Systems and methods for category-based search

• US 7,788,274 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ionescu, Mihai Florin
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil; Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADTKE, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US10/881,665
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 707/763
• US Class Current: 707/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

Systems and methods for category-based search are described. In one described system, a computer program identifies an article having an attribute, determines a category associated with the article based at least in part on the article attribute, and stores in a data store a data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associated with the category and the article. A search query is received and executed on a data store comprising the association data record. In response, the association data record is received from the data store. Search results may be constructed and displayed using the association data record.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for category-based search, the method executed by one or more computer systems and comprising:

identifying an event comprising a user interaction with an article stored on a storage device of a client device responsive to monitoring user interactions with the client device;

identifying an event schema describing a format of the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article, the schema comprising fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article;

identifying a plurality of attributes associated with the identified event that correspond to the fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article, the plurality of attributes identified responsive to the article and the monitored user interactions;

determining at least a first category associated with the article based at least in part on the attributes;

storing at least a first association data record, the association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associating the first category and an article identifier identifying the article;

receiving an implicit search query;

causing the implicit search query to be executed on a data store comprising the first association data record; and

receiving the first association data record from the data store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device comprises a web server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a second category associated with the article based at least in part on the attributes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first category is associated with a second article based at least in part on the attributes; and

storing a second association data record, the second association data record comprising a second category-article pair identifier associating the first category and an article identifier identifying the second article.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least a first category associated with the article further comprises creating the category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the association data record further comprises generating an output signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the output signal comprises the article identifier.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the output signal further comprises the first category.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising causing the output of the first category and the article identifier.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the output signal comprises a plurality of article identifiers.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising sorting the plurality of article identifiers based at least in part on the first category.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the event schema for the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article comprises:

selecting the event schema for the event from among a plurality of schemas associated with a plurality of article types.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the article type is one or more of:

a word processing document, a spreadsheet, an audio file, a video file, a database, a client-application program, a web page, a electronic mail message and an instant messenger message.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the fields that describe the interaction with the article comprise one or more fields corresponding to a time associated with the interaction with the article.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction with the article comprises one or more of:

printing the article, emailing the article, sending the article, viewing the article, selecting a link associated with the article, faxing the article and copying the article.

16. The method of claim 15, determining at least a first category associated with the article based at least in part on the attributes comprises determining a first category representing the interaction with the article.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the event schema is identified responsive at least in part to the monitored user interactions.

18. A computer-implemented method for category-based search, the method executed by one or more computer systems and comprising:

identifying an event comprising a user interaction with an article stored on a storage device of a client device responsive to monitoring user interactions with the client device;

identifying an event schema describing a format of the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article, the schema comprising fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article;

identifying a plurality of attributes associated with the identified event that correspond to the fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article, the plurality of attributes identified responsive to the article and the monitored user interactions;

automatically creating at least a first category associated with the article based at least in part on the plurality of attributes;

storing an association data record, the association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associating the first category and an article identifier identifying the article;

receiving an implicit search query;

causing the implicit search query to be executed on a data store comprising the association data record; and

receiving the association data record from the data store.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a second category related to the first category; and

for each association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associating the first category and an article identifier identifying with the article, storing a second association data record associating the second category and the article identifier identifying the article.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein identifying the event schema for the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article comprises:

selecting the event schema for the event from among a plurality of schemas associated with a plurality of article types.

21. A computer-implemented method for category-based search, the method executed by one or more computer systems and comprising:

identifying an event comprising a user interaction with an article stored on a storage device of a client device responsive to monitoring user interactions with the client device;

identifying an event schema describing a format of the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article, the schema comprising fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article;

creating a category associated with the article based at least in part on the fields that describe interactions with the article;

storing an association data record, the association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associating the category and an article identifier identifying the article;

receiving an implicit search query;

causing the implicit search query to be executed on a data store comprising the association data record; and

receiving the association data record from the data store.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the category comprises a first category and further comprising:

determining a second category related to the first category; and

for each association data record associating the first category and the article identifier identifying the article, storing a second association data record associating the second category and the article identifier.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the category comprises a first category, the association data record comprises a first association data record, the article comprises an article attribute, further comprising:

determining a second category associated with the article based at least in part on the article attribute; and

storing a second association data record, the second association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associating the second category and the article identifier identifying the article.

24. A computer-implemented method for category based search, the method executed by one or more computer systems and comprising:

identifying an event comprising a user interaction with a web page responsive to monitoring user interactions with a client device;

identifying an event schema describing a format of the identified event, the schema comprising fields describing the web page and fields that describe interactions with the web page;

identifying a plurality of attributes associated with the identified event based at least in part on one or more fields of the event schema, the plurality of attributes identified responsive to the web page and the monitored user interactions, wherein at least a first attribute is associated with a keyword;

searching a category-keyword data store for a category associated with the keyword;

receiving a category identifier from the category-keyword data store;

storing an association data record in a category-article data store, the association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier, the category-article pair identifier associating the category identifier and an identifier identifying the web page;

receiving an implicit search query;

causing the implicit search query to be executed on the category-article data store;

receiving the association data record from the category-article data store; and

causing the identifier identifying the web page and the category to be output.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is encoded executable program code for category-based search, the program code comprising:

program code for identifying an event comprising a user interaction with an article stored on a storage device of a client device responsive to monitoring user interactions with the client device;

program code for identifying an event schema describing a format of the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article, the schema comprising fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article;

program code for identifying a plurality of attributes associated with the identified event that correspond to the fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article, the plurality of attributes identified responsive to the article and the monitored user interactions;

program code for determining at least a first category associated with the article based at least in part on the attributes;

program code for storing at least a first association data record, the association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associating the first category and an article identifier identifying the article;

program code for receiving an implicit search query;

program code for causing the implicit search query to be executed on a data store comprising the first association data record; and

program code for receiving the first association data record from the data store.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising program code for determining a second category associated with the article based at least in part on the attributes.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising:

program code for determining that the first category is associated with a second article based at least in part on the attributes; and

program code for storing a second association data record, the second association data record comprising a second category-article pair identifier associating the first category and an article identifier identifying the second article.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising program code for storing a second association data record, the second association data record comprising the first category and a second category.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein program code for determining at least a first category associated with the article further comprises program code for creating the category.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein receiving the association data record further comprises program code for generating an output signal.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the output signal further comprises the first category.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, further comprising program code for causing the output of the first category and the article identifier.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the output signal comprises a plurality of article identifiers.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising sorting the plurality of article identifiers based at least in part on the first category.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein program code for identifying the event schema for the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article comprises program code for:

selecting the event schema for the event from among a plurality of schemas associated with a plurality of article types.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is encoded executable program code for category-based search, the program code comprising:

program code for identifying an event comprising a user interaction with an article stored on a storage device of a client device responsive to monitoring user interactions with the client device;

program code for identifying an event schema describing a format of the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article, the schema comprising fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article;

program code for identifying a plurality of attributes associated with the identified event that correspond to the fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article, the plurality of attributes identified responsive to the article and the monitored user interactions;

program code for automatically creating at least a first category associated with the article based at least in part on the attributes;

program code for storing an association data record, the association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associating the first category and an article identifier identifying the article;

program code for receiving an implicit search query;

program code for causing the implicit search query to be executed on a data store comprising the association data record; and

program code for receiving the association data record from the data store.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, further comprising:

program code for determining a second category related to the first category; and

for each association data record associating the first category and the article identifier identifying the article, program code for storing a second association data record associating the second category and the article identifier identifying the article.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein program code for identifying the event schema for the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article comprises program code for:

selecting the event schema for the event from among a plurality of schemas associated with a plurality of article types.

39. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is encoded executable program code for category-based search, the program code comprising:

program code for identifying an event comprising a user interaction with an article stored on a storage device of a client device responsive to monitoring user interactions with the client device;

program code for identifying an event schema describing a format of the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article, the schema comprising fields based on the article type and fields that describe interactions with the article;

program code for creating a category associated with the article based at least in part on the fields that describe interactions with the article;

program code for storing an association data record, the association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associating the category and an article identifier identifying the article;

program code for receiving an implicit search query;

program code for causing the implicit search query to be executed on a data store comprising the association data record; and

program code for receiving the association data record from the data store.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, wherein the category comprises a first category and further comprising:

program code for determining a second category related to the first category; and

for each association data record associating the first category and the article identifier identifying the article, program code for storing a second association data record associating the second category and the article identifier identifying the article.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39, wherein the category comprises a first category, the association data record comprises a first association data record and the article comprises an article attribute, further comprising:

program code for determining a second category associated with the article based at least in part on the article attribute; and

program code for storing a second association data record, the second association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier associating the second category and the article identifier identifying the article.

42. A computer readable storage medium on which is encoded executable program code for category based search, the program code comprising:

program code for identifying an event comprising a user interaction with a web page responsive to monitoring user interactions with a client device;

program code for identifying an event schema describing a format of the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the web page, the schema comprising fields describing the web page and fields that describe interactions with the web page;

program code for identifying a plurality of attributes associated with the identified event based at least in part on one or more fields of the event schema, the plurality of attributes identified responsive to the web page and the monitored user interactions, wherein at least a first attribute is associated with a keyword;

program code for searching a category-keyword data store for a category associated with the keyword;

program code for receiving a category identifier from the category-keyword data store;

program code for storing an association data record in a category-article data store, the association data record comprising a category-article pair identifier, the category-article pair identifier associating the category identifier and an identifier identifying the web page;

program code for receiving an implicit search query;

program code for causing the implicit search query to be executed on the category-article data store;

program code for receiving the association data record from the category-article data store; and

program code for causing the identifier identifying the web page and the category to be output.

43. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 42, wherein program code for identifying the event schema for the identified event responsive at least in part to an article type of the article comprises program code for:

selecting the event schema for the event from among a plurality of schemas associated with a plurality of article types.