IP Library Granted Patent US 7,539,673
Granted Patent B2
US 7,539,673 · App. 11/471,628 · Granted May 26, 2009

System and method of re-ordering search results based on prior user actions

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,539,673
App. No.
11/471,628
Granted
May 26, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention is directed to a system and method of reordering conventional search results provided by a remote search engine such as Google. The invention may leverage a chronological timeline of user action information to infer relationships between objects in a search result. The search result reordering process does not require direct interaction by the user.

Claims (42)

1. A method for displaying search results, comprising:

intercepting search results that result from a search performed by a user, wherein the intercepted search results include a plurality of search result objects;

determining a chronological timeline of actions initiated by the user proximately in time to the search performed by the user, wherein the user-initiated actions each occur at a respective chronological position in the chronological timeline;

inferring one or more relationships between the plurality of search result objects and the user-initiated actions in the chronological timeline;

determining a relevancy value for one or more of the plurality of search result objects that are associated with one or more of the inferred relationships, wherein the relevancy value is based on a temporal proximity between the search performed by the user and the chronological position of the user-initiated actions associated with the inferred relationships;

reordering the intercepted search results based on the relevancy value determined for the one or more search result objects associated with the inferred relationships, wherein the reordered search results provide an increased relevance to the one or more search result objects associated with the inferred relationships; and

displaying the reordered search results to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a point in time when the search was performed by the user, wherein the user-initiated actions in the determined chronological timeline occurred during a time period prior to the identified point in time.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the temporal proximity is relative to the identified point in time when the search was performed by the user.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the relevancy value for the one or more search result objects associated with the inferred relationships includes:

identifying one or more matches among the user-initiated actions in the chronological timeline for each of the one or more search result objects, wherein the matching user-initiated actions each occur at a respective chronological position in the timeline; and

determining the relevancy value for the one or more search result objects based on a temporal proximity of the chronological position of the matching user-initiated actions and the identified point in time when the search was performed by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein inferring the relationships between the plurality of search result objects and the user-initiated actions in the chronological timeline includes:

determining a plurality of different clusters that indicate multiple possible meanings or interpretations for the plurality of search result objects;

identifying one or more matches among the user-initiated actions in the chronological timeline for each of the plurality of different clusters, wherein the matching user-initiated actions each occur at a respective chronological position in the timeline; and

computing a numerical score for each of the plurality of different clusters, wherein the numerical score is based on a frequency of the matches among the user-initiated actions and the chronological position of the matching user-initiated actions.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the relevancy value for the search result objects associated with the inferred relationships is based on the numerical score computed for the plurality of different clusters.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reordered search results provide a decreased relevance to one or more of the plurality of search result objects that are not associated with one or more of the inferred relationships.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the relevancy value for the one or more search result objects associated with the inferred relationships includes:

identifying a frequency of matches among the user-initiated actions in the chronological timeline for each of the one or more search result objects; and

determining the relevancy value for the one or more search result objects based on the frequency of the matches.

9. A system for displaying search results, comprising:

a search result interceptor configured to intercept search results that result from a search performed by a user, wherein the intercepted search results include a plurality of search result objects;

a user action analyzer configured to determine a chronological timeline of actions initiated by the user proximately in time to the search preformed by the user, wherein the user-initiated actions each occur at a respective chronological position in the chronological timeline;

a correlation determining system configured to infer one or more relationships between the plurality of search result objects and the user-initiated actions in the chronological timeline;

a relevance engine configured to determine a relevancy value for one or more of the plurality of search result objects that are associated with one or more of the inferred relationships, wherein the relevancy value is based on a temporal proximity between the search performed by the user and the chronological position of the user-initiated actions associated with the inferred relationships;

a search result object organizer configured to reorder the intercepted search results based on the relevancy value determined, for the one or more search result objects associated with the inferred relationships, wherein the reordered search results provide an increased relevance to the one or more search result objects associated with the inferred relationships; and

a display mechanism configured to display the reordered search results to the user.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the user action analyzer is further configured to identify a point in time when the search was performed by the user, wherein the user-initiated actions in the determined chronological timeline occurred during a time period prior to the user identified point in time.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the temporal proximity is determined relative to the identified point in time when the search was performed by the user.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the correlation determining system includes a search result object analyzer configured to:

identify one or more matches among the user-initiated actions in the chronological timeline for each of the one or more search result objects, wherein the matching user-initiated actions each occur at a respective chronological position in the timeline; and

determine the relevancy value for the one or more search result objects based on a temporal proximity of the chronological position of the matching user-initiated actions and the identified point in time when the search was performed by the user.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the correlation determining system includes a search result object analyzer configured to:

determine a plurality of different clusters that indicate multiple possible meanings or interpretations for the plurality of search result objects;

identify one or more matches among the user-initiated actions in the chronological timeline for each of the plurality of different clusters, wherein the matching user-initiated actions each occur at a respective chronological position in the timeline; and

compute a numerical score for each of the plurality of different clusters, wherein the numerical score is based on a frequency of the matches among the user-initiated actions and the chronological position of the matching user-initiated actions.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the relevancy value for the search result objects associated with the inferred relationships is based on the numerical score computed for the plurality of different clusters.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the reordered search results provide a decreased relevance to one or more of the plurality of search result objects that are not associated with one or more of the inferred relationships.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the correlation determining system includes a search result object analyzer configured to:

identify a frequency of matches among the user-initiated actions in the chronological timeline for each of the one or more search result objects; and

determine the relevancy value for the one or more search result objects based on the frequency of the matches.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 028252/0216 Recorded Nov 24, 2014
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG
To: NOVELL, INC.
Reel/Frame 034470/0680 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 028252/0316 Recorded Nov 24, 2014
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG
To: NOVELL, INC.
Reel/Frame 034469/0057 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 27, 2012
From: CPTN HOLDINGS LLC
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 028856/0230 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2012
From: NOVELL, INC.
To: CPTN HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 028841/0047 →
GRANT OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST SECOND LIEN Recorded May 23, 2012
From: NOVELL, INC.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 028252/0316 →
GRANT OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST FIRST LIEN Recorded May 23, 2012
From: NOVELL, INC.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 028252/0216 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2006
From: TROWBRIDGE, JON ERIC
To: NOVELL, INC.
Reel/Frame 018209/0286 →