Aggregating context data for programmable search engines

• US 8,051,063 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Guha, Ramanathan V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leroux; Etienne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cindy
• Application Number:
  US12/749,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/707
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Search results are generated using aggregated context data from two or more contexts. When two or more programmable search engines relate to a similar topic, context data associated with the programmable search engines are aggregated. The context is then applied to a query in order to present, in an integrated manner, relevant search results that make use of context intelligence from more than one programmable search engine.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

obtaining a context file, at a client device, wherein the context file contains one or more commands for modifying a search query input and for processing search results responsive to the modified search query;

obtaining, at the client device, information from a third party content provider for resenting a search engine user interface;

presenting, at the client device, the search engine user interface;

obtaining at the client device the search query using the presented search engine user interface obtained from the third party content provider;

modifying the search query input using the commands to produce a context processed search query at the client device;

providing the context processed search query to a search engine;

obtaining, from the search engine, context processed search results responsive to the context processed search query; and

providing the context processed search results in accordance with the commands at the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining multiple context files defined by the user; and

aggregating commands in the multiple context files into a set of aggregated commands.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein processing the search query input using the commands to produce a context processed search query comprises:

processing the search query input using the aggregated commands to produce the context processed search query.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the context processed search results in accordance with the commands comprises:

providing the context processed search results in accordance with the aggregated commands.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands comprise a command that reformulates the search query input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands comprise a command that specifies a document collection in which to conduct a search.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands comprise a command that re-ranks the context processed search results.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands comprise a command that removes duplicate results from the context processed search results.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the context file comprises annotations associated with potential search engine results;

and

providing the context processed search results further comprises;

applying the annotations from the context file to the context processed search results.

10. A system comprising:

a client device configured to;

obtain a context file, wherein the context file contains one or more commands for modifying a search query input and for processing search results responsive to the modified search query;

obtain information from a third party content provider for presenting a search engine user interface;

present the search engine user interface;

obtain the search query input using the presented search engine user interface obtained from the third party content provider;

modify the search query input using the commands to produce a context processed search query;

provide the context processed search query to a search engine; and

provide context processed search results in accordance with the commands at the client device; and

a search engine system configured to provide the context processed search results responsive to the context processed search query to the client device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the client device is further configured to:

obtain multiple context files from the user; and

aggregate the commands in the multiple context files into a set of aggregated commands.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the client device is further configured to:

process the search query input using the aggregated commands to produce the context processed search query.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the client device is further configured to:

provide the context processed search results in accordance with the aggregated commands.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the commands comprise a command that reformulates the search query input.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the commands comprise a command that specifies a document collection in which to conduct a search.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the commands comprise a command that re-ranks the context processed search results.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the commands comprise a command that removes duplicate results from the context processed search results.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the context file comprises annotations associated with potential search engine results;

and

the client device is further configured to;

apply the annotations from the context file to the context processed search results.

19. A computer-readable storage device encoded with a computer program comprising commands that, when executed, operate to cause a computer to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a context file, at a client device, wherein the context file contains one or more commands for modifying a search query input and for processing search results responsive to the modified search query;

obtaining, at the client device, information from a third party content provider for presenting a search engine user interface;

presenting, at the client device, the search engine user interface;

obtaining at the client device the search query using the presented search engine user interface obtained from the third party content provider;

modifying the search query input using the commands to produce a context processed search query at the client device;

providing the context processed search query to a search engine;

obtaining, from the search engine, context processed search results responsive to the context processed search query; and

providing the context processed search results in accordance with the commands at the client device.