Context-sensitive query enrichment

• US 9,569,439 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc E., Dyor, Matthew G., Gates, William, Huang, Xuedong, Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Kare, Jordin T., Levien, Royce A., Lu, Qi, Malamud, Mark A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Nadella, Satya, Reed, Daniel, Shum, Harry, Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saeed, Usmaan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhao, Yu
• Application Number:
  US13/373,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/436 using biological or physiological data of a human being, e.g. blood pressure, facial expression, gestures

Abstract

Structures and protocols are presented for facilitating a search partly based on a movement status of a search-capable device or on a position of a person'"'"'s limb or on an association with another search-capable device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

circuitry for receiving a search query;

circuitry for obtaining a first search result responsive to the search query, the first search result including a geographic identifier;

circuitry for obtaining a second search result responsive to the search query, the second search result not including a geographic identifier;

circuitry for determining a movement status of a first interface device;

circuitry for indicating via the first interface device, a preference either for the first search result including a geographic identifier or for the second search result not including a geographic identifier responsive to the movement status of the first interface device;

circuitry for determining from key press input from a first user whether or not the first user has apparently corroborated a configuration feature, the configuration feature being a search term related to the first search result and to the second search result;

circuitry for expressing the search term related to the first search result and to the second search result at a first interface that includes a character sequence obtained from a second interface, the first interface being the first interface device, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the character sequence obtained from the second interface and partly based on whether or not the second search result includes the character sequence obtained from the second interface;

circuitry for associating a first device used by the first user with a second device used by a second user in response to an association request from the first user, the first device being the first interface device;

circuitry for determining whether or not the first user has apparently assented to a structured dialog configured to initiate a search by which the first search result and the second search result may be identified;

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate; and

circuitry for ranking a first component of a search result in relation to a second component of the search result partly based on a digital expression of a time of day and partly based on whether or not a confirmation of a search criterion has been received, the search criterion not being the first geographic identifier recognition criterion, the first component of the search result including the first search result, the second component of the search result including the second search result.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to an indication of a symbol adjacent an edge of a region of an image by adjusting a size of the region of the image, the image including an informational element, the informational element including or not including the symbol adjacent the edge of the region, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to a depiction of an appendage in a data file representative of a graphic image by discarding a first informational element in the data file without discarding a second informational element in the data file, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the second informational element and partly based on whether or not the second search result includes the second informational element;

circuitry for highlighting an areal portion of a graphic image selectively in response to a position of a depiction of an appendage in the graphic image, the areal portion of the graphic image including an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element;

circuitry for recognizing a literal expression of a time signifying when a specific time interval begins, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the literal expression of the time signifying when the specific time interval begins and partly based on whether or not the search result includes the literal expression of the time signifying when the specific time interval begins;

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search; and

circuitry for causing a search engine to use the first search term conditionally in response to a user of the mobile device corroborating the first search term via the mobile device, the first search term not including any expression of the first geographic identifier recognition criterion.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to a depiction of an appendage in a data file representative of a graphic image by discarding a first informational element in the data file without discarding a second informational element in the data file, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the second informational element and partly based on whether or not the second search result includes the second informational element;

circuitry for recognizing a literal expression of a time signifying when a specific time interval begins, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the literal expression of the time signifying when the specific time interval begins and partly based on whether or not the search result includes the literal expression of the time signifying when the specific time interval begins;

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search; and

circuitry for causing a search engine to use the first search term conditionally in response to a user of the mobile device corroborating the first search term via the mobile device, the first search term not including any expression of the first geographic identifier recognition criterion.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to a depiction of an appendage in a data file representative of a graphic image by discarding a first informational element in the data file without discarding a second informational element in the data file, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the second informational element and partly based on whether or not the second search result includes the second informational element;

circuitry for recognizing a literal expression of a time signifying when a specific time interval begins, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the literal expression of the time signifying when the specific time interval begins and partly based on whether or not the search result includes the literal expression of the time signifying when the specific time interval begins; and

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the

first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for recognizing a literal expression of a time signifying when a specific time interval begins, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the literal expression of the time signifying when the specific time interval begins and partly based on whether or not the search result includes the literal expression of the time signifying when the specific time interval begins; and

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for highlighting an areal portion of a graphic image selectively in response to a position of a depiction of an appendage in the graphic image, the areal portion of the graphic image including an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element;

circuitry for obtaining a boolean expression indicative of whether or not a component of the first search result includes a geographic identifier, the preference being partly based on the boolean expression, the boolean expression being a component of the result of the first geographic identifier recognition criterion being applied to the first search result;

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search; and

circuitry for causing a search engine to use the first search term conditionally in response to a user of the mobile device corroborating the first search term via the mobile device, the first search term not including any expression of the first geographic identifier recognition criterion.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for highlighting an areal portion of a graphic image selectively in response to a position of a depiction of an appendage in the graphic image, the areal portion of the graphic image including an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element;

circuitry for obtaining a boolean expression indicative of whether or not a component of the first search result includes a geographic identifier, the preference being partly based on the boolean expression, the boolean expression being a component of the result of the first geographic identifier recognition criterion being applied to the first search result; and

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for highlighting an areal portion of a graphic image selectively in response to a position of a depiction of an appendage in the graphic image, the areal portion of the graphic image including an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element; and

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to a depiction of an appendage in a data file representative of a graphic image by discarding a first informational element in the data file without discarding a second informational element in the data file, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the second informational element and partly based on whether or not the second search result includes the second informational element;

circuitry for highlighting an areal portion of a graphic image selectively in response to a position of a depiction of an appendage in the graphic image, the areal portion of the graphic image including an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element;

circuitry for obtaining a boolean expression indicative of whether or not a component of the first search result includes a geographic identifier, the preference being partly based on the boolean expression, the boolean expression being a component of the result of the first geographic identifier recognition criterion being applied to the first search result; and

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to a depiction of an appendage in a data file representative of a graphic image by discarding a first informational element in the data file without discarding a second informational element in the data file, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the second informational element and partly based on whether or not the second search result includes the second informational element;

circuitry for highlighting an areal portion of a graphic image selectively in response to a position of a depiction of an appendage in the graphic image, the areal portion of the graphic

image including an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element; and

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to a depiction of an appendage in a data file representative of a graphic image by discarding a first informational element in the data file without discarding a second informational element in the data file, the preference being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the second informational element and partly based on whether or not the second search result includes the second informational element; and

circuitry for causing a first search term and a second search term to be transmitted to a mobile device after initiating a first search using the first search term and after initiating a second search using the second search term, the mobile device being the first interface device, the first search result being a result of the first search, the second search result being a result of the second search.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for determining from key press input from a first user whether or not the first user has apparently corroborated a configuration feature, the configuration feature being a search term related to the first search result and to the second search result;

circuitry for expressing the search term related to the first search result and to the second search result at a first interface that includes a character sequence obtained from a second interface, the first interface being the first interface device, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the character sequence obtained from the second interface and partly

based on whether or not the second search result includes the character sequence obtained from the second interface; and

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for determining from key press input from a first user whether or not the first user has apparently corroborated a configuration feature, the configuration feature being a search term related to the first search result and to the second search result; and

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for expressing the search term related to the first search result and to the second search result at a first interface that includes a character sequence obtained from a second interface, the first interface being the first interface device, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the character sequence obtained from the second interface and partly based on whether or not the second search result includes the character sequence obtained from the second interface;

circuitry for determining whether or not the first user has apparently assented to a structured dialog configured to initiate a search by which the first search result and the second search result may be identified; and

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for expressing a search term related to the first search result and to the second search result at a first interface that includes a character sequence obtained from a second interface, the first interface being the first interface device, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on whether or not the first search result includes the character sequence obtained from the second interface and partly based on whether or not the second search result includes the character sequence obtained from the second interface; and

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for determining from key press input from a first user whether or not the first user has apparently corroborated a configuration feature, the configuration feature being a search term related to the first search result and to the second search result;

circuitry for associating a first device used by the first user with a second device used by a second user in response to an association request from the first user, the first device being the first interface device;

circuitry for determining whether or not the first user has apparently assented to a structured dialog configured to initiate a search by which the first search result and the second search result may be identified;

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate; and

circuitry for ranking a first component of a search result in relation to a second component of the search result partly based on a digital expression of a time of day and partly based on whether or not a confirmation of a search criterion has been received, the search criterion not being the first geographic identifier recognition criterion, the first component of the search result including the first search result, the second component of the search result including the second search result.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for determining from key press input from a first user whether or not the first user has apparently corroborated a configuration feature, the configuration feature being a search term related to the first search result and to the second search result;

circuitry for associating a first device used by the first user with a second device used by a second user in response to an association request from the first user, the first device being the first interface device;

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate; and

circuitry for ranking a first component of a search result in relation to a second component of the search result partly based on a digital expression of a time of day and partly based on whether or not a confirmation of a search criterion has been received, the search criterion not being the first geographic identifier recognition criterion, the first component of the search result including the first search result, the second component of the search result including the second search result.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for determining from key press input from a first user whether or not the first user has apparently corroborated a configuration feature, the configuration feature being a search term related to the first search result and to the second search result;

circuitry for associating a first device used by the first user with a second device used by a second user in response to an association request from the first user, the first device being the first interface device; and

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for associating a first device used by the first user with a second device used by a second user in response to an association request from the first user, the first device being the first interface device; and

circuitry for generating a first coordinate and a second coordinate that jointly characterize a position of a portion of an appendage of a user within an image containing an informational element, the preference either for the first search result or for the second search result being partly based on the informational element and partly based on the first coordinate and partly based on the second coordinate.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry for indicating via the first interface device, a preference either for the first search result including a geographic identifier or for the second search result not including a geographic identifier responsive to the movement status of the first interface device includes:

a pattern recognition module configured to generate an indication of whether textual content includes a place name, the textual content comprising the first or second search result.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry for indicating via the first interface device, a preference either for the first search result including a geographic identifier or for the second search result not including a geographic identifier responsive to the movement status of the first interface device includes:

a pattern recognition module configured to generate an indication of whether textual content includes a ZIP code, the textual content comprising the first or second search result.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicating, via the first interface device, a preference either for the first search result or for the second search result responsive to the movement status of the first interface device includes:

displaying the first search result responsive to a movement status of the first device indicative of movement of the first interface device; and

not displaying the second search result responsive to a movement status of the first device indicative of movement of the first interface device.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicating, via the first interface device, a preference either for the first search result or for the second search result responsive to the movement status of the first interface device includes:

displaying both the first search result and the second search result in a manner indicative of a higher priority of the first search result responsive to a movement status of the first device indicative of movement of the first interface device.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the indicating, via the first interface device, a preference either for the first search result or for the second search result responsive to the movement status of the first interface device includes:

displaying both the first search result and the second search result in a manner indicative of a higher priority of the second search result responsive to a movement status of the first device indicative of non-movement of the first interface device.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein a geographic identifier includes a text string including at least a portion of:

a place name, a physical roadway identifier, or a zip code.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement status of a first interface device includes at least one of:

movement of the first interface device into a defined geographic area, movement of the first interface device for a threshold period of time, movement of the first interface device at a threshold speed, or movement of the first interface device as defined by one or more GPS coordinates.