Geographically resolving a keyword query
View Patent ↗Generating a keyword resolution includes receiving one or more keywords from a requestor and determining a geographic location to be associated with a resolution of at least one of the keywords against electronic information within at least one electronic information store. The keywords are resolved against the electronic information based, at least in part, on the geographic location and at least one matching result revealed through the resolution of the keywords based, at least in part, on the geographic location associated therewith is made perceivable.
1. A method of resolving a keyword to a single match comprising:
storing, in electronic storage, a keyword table that maps keywords to predetermined matches, each record in the keyword table having a distinct combination of keyword and geographic location such that applying, to the keyword table, a keyword with a particular geographic location resolves to only a single predetermined match;
receiving a keyword from a requestor;
identifying, from the keyword table that maps keywords to predetermined matches, one or more predetermined matches included in one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword; and
resolving the identified one or more predetermined matches included in the one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword to a single predetermined match by:
determining whether the identified one or more predetermined matches included in the one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword include a single predetermined match or multiple predetermined matches;
in response to determining that the identified one or more predetermined matches included in the one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword include a single predetermined match:
accessing the single predetermined match; and
making the single predetermined match perceivable without accounting for a geographic location of the requestor in making the single predetermined match perceivable; and
in response to determining that the identified one or more predetermined matches included in the one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword include multiple predetermined matches included in multiple records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword:
determining to identify and use the geographic location of the requestor to resolve the multiple records in the keyword table to a single predetermined match in response to the determination that the identified one or more predetermined matches include multiple predetermined matches;
determining the geographic location of the requestor;
comparing the geographic location of the requestor to geographic location information included in the multiple records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword;
based on comparison results, selecting, from among the multiple predetermined matches included in the multiple records in the keyword table, a single predetermined match that is included in a record, from among the multiple records in the keyword table, having geographic location information that most closely matches the geographic location of the requestor; and
making the selected single predetermined match perceivable.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises receiving a geographic location submitted by the requestor.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises determining a geographic location of the requestor based on a current geographic location of the requestor.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises accessing a profile associated with the requestor that includes the geographic location of the requestor.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises determining the geographic location of the requestor without soliciting geographic location information from the requestor.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises determining a current geographic location of the requestor based on an Internet protocol address being used by the requestor.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein making the single predetermined match perceivable without accounting for a geographic location of the requestor in making the single predetermined match perceivable comprises displaying the single predetermined match without accounting for the geographic location of the requestor, and making the selected single predetermined match perceivable comprises displaying the selected single predetermined match.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein making the single predetermined match perceivable without accounting for a geographic location of the requestor in making the single predetermined match perceivable comprises making only the single predetermined match perceivable without accounting for the geographic location of the requestor, and making the selected single predetermined match perceivable comprises making only the selected single predetermined match perceivable.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
maintaining general search information in electronic storage; and
maintaining sponsored search information in electronic storage, the sponsored search information being different than the general search information and including sponsored keywords that resolve to specific matches associated with sponsors of the sponsored keywords, the sponsored search information including the stored keyword table.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
performing a general search on the general search information based on the received keyword; and
making perceivable general search results identified based on performing the general search on the general search information.
11. A system including at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising:
storing, in electronic storage, a keyword table that maps keywords to predetermined matches, each record in the keyword table having a distinct combination of keyword and geographic location such that applying, to the keyword table, a keyword with a particular geographic location resolves to only a single predetermined match;
receiving a keyword from a requestor;
identifying, from the keyword table that maps keywords to predetermined matches, one or more predetermined matches included in one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword; and
resolving the identified one or more predetermined matches included in the one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword to a single predetermined match by:
determining whether the identified one or more predetermined matches included in the one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword include a single predetermined match or multiple predetermined matches;
in response to determining that the identified one or more predetermined matches included in the one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword include a single predetermined match:
accessing the single predetermined match; and
making the single predetermined match perceivable without accounting for a geographic location of the requestor in making the single predetermined match perceivable; and
in response to determining that the identified one or more predetermined matches included in the one or more records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword include multiple predetermined matches included in multiple records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword:
determining to identify and use the geographic location of the requestor to resolve the multiple records in the keyword table to a single predetermined match in response to the determination that the identified one or more predetermined matches include multiple predetermined matches;
determining the geographic location of the requestor;
comparing the geographic location of the requestor to geographic location information included in the multiple records in the keyword table that correspond to the received keyword;
based on comparison results, selecting, from among the multiple predetermined matches included in the multiple records in the keyword table, a single predetermined match that is included in a record, from among the multiple records in the keyword table, having geographic location information that most closely matches the geographic location of the requestor; and
making the selected single predetermined match perceivable.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises receiving a geographic location submitted by the requestor.
13. The system of claim 11 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises determining a geographic location of the requestor based on a current geographic location of the requestor.
14. The system of claim 11 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises accessing a profile associated with the requestor that includes the geographic location of the requestor.
15. The system of claim 11 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises determining the geographic location of the requestor without soliciting geographic location information from the requestor.
16. The system of claim 11 wherein determining the geographic location of the requestor comprises determining a current geographic location of the requestor based on an Internet protocol address being used by the requestor.
17. The system of claim 11 wherein making the single predetermined match perceivable without accounting for a geographic location of the requestor in making the single predetermined match perceivable comprises displaying the single predetermined match without accounting for the geographic location of the requestor, and making the selected single predetermined match perceivable comprises displaying the selected single predetermined match.
18. The system of claim 11 wherein making the single predetermined match perceivable without accounting for a geographic location of the requestor in making the single predetermined match perceivable comprises making only the single predetermined match perceivable without accounting for the geographic location of the requestor, and making the selected single predetermined match perceivable comprises making only the selected single predetermined match perceivable.
19. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform operations further comprising:
maintaining general search information in electronic storage; and
maintaining sponsored search information in electronic storage, the sponsored search information being different than the general search information and including sponsored keywords that resolve to specific matches associated with sponsors of the sponsored keywords, the sponsored search information including the stored keyword table.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform operations further comprising:
performing a general search on the general search information based on the received keyword; and
making perceivable general search results identified based on performing the general search on the general search information.