Search tools and techniques
View Patent ↗The invention provides tools and techniques for assisting searches of large information collections, such as the Internet or databases. An initial search from a given user A is used to help identify related productive searches by other users. Those searches (keywords and/or searched portions) are then used to focus the search effort of user A. Activities by other users in response to search results are tracked to help a search assistant automatically identify the results those other users deemed of greatest interest.
1. A method of assisting a search, comprising:
receiving an initial search of a user A;
from the initial search identifying at least one related productive search of at least one other user, wherein a search is identified as productive if the search ends at an official site; and
using the related productive search to focus a search by user A;
wherein a search is identified as related if the search includes at least one of the following:
a keyword search which has at least one keyword that is semantically linked to at least one keyword of the initial search;
a keyword search which has at least one keyword that is lexically linked to at least one keyword of the initial search;
a search result of the other user which has a significant number of the same search results as the initial search.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises identifying a search as productive because the search led to a “.gov” official site.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises identifying a search as productive because the search led to a “.org” official site.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search ends at an official site when a user copies data from it by at least one of the following: saving an image to disk, performing a print screen, cut-and-paste copying of text, printing.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search ends at an official site when a user makes a purchase there.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of identifying at least one related productive search of at least one other user comprises tracking activity by the other user on a computer device of the other user.
7. A method of assisting a search, comprising:
receiving an initial search of a user A;
from the initial search identifying at least one related productive search of at least one other user, wherein a search is identified as productive if the search ends with a user scrolling to get to part of a search result document that was not initially displayed; and
using the related productive search to focus a search by user A;
wherein a search is identified as related if the search includes at least one of the following:
a keyword search which has at least one keyword that is semantically linked to at least one keyword of the initial search;
a keyword search which has at least one keyword that is lexically linked to at least one keyword of the initial search;
a search result of the other user which has a significant number of the same search results as the initial search.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user copies data after scrolling by at least one of the following: saving an image to disk, performing a print screen, cut-and-paste copying of text, printing.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the user makes a purchase after scrolling.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of identifying at least one related productive search of at least one other user comprises tracking activity by the other user on a computer device of the other user.
11. A method of assisting a search, comprising:
receiving an initial search of a user A;
from the initial search identifying at least one related productive search of at least one other user, wherein a search is identified as productive if the search ends with multiple browsers and/or other windows being spawned on a computer device by a user in a depth-first search by the user rooted at a search result document after the search result document is displayed to the user; and
using the related productive search to focus a search by user A;
wherein a search is identified as related if the search includes at least one of the following:
a keyword search which has at least one keyword that is semantically linked to at least one keyword of the initial search;
a keyword search which has at least one keyword that is lexically linked to at least one keyword of the initial search;
a search result of the other user which has a significant number of the same search results as the initial search.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the user copies data from one of the spawned windows by at least one of the following: saving an image to disk, performing a print screen, cut-and-paste copying of text, printing.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the user makes a purchase using one of the spawned windows.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of identifying at least one related productive search of at least one other user comprises tracking activity by the other user on a computer device of the other user.