Providing topic based search guidance

• US 9,043,350 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomko, Daniel Jason, Rajvanshy, Vikas, Gradek, Michael, Lynn, John, Pardi, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUNG D
• Application Number:
  US13/239,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• 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: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing topical search suggestions are provided. Topical search suggestions allow a user to receive search results related to the designated topic or subject matter. The present invention may generate multiple topics based on search input provided by a user. The search input may be a search prefix that includes one or more words entered into the search query box before the completed search query is submitted to the search engine. A search interface then presents the topics derived from the search prefix to a user before the user submits the query. In another embodiment, the user designates multiple search inputs. The present invention generates search results based on the search inputs and then presents topics extracted from the search results. In one embodiment, the topics are extracted by performing a natural language analysis of search result metadata.

Claims

1. One or more computer-storage hardware devices having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computing device perform a method of generating topical query suggestions in response to multiple search inputs, the method comprising:

receiving multiple search inputs from a user that are all part of a search session;

for each search input, generating a set of search results, thereby forming a plurality of search results sets;

extracting topics from each of the set of search results;

identifying one or more common topics that were extracted from at least two of the plurality of search results sets;

outputting the one or more common topics for display;

receiving a selection of an individual topic within the one or more common topics; and

outputting for display a subset of search results from the set of search results that is associated with the individual topic.

2. The devices of claim 1, wherein the subset of search results is not output for display to the user prior to receiving the selection.

3. The devices of claim 1, wherein the search inputs are portions of text within one or more documents, and wherein designations of the portions of text are received from the user as the search inputs.

4. The devices of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises receiving an instruction from the user to generate the topics after the portions of text were designated.

5. The devices of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving an indication to start a new search session.

6. The devices of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of an additional topic within the one or more common topics; and

outputting for display a new subset of search results from the set of search results that is associated with the individual topic and the additional topic.

7. The devices of claim 1, wherein the topics are extracted from the set of search results by performing a natural language analysis on individual search results within the set of search results.

8. The devices of claim 1, wherein the search inputs are multiple search queries submitted during the search session.

9. A computer-implemented method for generating topical query suggestions in response to multiple search inputs, the method comprising:

receiving multiple search inputs from a user that are all part of a search session;

for each search input, generating a set of search results, thereby forming a plurality of search results sets;

at a computing device having a processor and a memory, extracting topics from each of the set of search results;

identifying one or more common topics that were extracted from at least two of the plurality of search results sets;

outputting the one or more common topics for display;

receiving a selection of an individual topic within the one or more common topics; and

outputting for display a subset of search results from the set of search results that is associated with the individual topic.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the subset of search results is not output for display to the user prior to receiving the selection.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the search inputs are portions of text within one or more documents, and wherein designations of the portions of text are received from the user as the search inputs.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving an instruction from the user to generate the topics after the portions of text were designated.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving an indication to start a new search session.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a selection of an additional topic within the one or more common topics; and

outputting for display a new subset of search results from the set of search results that is associated with the individual topic and the additional topic.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the topics are extracted from the set of search results by performing a natural language analysis on individual search results within the set of search results.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the search inputs are multiple search queries submitted during the search session.

17. A system for generating topical query suggestions in response to multiple search inputs, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive multiple search inputs from a user that are all part of a search session;

for each search input, generate a set of search results, thereby forming a plurality of search results sets;

extract topics from each of the set of search results;

identify one or more common topics that were extracted from at least two of the plurality of search results sets;

output the one or more common topics for display;

receive a selection of an individual topic within the one or more common topics; and

output for display a subset of search results from the set of search results, wherein the subset of search results is associated with the individual topic.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of search results is not output for display to the user prior to receiving the selection.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the search inputs are portions of text within one or more documents, and wherein designations of the portions of text are received from the user as the search inputs.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the search inputs are multiple search queries submitted during the search session.