Location-awareness search assistance system and method

A digital information search and retrieval system server comprising:

• a processor and a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the stored program logic comprising:
• generating logic executed by the processor for generating a database comprising a plurality of search query suggestions, each search query suggestion of the plurality having associated location information;
• receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, over a network, search query user input from a user computing device;
• obtaining logic executed by the processor for obtaining, over the network, location information representing the user's location at the time of the search query user input;
• selecting logic executed by the processor for selecting, in response to the search query user input, a number of search query suggestions from the database using, as selection criteria, the received search query user input, the user's location and the associated location information for the number of search query suggestions, for each search query suggestion of the number of search query suggestions, at least a portion of the location information associated with the search query suggestion matches the user's location and the search query user input matches at least a portion of the search query suggestion;
• determining logic executed by the processor for determining an adjusted popularity score for each search query suggestion of the number of search query suggestions, the determining comprising determining a popularity score representing a popularity that is based on a frequency of occurrence of the search query suggestion in a number of query logs and adjusting the popularity score based on a proximity of the search query suggestion's location to the user's location, the adjusting the popularity score comprising:
• determining logic executed by the processor for determining, for each search query suggestion of the number of search query suggestions, the proximity of the search query suggestion's location to the user's location by comparing country information of the search query suggestion's associated location information with country information of the user's location information;
• and
• adjusting logic executed by the processor for adjusting the search suggestion's popularity score downward if a match is not found;
• and
• making logic executed by the processor for making the number of search query suggestions, ranked in an order in accordance with each one's adjusted popularity score that is based on both its popularity and its location's proximity to the user's location, available for display at the user computing device in response to receiving the search query user input.

A computer readable non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon computer readable instructions that when executed by a digital information search and retrieval system server, perform a function comprising:

• generating a database comprising a plurality of search query suggestions, each search query suggestion of the plurality having associated location information;
• receiving, over a network, search query user input from a user computing device;
• obtaining, over the network, location information representing the user's location at the time of the search query user input;
• selecting, in response to the search query use input, a number of search query suggestions from the database using, as selection criteria, the received search query user input, the user's location and the associated location information for the number of search query suggestions, for each search query suggestion, of the number of search query suggestions, at least a portion of the location information associated with the search query suggestion matches the user's location and the search query user input matches at least a portion of the search query suggestion;
• determining an adjusted popularity score for each search query suggestion of the number of search query suggestions, the determining comprising determining a popularity score representing a popularity that is based on a frequency of occurrence of the search query suggestion in a number of query logs and adjusting the popularity score based on a proximity of the search query suggestion's location to the user's location, the adjusting the popularity score comprising:
• determining, for each search query suggestion of the number of search query suggestions, the proximity of the search query suggestion's location to the user's location by comparing country information of the search query suggestion's associated location information with country information of the user's location information;
• and
• adjusting the search query suggestion's popularity score downward if a match is not found;
• and
• making the number of search query suggestions, ranked in an order in accordance with each one's adjusted popularity score that is based on both its popularity and its location's proximity to the user's location, available for display at the user computing device in response to receiving the search query user input.