Perspective-based item navigation

• US 8,103,659 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spiegel, Joel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corbo, Griselle
• Application Number:
  US11/448,377
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/722, 707/734, 707/737, 707/758, 707/899
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A facility for tailoring navigation results is described. The facility receives a navigation request from a distinguished user. In response, the facility identifies a user group to which the distinguished user belongs and presents to the distinguished user a navigation result responsive to the navigation request that is adapted for members of the identified user group.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for tailoring search results, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

among a plurality of users identified as sharing at least one perspective with a distinguished user, segmenting the plurality of users into a plurality of perspective groups, each perspective group including users having similar characteristics;

for each of the plurality of perspective groups, compiling information indicating the relevance of items among a universe of items to users included in the perspective group;

assigning a distinguished user to at least two of the plurality of perspective groups;

receiving a search query from the distinguished user, the query including a search request for an item;

in response to receiving the search query, displaying to the distinguished user a first query result that is responsive to the search query and is tailored to members of a first perspective group to which the distinguished user has been assigned, the tailoring being in accordance with the information compiled for the first perspective group;

displaying, in response to receiving the search query including the search request for the item, in addition to, and concurrently with, the displayed first query result, indications of two or more perspective groups other than the first perspective group, the two or more perspective groups including a second perspective group to which the distinguished user has been assigned and at least one perspective group to which the distinguished user has not been assigned, the second perspective group being displayed based at least in part on an affinity level weighting of the distinguished user for the second perspective group, the at least one perspective group to which the distinguished user has not been assigned being displayed based on a relevance of the item included in the search request to the at least one perspective group;

receiving input from the distinguished user specifying the second perspective group from the indications of two or more perspective groups; and

in response to receiving the distinguished user input specifying the second perspective group, displaying to the distinguished user a second query result that is responsive to the search query and is tailored to members of the second perspective group to which the distinguished user has been assigned, the tailoring being in accordance with the information compiled for the second perspective group.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information indicating the relevance of items among a universe of items to users included in at least one perspective group is compiled in response to receiving the search query.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein, for each of the plurality of perspective groups, the compiled information relates to the behavior of users included in the perspective group with respect to items among a universe of items that occurred during a distinguished period of time.

4. A computer-implemented method for tailoring navigation results, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

receiving a navigation request from a distinguished user, the navigation request including a search term;

identifying a first perspective group to which the distinguished user belongs;

associating the distinguished user with an additional perspective group to which the distinguished user shares an affinity with the users of the additional perspective group;

in response to the navigation request, displaying to the distinguished user a first navigation result that is adapted for members of the first perspective group;

displaying in response to the navigation request including the search request for the item, in addition to, and concurrently with the first navigation result, indications of two or more perspective groups other than the first perspective group, the two or more perspective groups including the additional perspective group and at least one other user perspective group not associated with the distinguished user, the two or more perspective groups selected based at least in part on affinity level weightings of the distinguished user for the two or more perspective groups, the at least one other perspective group not associated with the distinguished user being selected in part based on a relevance of the search term contained in the navigation request to navigation requests previously submitted by users associated with the at least one other perspective group;

receiving user input selecting the additional perspective group from the indications of two or more perspective groups; and

in response to receiving the user input selecting the additional perspective group, presenting to the distinguished user a second navigation result responsive to the navigation request that is adapted for members of the additional perspective group.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the navigation request comprises a search query.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the navigation request comprises a browse request.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising, before receiving the navigation request, associating the distinguished user with one or more perspective groups including the identified first perspective group.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the association is performed based upon information characterizing the distinguished user and other members of the perspective groups with which the distinguished user is associated.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the information characterizing the distinguished user and other members of the user perspective groups with which the distinguished user is associated includes attributes.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the information characterizing the distinguished user and other members of the perspective groups with which the distinguished user is associated includes user behaviors.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the information characterizing the distinguished user and other members of the perspective groups with which the distinguished user is associated includes indications of item selection actions performed by the users with respect to particular items.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein, the information characterizing the distinguished user and other members of the perspective groups with which the distinguished user is associated includes indications purchase actions performed by the users with respect to particular items.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the association is performed using one or more segmentation techniques.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said one or more segmentation techniques includes a hierarchical clustering technique.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said one or more segmentation techniques includes a partitional clustering technique.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein the association is performed in a manner responsive to explicit actions by users to join particular perspective groups.

17. The method of claim 7 wherein the association comprises:

identifying an initial population of users who have each submitted a navigation request similar to a navigation request submitted by the distinguished user; and

segmenting the initial population of users into two or more perspective groups.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the navigation request submitted by each user is a search request.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein identifying the initial population of users comprises identifying an initial population of users who have each submitted a search request similar to a search request submitted by the distinguished user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a search request is considered similar to the search request submitted by the distinguished user if said search request includes a least one search term common to the search request submitted by the distinguished user.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein a search request is considered similar to the search request submitted by the distinguished user if said search request includes a least one search phrase common to the search request submitted by the distinguished user.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein a search request is considered similar to the search request submitted by the distinguished user if said search request is substantially the same as the search request submitted by the distinguished user.

23. The method of claim 4, further comprising adapting the second navigation result by excluding items contained in the second navigation result that are not of at least a minimum level of relevance to the additional perspective group.

24. The method of claim 4, further comprising sorting items contained in the second navigation result based upon their level of relevance to the additional perspective group.

25. The method of claim 4 wherein each presented indication of a perspective group other than the identified first perspective group comprises a mnemonic name attributed to the perspective group.

26. The method of claim 4 wherein each presented indication of a perspective group other than the identified first perspective group comprises an arbitrary identifier associated with the perspective group.

27. The method of claim 4 wherein each presented indication of a perspective group other than the identified first perspective group comprises information about an item contained by the first navigation result that is of particular relevance to the perspective group.

28. The method of claim 4 wherein the presented indications of the two or more perspective groups other than the identified first user group are presented in an order based at least in part on affinity level weightings of the distinguished user for the two or more perspective groups.

29. The method of claim 4 wherein the presented indications of the two or more perspective groups other than the identified first user group are presented in an order based at least in part upon membership confidence levels for the two or more perspective groups.

30. The method of claim 4 wherein the presented indications of the two or more perspective groups other than the identified first perspective group are further ordered based at least in part upon a level of confidence in the first navigation result adapted for members of each of the two or more perspective groups.

31. The method of claim 4, further comprising soliciting from the user a name for the identified first perspective group.

32. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

presenting to the distinguished user a distinguished control;

receiving user input selecting the distinguished control; and

in response to receiving the user input, presenting to the distinguished user a navigation result responsive to the navigation request that is adapted for members of a perspective group other than the identified first perspective group.

33. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform a method for tailoring navigation results, comprising:

receiving a navigation request from a distinguished user, the request including a search request for an item;

identifying a first perspective group to which the distinguished user belongs;

associating the distinguished user with an additional perspective group to which the distinguished user shares an affinity with the users of the additional perspective group;

in response to the navigation request, displaying to the distinguished user a first navigation result that is adapted for members of the identified first perspective group;

displaying, in response to the navigation request including the search request for the item, in addition to, connection and concurrently with, the first navigation result, indications of two or more perspective groups other than the identified first perspective group, the two or more perspective groups including the additional user perspective group and at least one other perspective group not associated with the distinguished user, the at least one other perspective group not associated with the distinguished user being selected in part based on a relevance of the search term contained in the navigation request to navigation requests previously submitted by users associated with the at least one other perspective group;

receiving user input selecting a user perspective group from the presented indications of two or more perspective groups; and

in response to receiving the user input selecting the perspective group, presenting to the distinguished user a second navigation result responsive to the navigation request that is adapted for members of the selected perspective group.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33 wherein the navigation request comprises a search query.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 33 wherein the navigation request is comprises a browse request.

36. A computing system for tailoring navigation results, comprising:

a processor;

a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, at least;

receive a navigation request from a distinguished user, the request including a search request for an item;

identify a first perspective group to which the distinguished user belongs;

assign the distinguished user to one or more perspective groups including the identified first perspective group; and

display to the distinguished user a first navigation result responsive to the navigation request that is adapted for members of the identified first perspective group, and

display, responsive to the navigation request, in addition to, and concurrently with the presented first navigation result, a plurality of perspective groups other than the identified first perspective group, the plurality of perspective groups including a second perspective group assigned to the distinguished user and at least one other perspective group not assigned to the distinguished user, the second perspective group being displayed based at least in part on affinity level weightings of the distinguished user for the second perspective group, the at least one perspective group to which the distinguished user has not been assigned being displayed based on a relevance of the item to the at least one perspective group,

wherein the request receiving subsystem receives a user input selecting the second perspective group from the plurality of perspective groups and the result presentation subsystem presents the distinguished user a second navigation result responsive to the user input selecting the second perspective group, the navigation request being adapted for members of the second perspective group.

37. One or more computer storage devices collectively containing a data structure for servicing navigation requests each received from a user and relating to items among a plurality of items, the computer storage devices whose content cause a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

identifying, for each of a plurality of perspective groups, users who are members of the perspective group; and

indicating, for each of the plurality of perspective groups, a level of relevance of each of the plurality of items to the users who are members of the perspective group,

such that, when a navigation request including a search request for an item is received from a requesting user, the plurality of perspective groups may be used at least to;

determine a first perspective group of which the requesting user is a member,

display a first response to the navigation request featuring items indicated to be of a level of relevance to the determined first perspective group,

display, in addition to, and concurrently with, the first response to the navigation request, an indication of each of a subset of the plurality of perspective groups other than the first perspective group, the subset of the plurality of perspective groups including at least one perspective group of which the requesting user is a member and at least one perspective group of which the requesting user is not a member, the at least one perspective group of which the requesting user is a member being displayed based at least in part on affinity level weightings of the requesting user for the at least one perspective group of which the requesting user is a member, the at least one perspective group of which the requesting user is not a member being displayed based on a relevance of the item to the at least one perspective group of which the requesting user is not a member;

receive a user input selecting a second perspective group from the presented subset, and

tailor a second response to the navigation request to feature items indicated to be of a level of relevance to the second perspective group.

38. The computer storage devices of claim 37 wherein identifying users who are members of each perspective group includes using one or more segmentation techniques for identifying the users.

39. The computer storage devices of claim 37 wherein identifying users who are members of each perspective group includes using one or more clustering techniques for identifying the users.

40. The computer storage devices of claim 37 wherein indicating level of relevance of each item to the users who are members of each perspective group in each case includes indicating, for each of a plurality of search terms, a frequency with which users who are members of the perspective group select the item from search results produced in response to search queries containing the search term.