprises using one or more of logical operators and variables in conjunction with two or more state monitors before applying the step of biasing up.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method step of modifying the information retrieved comprises:

biasing down a second selected item of the retrieved information by assigning the second selected item with a low ranking, whereby the second selected item is placed away from the top of a list of modified information.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the step of modifying the information retrieved further comprises using one or more of logical operators and variables in conjunction with two or more state monitors before applying the step of biasing down.