Providing results to parameterless search queries
In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a parameterless search request, which was provided to a mobile computing device, for information that is relevant to a user of the mobile computing device. The method also includes, in response to the received parameterless search request, identifying with a digital computer system one or more results that are determined to be relevant to the user of the mobile computing device based upon a current context of the mobile computing device. The method further includes providing the results for display to a user of the mobile computing device.
1. A method comprising:
determining, by a computing system and using input from one or more sensors, a current context;
responsive to determining the current context, identifying, by the computing system and based on the current context, one or more previous contexts;
executing, by the computing system, based at least in part on the current context and the one or more previous contexts, an inferred parameter query to identify one or more results determined to be relevant to a user; and
causing, by the computing system, at least some of the one or more results to be audibly provided to the user through a speaker subsystem.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by the computing system, based at least in part on the one or more previous contexts, one or more result categories determined to likely be relevant to the user, wherein the one or more results are associated with the one or more result categories.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving, by the computing system, an indication of whether any user considered the one or more result categories to be relevant;
selecting, by the computing system and based on the indication of whether any user considered the one or more result categories to be relevant, a portion of the one or more results associated with one or more previous contexts, the one or more previous contexts being determined to have a threshold degree of similarity to the current context; and
identifying, by the computing system, based at least in part on the portion of the one or more results associated with the one or more previous contexts, the one or more result categories.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more previous contexts include one or more previous contexts of computing devices associated with users other than the user.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the computing system, user behavior data associated with the one or more previous contexts; and
determining, by the computing system and based on the user behavior data, one or more result categories likely to be relevant to the user, wherein the one or more results are associated with the one or more result categories.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the user behavior data includes an indication of whether a previous user found a particular result category from the one or more result categories to be relevant to the current context.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current context includes a recent activity of the user, the method further comprising:
responsive to determining that information associated with at least a portion of the recent activity of the user has been updated since the user last engaged in the portion of the recent activity, identifying, by the computing system, the information associated with at least the portion of the recent activity of the user, wherein the one or more results includes the information associated with at least the portion of the recent activity of the user.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing system executes the inferred parameter query based on an input that indicates a request for the parameterless search, the method further comprising:
selecting, by the computing system, based at least in part on a manner in which the input was received, the speaker subsystem to use for providing at least some of the one or more results to the user.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current context is of a mobile computing device of the user.
10. A computing system comprising:
memory storing instruction;
one or more processors executing the instructions to cause one or more of the processors to:
determine, using input from one or more sensors, a current context;
responsive to determining the current context, identify, based on the current context, one or more previous contexts;
execute, based at least in part on the current context and the one or more previous contexts, an inferred parameter query to identify one or more results determined to be relevant to a user; and
cause at least some of the one or more results to be audibly provided to the user through a speaker subsystem.
11. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein in executing the instructions one or more of the processors are further to:
identify, based at least in part on the one or more previous contexts, one or more result categories determined to likely be relevant to the user, wherein the one or more results are associated with the one or more result categories.
12. The computing system of claim 11 , wherein in executing the instructions one or more of the processors are further to:
receive an indication of whether any user considered the one or more result categories to be relevant;
select, based on the indication of whether any user considered the one or more result categories to be relevant, a portion of the one or more results associated with one or more previous contexts, the one or more previous contexts being determined to have a threshold degree of similarity to the current context; and
identify, based at least in part on the portion of the one or more results associated with the one or more previous contexts, the one or more result categories.
13. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more previous contexts include one or more previous contexts of computing devices associated with users other than the user.
14. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein in executing the instructions one or more of the processors are further to:
receive user behavior data associated with the one or more previous contexts; and
determine, based on the user behavior data, one or more result categories likely to be relevant to the user, wherein the one or more results are associated with the one or more result categories.
15. The computing system of claim 14 , wherein the user behavior data includes an indication of whether a previous user found a particular result category from the one or more result categories to be relevant to the current context.
16. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the current context includes a recent activity of the user, and wherein in executing the instructions one or more of the processors are further to:
responsive to determining that information associated with at least a portion of the recent activity of the user has been updated since the user last engaged in the portion of the recent activity, identify the information associated with at least the portion of the recent activity of the user, wherein the one or more results includes the information associated with at least the portion of the recent activity of the user.
17. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the inferred parameter query is executed based on an input that indicates a request for the parameterless search, and wherein in executing the instructions one or more of the processors are further to:
select, based at least in part on a manner in which the input was received, the speaker subsystem to use for providing at least some of the one or more results to the user.
18. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the current context is of a mobile computing device of the user.
19. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
determine, using input from one or more sensors, a current context;
responsive to determining the current context, identify, based on the current context, one or more previous contexts;
execute, based at least in part on the current context and the one or more previous contexts, an inferred parameter query to identify one or more results determined to be relevant to a user; and
cause at least some of the one or more results to be audibly provided to the user through a speaker subsystem.