IP Library Granted Patent US 12,554,750
Granted Patent B2
US 12,554,750 · App. 17/719,339 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Predictive generation of search suggestions

Inventors: Michal Grabowski (San Francisco, CA); Amanda M. Moore (San Francisco, CA); Alireza Ali (Sunnyvale, CA); Jocelyn Lin (Mountain View, CA); Evan H. Parker (Atherton, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G06F16/3322G06F16/30G06F16/35G06F16/955H04L67/306H04L67/52H04W4/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,554,750
App. No.
17/719,339
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of generating search suggestions includes receiving an indication of a current location of the user device. After a user accesses a search function on the user device and before the user submits a search request, the method includes determining search results associated with locations in proximity to the current location of the user device, using query log data indicating selections of past search results by users after presentation of the past search results in response to respective past queries. The method also includes determining relative positioning of the search results based on the number of users that selected each search result, determining categories associated with the search results, grouping the search results by the determined categories; and sending the grouped search results and the one or more categories associated with the search results to the user device for display according to the determined relative positioning.

Claims (39)

1 . A method of generating search suggestions, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors from a user device, an indication of a current location of the user device;

receiving a partial query from the user device, the partial query including first one or more characters entered by a user;

before the user submits a search request, determining, by the one or more processors, search results associated with locations in proximity to the current location of the user device, based on the partial query and using query log data indicating selections of past search results by prior users in proximity to the current location when the past search results were presented for respective past queries;

determining, by the one or more processors, categories associated with the search results;

grouping, by the one or more processors, the search results by the determined categories; and

sending the grouped search results and the one or more categories to the user device for display.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining search results associated with locations in proximity to the current location of the user device further comprises using at least one of user profile data or user social graph data together with the current location of the user device to determine the search results.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each search result references a document, the document being associated with a second location in proximity to the current location of the user device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a query suggestion based on the current location of the user device; and

sending the query suggestion to the user device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the query suggestion based on the current location of the user device further comprises using at least one of user profile data, social graph data or query log data together with the current location of the user device to determine the query suggestion.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining query suggestions based on the current location of the user device comprises:

using selections of past search results corresponding to the queries submitted by the prior users in proximity to the current location of the user device.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining query suggestions based on the current location further comprises:

obtaining a user profile associated with a user of the user device; and

using information obtained from the user profile to identify the queries submitted by the prior users near the current location of the user device.

8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein determining query suggestions comprises: identifying queries previously submitted by the user.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the grouped search results comprises sending the search results grouped by category.

10 . A system comprising:

one or more computers comprising one or more processors and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication of a current location of a user device,

receiving a partial query from the user device, the partial query including first one or more characters entered by a user;

before the user submits a search request, determining search results associated with locations in proximity to the current location of the user device, based on the partial query and using query log data indicating selections of past search results by prior users in proximity to the current location when the past search results were presented for respective past queries;

determining categories associated with the search results,

grouping, by the one or more processors, the search results by the determined categories, and sending the grouped search results and the one or more categories to the user device for display.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein determining search results associated with locations in proximity to the current location of the user device further comprises using at least one of user profile data or user social graph data together with the current location of the user device to determine the search results.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein each search result references a document, the document being associated with a second location in proximity to the current location of the user device.

13 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining a query suggestion based on the current location of the user device; and

sending the query suggestions to the user device.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein determining the query suggestion based on the current location of the user device further comprises using at least one of user profile data, social graph data or query log data together with the current location of the user device to determine the query suggestion.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein determining query suggestions based on the current location comprises:

using selections of past search results corresponding to the queries submitted by the prior users in proximity to the current location of the user device.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein determining query suggestions based on the current location further comprises:

obtaining a user profile associated with a user of the user device; and

using information obtained from the user profile to identify the queries submitted by the prior users near the current location of the user device.

17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein determining query suggestions comprises: identifying queries previously submitted by the user.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 22, 2022
From: LEICHT, AMANDA; ALI, ALIREZA; PARKER, EVAN H.; GRABOWSKI, MICHAL R.; LIN, JOCELYN
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 060587/0350 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 22, 2022
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 060827/0725 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16989846 · Aug 10, 2020
Continuation 15648297 · Jul 12, 2017
Continuation 15201617 · Jul 4, 2016
Continuation 13158796 · Jun 13, 2011
Related Publication 20220245178A1 · Aug 4, 2022
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