# US 10,311,068 B2 · Methods of and systems for searching by incorporating user-entered information

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- Number: US 10,311,068 B2
- Document ID: US10311068B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/144,604
- Filed: 2016-05-02
- Published: 2016-08-25
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2005-02-28
- Assignees: Pinterest, Inc.
- Applicants: Pinterest, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael Tanne; Yunshan Lu; Bruce D. Karsh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10311068B2

## CPC

- G06F 16/24578: {using ranking}
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 16/3326: {using relevance feedback from the user, e.g. relevance feedback on documents, documents sets, document terms or passages}
- G06F 16/951: Indexing; Web crawling techniques
- G06F 16/9535: Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
- G06F 16/9538: Presentation of query results
- G06F 40/134: Hyperlinking
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A system for and a method of using user-entered information to return more meaningful information in response to Internet search queries are disclosed. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises managing a database in response to multiple user inputs and displaying search results from the database in response to a search query. The search results include a results list and supplemental data related to the search query. Managing the database includes, among other things, re-ranking elements in the results list, storing information related to relevancies of elements in the results list, blocking a link in the results list, storing links to documents related to the search query, or any combination of these. The supplemental data include descriptions of or indices to one or more concepts related to the search query.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
a) managing a database including user input, wherein the database comprises supplemental information provided by a first user, wherein the supplemental information is related to a search query and includes at least one of a first concept related to the search query or a hyperlink to a first document related to the search query; and
b) presenting web page search results from the database in response to the search query initiated by a second user, wherein the web page search results includes a results list and the supplemental information related to the search query, wherein the results list comprises a list of a plurality of web pages related to the search query, and wherein the second user is able to modify the supplemental information provided by the first user.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental information is presented separately from and independently from the results list.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental information includes at least one of a user-entered description of a first concept related to the search query or hyperlinks to documents related to the search query, and wherein managing the database comprises any one of adding, editing, and deleting the user-entered description of the first concept or the hyperlinks.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental information includes a user-entered description of a first concept related to the search query.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the user-entered description of the first concept contains one of a link to a description of a second concept related to the first concept or links to documents related to the first concept.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental information includes a list of different concepts related to the search query.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an order in which the plurality of web pages are presented is influenced by relevance feedback.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an order in which the plurality of web pages are presented in the results list in response to the search query initiated by the second user is influenced by a relevance feedback provided by the first user.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein an order in which the plurality of web pages are presented in the results list in response to the search query initiated by the second user is influenced by relevance feedback received in a context other than a previous search query.

### Claim 10

A system comprising:
a) a Web server computer comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, present web page search results, wherein the web page search results include a results list and supplemental information, wherein:
the results list comprises a list of a plurality of web pages related to the terms of a search query;
the supplemental information is related to the search query and includes at least one of a first concept related to the search query or a hyperlink to a first document related to the search query;
and the user is able to modify a portion of the supplemental information that was originally provided by a second user;
b) a search engine for querying a database and providing the web page search results in response to user queries; and
c) a content manager for managing the supplemental information in response to user input.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the supplemental information is presented separately from and independently of the results list.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the supplemental information includes at least one of a user-entered description of a first concept related to the search query provided by the second user or hyperlinks to documents related to the search query, and wherein managing the database comprises any one of storing, adding, editing, or deleting the user-entered description of the first concept or the hyperlinks.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the supplemental information includes a user-entered description of a first concept related to the search query provided by the second user.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the user-entered description of the first concept contains at least one of a link to a description of a second concept related to the first concept or a link to a document related to the first concept.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the supplemental information includes a list of different concepts related to the search query.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein an order in which the plurality of web pages are initially presented is influenced by relevance feedback.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the order in which the plurality of web pages are to be initially presented in the results list in response to the search query initiated by the user is influenced by relevance feedback received in a context of a previous search query.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the order in which the plurality of web pages are presented in the results list in response to the search query initiated by the user is influenced by relevance feedback received in a context other than a previous search query.

### Claim 19

A computing system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to at least:
receive, from a first client device, a first search query;
provide, to the first client device, a first Web page search result that includes a first result list related to the first search query;
receive, from the first client device, a supplemental information related to the first search query that includes at least one of a user-entered description of a first concept related to the first search query or a hyperlink to a first document related to the first search query;
manage, in a database, the supplemental information;
receive, from a second client device, a second search query;
provide, to the second client device, a second Web page search result that includes the first result list related to the second search query and the supplemental information;
receive, from the second client device, a modification of the supplemental information; and
update the supplemental information stored in the database to be a modified supplemental information.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The computing system of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further include instructions that cause the one or more processors to at least:
in response to the update of the supplemental information, receive, from the first client device, a revert of the modified supplemental information; and
in response to the revert, update the database to revert the modified supplemental information back to the supplemental information.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The computing system of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further include instructions that cause the one or more processors to at least:
in response to the update of the supplemental information, receive, from the first client device, a re-edit of the modified supplemental information; and
in response to the re-edit, update the modified supplemental information stored in the database to be a re-edit modified supplemental information.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The computing system of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further include instructions that cause the one or more processors to at least:
receive, from the second client device, a rating of a Web page identified in the second web page search result;
manage, in the database, the rating of the Web page;
receive, from a third client device, a third search query; and
provide, to the third client device, a third Web page search result that includes the first result list related to the third search query and the supplemental information, wherein an order of a plurality of Web pages is updated based at least in part on the rating of the Web page.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The computing system of claim 19, wherein the second Web page search result includes:
a first concept area that includes the supplemental information;
a second concept area that includes a second supplemental information corresponding to a concept related to the second search query; and
a results list area that includes the second result list.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The computing system of claim 23, wherein:
the supplemental information corresponds to a first concept that is different than the concept; and
the first concept and the concept are related to the second search query.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The computing system of claim 23, wherein the second concept area includes at least one link to a query term of the first concept.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The computing system of claim 23, wherein the first search query and the second search query include a same search term.