System to generate related search queries

• US 9,892,156 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Raghav
• Primary Examiner(s): Rostami, Mohammad S
• Application Number:
  US14/935,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Systems and methods described herein may operate to receive, at a search service, a first query from a user device corresponding to a current user of the search service, analyze existing search queries performed by users of the search service, and selectively provide, to the user device, a second query of the existing search queries as at least one of: a refinement of the first query based on determining that the second query includes all keywords in the first query, or an alternative to the first query based on determining that the second query lacks at least one keyword in the first query.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

tracking activity with respect to a first query result of a first query and a second query result of a second query, the activity being performed by users of a network publication system;

counting, from the tracked activity, a number of search events corresponding to users that viewed the second query result subsequent to the first query result and performed post search activity on the second query result;

determining, using one or more processors, that the counted number of search events that corresponds to users that viewed the second query result subsequent to the first query result and performed post search activity on the second query result exceeds a predefined threshold;

counting a further number of search events corresponding to users that viewed a third query result after the first query result and performed post search activity on the third query result, the third query result presented in response to a third query;

determining that the further number of search events exceeds the counted number of search events;

designating the third query as a recommended query for the first query;

receiving the first query from a client device of a subsequent user;

based on receiving the first query from the client device, providing a first set of results to the client device to be displayed in a first widget of a web interface; and

based on the number of search events exceeding the predefined threshold and receiving the first query, recommending the second query within a second widget of the web interface;

wherein the web interface is customizable by the subsequent user regarding visibility of the first widget and the second widget.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tracking the activity includes determining that a category constraint for the first query is the same as a category constraint for the second query; and

the counting the number of search events is based on the determining that the category constraint for the first query is the same as the category constraint for the second query.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising causing display of an indication that the category constraint for the first query is the same as the category constraint for the second query via a search user interface on the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the tracking the activity includes determining that a search phrase for the first query is not the same as a search phrase for the second query, and

the counting the number of search events is based on the determining that the search phrase for the first query is not the same as the search phrase for the second query.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommending the second query includes causing display of the second query in a search user interface on the client device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the causing the display of the second query in the search user interface includes causing display of a link in the search user interface, the link being selectable to perform a search using the second query.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second query result indicates a product page published by the network publication system, the product page featuring a product; and

the post search activity on the second query result includes purchasing the product featured in the product page.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second query includes all keywords in the first query, and

causing display of an indication that the second query is a refined query for the first query based on the determining that the second query includes all the keywords in the first query.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second query does not include all keywords in the first query, and

causing display of an indication that the second query is an alternative query for the first query based on the determining that the second query does not include all keywords in the first query.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable media containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

track activity with respect to a first query result of a first query and a second query result of a second query, the activity being performed by users of the system,

count, from the tracked activity, a number of search events corresponding to users that viewed the second query result subsequent to the first query result and performed post search activity on the second query result;

determine that the counted number of search events that corresponds to users that viewed the second query result subsequent to the first query result and performed post search activity on the second query result exceeds a predefined threshold;

count a further number of search events corresponding to users that viewed a third query result after the first query result and performed post search activity on the third query result, the third query result resented in response to a third query;

determine that the further number of search events exceeds the counted number of search events;

designate the third query as a recommended query for the first query;

receive the first query from a client device of a subsequent user;

based on receiving the first query from the client device, provide a first set of results to the client device to be displayed in a first widget of a web interface; and

based on the number of search events exceeding the predefined threshold and receiving the first query, recommend the second query within a second widget of the web interface;

wherein the web interface is customizable by the subsequent user regarding visibility of the first widget and the second widget.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determine that a category constraint for the first query is the same as a category constraint for the second query; and

count the number of search events based on the determining that the category constraint for the first query is the same as the category constraint for the second query.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

cause display of an indication that the category constraint for the first query is the same as the category constraint for the second query via a search user interface on the client device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determine that a search phrase for the first query is not the same as a search phrase for the second query; and

count the number of search events based on the determining that the search phrase for the first query is not the same as the search phrase for the second query.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise cause display of a link in the search user interface, the link being selectable to perform a search using the second query.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the second query result indicates a product page published by the system, the product page featuring a product; and

the post search activity on the second query result includes purchasing the product featured in the product page.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the second query includes all keywords in the first query, and

causing display of an indication that the second query is a refined query for the first query based on the determining that the second query includes all the keywords in the first query.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the second query does not include all keywords in the first query, and

causing display of an indication that the second query is an alternative query for the first query based on the determining that the second query does not include all keywords in the first query.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

tracking activity with respect to a first query result of a first query and a second query result of a second query, the activity being performed by users of a network publication system;

counting, from the tracked activity, a number of search events corresponding to users that viewed the second query result subsequent to the first query result and performed post search activity on the second query result;

determining that the counted number of search events that corresponds to users that viewed the second query result subsequent to the first query result and performed post search activity on the second query result exceeds a predefined threshold;

counting a further number of search events corresponding to users that viewed a third query result after the first query result and performed post search activity on the third query result, the third query result resented in response to a third query;

determining that the further number of search events exceeds the counted number of search events;

designating the third query as a recommended query for the first query;

receiving the first query from a client device of a subsequent user;

based on receiving the first query from the client device, providing a first set of results to the client device to be displayed in a first widget of a web interface; and

based on the number of search events exceeding the predefined threshold and receiving the first query, recommending the second query within a second widget of the web interface;

wherein the web interface is customizable by the subsequent user regarding visibility of the first widget and the second widget.