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US 9,792,286 B2Granted
Systems and methods for obtaining customized search results by way of user-specific search indices
AssigneeRovi Guides, Inc.
InventorsBenjamin H. Maughan, Paul Stathacopoulos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are described herein for efficiently providing personalized search results to a user. Personalized search allows a user to receive search results that are most relevant to that user. For example, when a user with a strong interest in rap searches for “50 cent” they may be presented with top search results corresponding to 50 Cent's rap albums. Conversely, when a coin collector searches for “50 cent” they may be presented with top search results containing antique coins.
Claims20
A method for providing search results to a user, the method comprising:
- receiving a user input comprising a symbol;
- retrieving a user profile associated with the user;
- identifying a database profile of a plurality of database profiles that, with respect to each database profile of the plurality of database profiles, best matches data of the user profile, wherein the database profile identifies a first index and a second index;
- in response to identifying the database profile, searching for data corresponding to the first index that matches the symbol while refraining from searching data corresponding to the second index;
- when search results are found based on the searching for data corresponding to the first index:
- providing the search results to the user;
- and
- associating a first entry of the first index that yielded a search result of the search results with a timestamp;
- subsequent to searching for data corresponding to the first index that matches the symbol, searching for data corresponding to the second index that matches the symbol;
- periodically comparing the timestamp against a threshold timestamp;
- and
- in response to determining, based on the comparing, that the timestamp is older than the threshold timestamp:
- updating the second index to include a second entry matching the first entry;
- and
- deleting the first entry from the first index.
12 more elements
A system for providing search results to a user, the system comprising:
- user input circuitry;
- communications circuitry;
- and
- control circuitry configured to:
- receive, using the user input circuitry, a user input comprising a symbol;
- retrieve, using the communications circuitry, a user profile associated with the user;
- identify a database profile of a plurality of database profiles that, with respect to each database profile of the plurality of database profiles, best matches data of the user profile, wherein the database profile identifies a first index and a second index;
- in response to identifying the database profile, search for data corresponding to the first index that matches the symbol while refraining from searching data corresponding to the second index;
- when search results are found based on the search for data corresponding to the first index:
- provide the search results to the user;
- and
- associate a first entry of the first index that yielded a search result of the search results with a timestamp;
- subsequent to searching for data corresponding to the first index that matches the symbol, search for data corresponding to the second index that matches the symbol;
- periodically compare the timestamp against a threshold timestamp;
- and
- in response to determining, based on the comparing, that the timestamp is older than the threshold timestamp:
- update the second index to include a second entry matching the first entry;
- and
- delete the first entry from the first index.
16 more elements
A method for providing search results to a user, the method comprising:
- receiving a user input comprising a symbol;
- retrieving a user profile associated with the user;
- identifying a database profile of a plurality of database profiles that, with respect to each database profile of the plurality of database profiles, best matches data of the user profile, wherein the database profile identifies a first index and a second index;
- in response to identifying the database profile, searching for data corresponding to the first index that matches the symbol while refraining from searching data corresponding to the second index;
- when search results are found based on the searching for data corresponding to the first index, providing the search results to the user;
- subsequent to searching for data corresponding to the first index that matches the symbol, searching for data corresponding to the second index that matches the symbol;
- comparing attributes associated with data that has not yet been placed in the first index or the second index to attributes associated with the database profile, and
- in response to determining that the attributes associated with the data match the attributes associated with the database profile by at least a first threshold value:
- updating the first index to contain the data;
- and
- in response to determining that the attributes associated with the data match the attributes associated with the database profile by at least a second threshold value, wherein the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value:
- updating the second index to contain the data.
9 more elements
A system for providing search results to a user, the system comprising:
- user input circuitry;
- communications circuitry;
- and
- control circuitry configured to:
- receive, using the user input circuitry, a user input comprising a symbol;
- retrieve, using the communications circuitry, a user profile associated with the user;
- identify a database profile of a plurality of database profiles that, with respect to each database profile of the plurality of database profiles, best matches data of the user profile, wherein the database profile identifies a first index and a second index;
- in response to identifying the database profile, search for data corresponding to the first index that matches the symbol while refraining from searching data corresponding to the second index;
- when search results are found based on the search for data corresponding to the first index, provide the search results to the user;
- subsequent to searching for data corresponding to the first index that matches the symbol, search for data corresponding to the second index that matches the symbol;
- compare attributes associated with data that has not yet been placed in the first index or the second index to attributes associated with the database profile, and
- in response to determining that the attributes associated with the data match the attributes associated with the database profile by at least a first threshold value:
- update the first index to contain the data;
- and
- in response to determining that the attributes associated with the data match the attributes associated with the database profile by at least a second threshold value, wherein the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value:
- update the second index to contain the data.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.