System and method for conducting a profile based search

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a search query including one or more search terms from a user;

generating, based upon the one or more search terms and from tracked user search behavior, by the computing device, a user profile for the user in a data store comprising a plurality of user profiles;

establishing, by the computing device, a contextual relationship between the one or more search terms and user profile characteristics associated with each user profile of the plurality of user profiles;

parsing, by the computing device, the search query into categorical verticals;

determining, by the computing device, search refinement data relative to the categorical verticals, the search refinement data including at least one of: profile information, environmental data relative to the search query and historical behavior data relating to other search queries;

accessing, by the computing device, a database of aggregated search data based on the search refinement data, the search data comprising a plurality of query terms and the plurality of user profiles;

determining, by the computing device, alternative query terms in the plurality of query terms, the alternative query terms relevant to a set of user profiles in the plurality other than a user's primary profile selected by the user;

determining, by the computing device, a most relevant search query from the plurality of search queries and the alternative query terms and a most relevant user profile from the plurality of user profiles, the most relevant user profile based on a plurality of sponsor-purchased public user profiles and both the most relevant search query and the most relevant user profile based on the aggregated search data;

refining, by the computing device, the search query based on the most relevant search query and most relevant user profile; and

generating, by the computing device, an output display including a search result set based on the refined search query.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

refining the search query by displaying a plurality of search adjustment recommendations including recommended search terms; and

upon user selection of one or more of the search adjustment recommendations, replacing the search terms of the search query with the recommended search terms.

3. The method of claim 1 further

comprising:

conducting a search operation based on the search query; and

refining the search query by sorting and selecting the most relevant search results based on the most relevant search query and most relevant user profile.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental data relative to the search query includes temporal data, spatial data and social data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the profile information includes at least one of: a query profile, a search profile and a user profile.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search refinement data includes profile information, the method further comprising:

accessing the plurality of user profiles, each profile including profile information stored therein; and

selecting one of the user profiles as the most relevant user profile for refining the search query.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

transmitting an interface to the user to enable the user to select one or more user profiles including an indication to whom the profile is associated; and

receiving a user selection command of one of the user profiles for refinement of the search query based on the selected user profile.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the refining of the search query is automatically performed prior to conducting a search operation.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

tracking processing operations by the user before and after the generation of the output display; and

updating profile information based on the tracking operations.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination of the search refinement data is based on the profile information, the method further comprising:

associating a sponsored interest with the profile; and

refining the search query based on the profile including limiting the search results solely to results associated with the sponsored interest.

11. A system comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:

search query receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving a search query including one or more search terms from a user;

generating logic executed by the processor for generating, based upon the one or more search terms and from tracked user search behavior, a user profile for the user in a data store comprising a plurality of user profiles;

relationship establishing logic executed by the processor for establishing a contextual relationship between the one or more search terms and user profile characteristics associated with each user profile of the plurality of user profiles;

parsing logic executed by the processor for parsing the search query into categorical verticals;

search refinement data determining logic executed by the processor for determining search refinement data relative to the categorical verticals, the search refinement data including at least one of: profile information, environmental data relative to the search query and historical behavior data relating to other search queries;

aggregated search data accessing logic executed by the processor for accessing a database of aggregated search data based on the search refinement data, the search data comprising a plurality of query terms and the plurality of user profiles;

alternative query term determining logic executed by the processor for determining alternative query terms in the plurality of query terms, the alternative query terms relevant to a set of user profiles in the plurality other than a user's primary profile selected by the user;

relevant search query and profile determining logic executed by the processor for determining a most relevant search query from the plurality of search queries and the alternative search query terms and a most relevant user profile from the plurality of user profiles, the most relevant user profile based on a plurality of sponsor-purchased public user profiles and both the most relevant search query and the most relevant user profile based on the aggregated search data,

refining logic executed by the processor for refining the search query based on the most relevant search query and most relevant user profile; and

output display generating logic executed by the processor for generating an output display including a search result set based on the refined search query.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the refining logic is further configured to:

refine the search query by displaying a plurality of search adjustment recommendations including recommended search terms; and

upon user selection of one or more of the search adjustment recommendations, replace the search terms of the search query with the recommended search terms.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the refining logic is further configured to:

conduct a search operation based on the search query; and

refine the search query by sorting and selecting the most relevant search results based on the most relevant search query and most relevant user profile.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein environmental data relative to the search query includes temporal data, spatial data and social data.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the search refinement data includes the profile information, the profile information including at least one of: a query profile, a search profile and a user profile.

16. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

interface transmitting logic executed by the processor for transmitting an interface to the user to enable the user to select one or more user profiles including an indication to whom the profile is associated; and

user profile receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving user selection command of one of the user profiles for refinement of the search query based on the selected user profile.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the refining of the search query is automatically performed prior to conducting a search operation.

18. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

tracking logic executed by the processor for tracking processing operations by the user before and after the generation of the output display; and

profile updating logic executed by the processor for updating profile information based on the tracking operations.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the determination of the search refinement data is based on profile information, and further comprising:

interest associating logic executed by the processor for associating sponsored interest with the profile; and

interest refining logic executed by the processor for refining the search query based on the profile including limiting the search results solely to results associated with the sponsored interest.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon such that when the instructions are executed by a processing device, the processing device enables:

receiving a search query including one or more search terms from a user;

generating, based upon the one or more search terms and from tracked user search behavior, a user profile for the user in a data store comprising a plurality of user profiles;

establishing a contextual relationship between the one or more search terms and user profile characteristics associated with each user profile of the plurality of user profiles;

parsing the search query into categorical verticals;

determining search refinement data relative to the categorical verticals, the search refinement data including at least one of: profile information, environmental data relative to the search query and historical behavior data relating to other search queries;

accessing a database of aggregated search data based on the search refinement data, the search data comprising a plurality of query terms and the plurality of user profiles;

determining alternative query terms in the plurality of query terms, the alternative query terms relevant to a set of user profiles in the plurality other than a user's primary profile selected by the user;

determining a most relevant search query from the plurality of search queries and the alternative query terms and a most relevant user profile from the plurality of user profiles, the most relevant user profile based on a plurality of sponsor-purchased public user profiles and both the most relevant search query and the most relevant user profile based on the aggregated search data;

refining the search query based on the most relevant search query and most relevant user profile; and

generating an output display including a search result set based on the refined search query.