IP Library Granted Patent US 8,326,860
Granted Patent B2
US 8,326,860 · App. 13/411,475 · Granted Dec 4, 2012

Indexing and searching product identifiers

Assignee: BARNESANDNOBLE.COM LLC
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,326,860
App. No.
13/411,475
Granted
Dec 4, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for processing a search query includes receiving a search query containing one or more terms; processing the query to add one or more bi-words as terms to the query; searching a search index embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having product identifiers and logical parts of the product identifiers indexed into different fields in the index; generating a score based on at least some of the terms matching the product identifiers and the individual logical parts of the product identifiers in the different fields in the index, wherein bi-words are weighted higher than the terms having only one word and individual terms are weighted higher when matching in the product identifier fields of the index; and selecting and outputting an indicator of product identifiers ranked by their scores.

Claims (44)

1. A method for processing a search query, comprising:

receiving a search query containing one or more terms;

processing the query to add one or more bi-words as terms to the query;

searching a search index embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having product identifiers and logical parts of the product identifiers indexed into different fields in the index;

generating a score based on at least some of the terms matching the product identifiers and the individual logical parts of the product identifiers in the different fields in the index, wherein bi-words are weighted higher than the terms having only one word when matching in the index and individual terms are weighted higher when matching in the product identifier fields of the index as compared to matching the fields associated with the individual logical parts of the product identifiers; and

selecting and outputting an indicator of product identifiers ranked by their scores.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising attempting to make a best match between the one or more of the terms and the product identifiers and variations thereof when one or more of the terms does not match a complete product identifier or variation thereof.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising outputting possible matches for user selection when one or more of the terms does not match a complete product identifier or variation thereof.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the variations of the product identifiers include at least one of: parts of the product identifiers, continuous character strings, reordered logical parts of the product identifiers, alphabetical characters only, and numerical characters only.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein one or more fields of a context part of the index is given higher weight than other fields of the context part of the index.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein a field for full match in the context part of the index is weighted higher than field for partial match or alpha only match in the context part of the index.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a set of flags is output along with the score for each result, the set of flags containing the field positions of each term match in the different fields of the index.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the set of flags also includes unmatched terms.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising outputting possible recommendations for user selection when one or more of the terms does not match a complete product identifier or variation thereof.

10. A computer program product for processing a search query, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer code stored thereon, including:

computer code for receiving a search query containing one or more terms;

computer code for processing the query to add one or more bi-words as terms to the query;

computer code for searching a search index embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having product identifiers and logical parts of the product identifiers indexed into different fields in the index;

computer code for generating a score based on at least some of the terms matching the product identifiers and file individual logical parts of the product identifiers in the different fields in the index, wherein bi-words are weighted higher than the terms having only one word when matching in the index and individual terms are weighted higher when matching in the product identifier fields of the index as compared to matching the fields associated with the individual logical parts of the product identifiers; and

computer code for selecting and outputting an indicator of product identifiers ranked by their scores.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , further comprising computer code for attempting to make a best match between the one or more of the terms and the product identifiers and variations thereof when one or more of the terms does not match a complete product identifier or variation thereof.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , further comprising computer code for outputting possible matches for user selection when one or more of the terms does not match a complete product identifier or variation thereof.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , wherein the variations of the product identifiers include at least one of: parts of the product identifiers, continuous character strings, reordered logical parts of the product identifiers, alphabetical characters only, and numerical characters only.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , wherein one or more fields of a context part of the index is given higher weight than other fields of the context part of the index.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14 , wherein a field for full match in the context part of the index is weighted higher than field for partial match or alpha only match in the context part of the index.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , wherein a set of flags is output along with the score for each result, the set of flags containing the field positions of each term match in the different fields of the index.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 16 , wherein the set of flags also includes unmatched terms.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , further comprising computer code for outputting possible recommendations for user selection when one or more of the terms does not match a complete product identifier or variation thereof.

19. A system for processing a search query, comprising:

a processor;

logic for receiving a search query containing one or more terms;

logic for processing the query to add one or more bi-words as terms to the query;

logic for searching a search index embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having product identifiers and logical parts of the product identifiers indexed into different fields in the index;

logic for generating a score based on at least some of the terms matching the product identifiers and the individual logical parts of the product identifiers in the different fields in the index, wherein bi-words are weighted higher than the terms having only one word when matching in the index and individual terms are weighted higher when matching in the product identifier fields of the index as compared to matching the fields associated with the individual logical parts of the product identifiers; and

logic for selecting and outputting an indicator of product identifiers ranked by their scores.

20. The system as recited in claim 19 , further comprising logic for attempting to make a best match between the one or more of the terms and the product identifiers and variations thereof when one or more of the terms does not match a complete product identifier or variation thereof.

21. The system as recited in claim 19 , further comprising logic for outputting possible matches for user selection when one or more of the terms does not match a complete product identifier or variation thereof.

22. The system as recited in claim 19 , wherein the variations of the product identifiers include at least one of: parts of the product identifiers, continuous character strings, reordered logical parts of the product identifiers, alphabetical characters only, and numerical characters only.

23. The system as recited in claim 19 , wherein one or more fields of a context part of the index is given higher weight than other fields of the context part of the index.

24. The system as recited in claim 23 , wherein a field for full match in the context part of the index is weighted higher than field for partial match or alpha only match in the context part of the index.

25. The system as recited in claim 19 , wherein a set of flags is output along with the score for each result, the set of flags containing the field positions of each term match in the different fields of the index.

26. The system as recited in claim 25 , wherein the set of flags also includes unmatched terms.

27. The system as recited in claim 19 , further comprising logic for outputting possible recommendations for user selection when one or more of the terms does not match a complete product identifier or variation thereof.

Assignments (13)
SECOND LIEN TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS - NOOK Recorded Dec 21, 2021
From: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
To: NOOK DIGITAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 058561/0338 →
NOTICE AND CONFIRMATION OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Aug 26, 2020
From: NOOK DIGITAL LLC
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 053600/0790 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 050010 FRAME: 0234. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 13, 2019
From: NOOK DIGITAL, LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 050044/0225 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2019
From: NOOK DIGITAL, LLC
To: WEILS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 050010/0234 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO REMOVE APPLICATION NUMBERS 13924129 AND 13924362 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 035187 FRAME 0476. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded May 29, 2015
From: NOOK DIGITAL LLC
To: NOOK DIGITAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 036131/0801 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO REMOVE APPLICATION NUMBERS 13924129 AND 13924362 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 035187 FRAME 0469. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded May 29, 2015
From: BARNESANDNOBLE.COM LLC
To: NOOK DIGITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 036131/0409 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 11, 2015
From: BARNESANDNOBLE.COM LLC
To: NOOK DIGITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 035187/0469 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 11, 2015
From: NOOK DIGITAL LLC
To: NOOK DIGITAL, LLC
Reel/Frame 035187/0476 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 028902 FRAME 0816. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNEE'S NAME SHOULD BE BARNESANDNOBLE.COM LLC. Recorded Sep 7, 2012
From: RETREVO, INC
To: BARNESANDNOBLE.COM LLC
Reel/Frame 028923/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 5, 2012
From: RETREVO, INC.
To: BARNSANDNOBLE.COM LLC
Reel/Frame 028902/0816 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 31, 2012
From: RETREVO, INC.
To: BARNESANDNOBLE.COM LLC
Reel/Frame 028887/0586 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 31, 2012
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: RETREVO, INC.
Reel/Frame 028886/0596 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2012
From: VAILAYA, ADITYA; WU, JIANG; RATHI, MANISH; CHEN, KIRK
To: RETREVO INC.
Reel/Frame 028347/0647 →
Continuity (4)
Division 13186395 · Jul 19, 2011
Continuation 13031058 · Feb 18, 2011
Continuation 11737684 · Apr 19, 2007
Related Publication 20120209834A1 · Aug 16, 2012