IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,185,762
Granted Patent B2
US 10,185,762 · App. 14/665,796 · Granted Jan 22, 2019

Predictive algorithm for search box auto-complete

Inventors: Wenyan Hu (Shanghai, CN); Xiaodi Zhang (New York, NY); Alvaro Bolivar (San Francisco, CA); Randall Scott Shoup (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: eBay Inc.
G06F17/3064G06F17/3097
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,185,762
App. No.
14/665,796
Granted
Jan 22, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

In various exemplary embodiments, systems and associated methods to predict search results in an electronic environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method to provide responses to a search request includes receiving, from an end-user, one or more characters that form a portion of the search request. Prior to receiving a completed version of the search request from the end-user, a plurality of keywords is predicted based on the one or more characters. The prediction is based on the most probable keywords selected from a plurality of prior requests stored in a database. A plurality of responses is prepared based on the most probable keywords. The responses are fit within a single communications packet and returned as a reply to the search request. Other systems and methods are disclosed.

Claims (31)

1. A method to provide auto-complete responses to a search request, the method comprising:

receiving, from an end-user, one or more characters forming a portion of the search request; and

prior to receiving a completed version of the search request from the end-user:

identifying, within a data structure, a node having a prefix matching the one or more characters received from the end-user, the node including a first list of recommendation keywords stored within the data structure and a plurality of sub-nodes separate from the first list of recommendation keywords, each sub-node corresponding to a different prefix adding at least one character to the one or more characters and including a corresponding list of recommendation keywords;

selecting a plurality of most probable sub-nodes from the plurality of sub-nodes within the data structure, the most probable sub-nodes comprising sub-nodes that have the most recommendation keywords, each sub-node including a corresponding list of keywords;

preparing a plurality of auto-complete responses based on the first list of recommendation keywords from the node and the corresponding lists of recommendation keywords from the most probable sub-nodes;

fitting the plurality of auto-complete responses within a single communications packet; and

upon fitting the single communications packet, returning the plurality of auto-complete responses as a reply to the search request.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the returning the plurality of responses includes sending an additional plurality of responses from a plurality of other sub-nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising enlarging the packet size and wherein the returning of the plurality of responses includes one TCP package.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a compression utility to the plurality of responses prior to fitting the plurality of responses within the single communications packet.

5. A method of providing a plurality of auto-complete responses to a search request, the method comprising:

receiving, via a pre-established stable connection protocol and in a first single communications packet, a plurality of characters from the search request, a number of the plurality of characters received being based on a size to fit within the first single communications packet;

prior to receiving a completed version of the search request:

identifying, within a data structure, a node having a prefix matching the plurality of characters received from the end-user, the node including a first list of recommendation keywords stored within the data structure and a plurality of sub-nodes separate from the first list of recommendation keywords, each sub-node corresponding to a different prefix adding at least one character to the plurality of characters and including a corresponding list of recommendation keywords;

selecting a plurality of most probable sub-nodes from the plurality of sub-nodes within the data structure, the most probable sub-nodes comprising sub-nodes that have the most recommendation keywords;

preparing a plurality of auto-complete responses based on the first list of recommendation keywords from the node and the corresponding lists of recommendation keywords from the most probable sub-nodes;

fitting the plurality of auto-complete responses within a single communications packet; and

upon fitting the single communications packet, returning the plurality of auto-complete responses as a reply to the search request.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising predictively matching each of a plurality of keywords, generated from the plurality of characters, based on a subset of most popular queries from within the data structure.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising enlarging the packet size and wherein the returning of the plurality of responses includes one TCP package.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising applying a compression utility to the plurality of responses prior to fitting the plurality of responses within the single communications packet.

9. A tangible machine-readable storage medium having no transitory signals and storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations to provide a plurality of auto-complete responses to a search request from an end-user, the operations comprising:

receiving, via a pre-established stable connection protocol and in a first single communications packet, a plurality of characters from the search request, a number of the plurality of characters received being based on a size to fit within the first single communications packet;

prior to receiving a completed version of the search request:

identifying, stored within a data structure, a node having a prefix matching the one or more characters, the node including a first list of recommendation keywords stored within the data structure and a plurality of sub-nodes separate from the first list of recommendation keywords, each sub-node corresponding to a different prefix adding at least one character to the one or more characters and including a corresponding list of recommendation keywords;

selecting a plurality of most probable sub-nodes from the plurality of sub-nodes within the data structure, the most probable sub-nodes comprising sub-nodes that have the most recommendation keywords;

preparing a plurality of auto-complete responses based on the first list of recommendation keywords from the node and the corresponding lists of recommendation keywords from the most probable sub-nodes;

fitting the plurality of auto-complete responses within a single communications packet; and

upon fitting the single communications packet, returning the plurality of auto-complete responses as a reply to the search request.

10. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising predictively matching each of a plurality of keywords, generated from the plurality of characters, based on a subset of most popular queries from within a database.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2015
From: HU, WENYAN; ZHANG, XIAODI; BOLIVAR, ALVARO; SHOUP, RANDALL S.
To: EBAY INC.
Reel/Frame 035233/0646 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12346720 · Dec 30, 2008
Related Publication 20150193449A1 · Jul 9, 2015
Cited By (1)
US 12,488,028