Generating software application search results using application connection keywords

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10146879-B2
Application number	US-201514967161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 11, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Techniques include, for an application (app) record specifying a software app and including an app download address (ADA) for downloading the app, determining connections (e.g., links to and from other resources, such as other apps, APIs, app libraries, and websites) associated with the app and determining terms (e.g., keywords) associated with resources connected with the app by the connections. In some examples, the techniques include receiving a search query from a user device and identifying the record based on (e.g., matches between) the query and the terms. Additionally, or alternatively, the techniques include identifying the record based on the search query, generating a result score for the record based on the terms, and selecting the record from among other records based on the score. The techniques also include selecting the ADA from the record and transmitting the ADA to the user device as search results.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
for each of a plurality of application (app) records each specifying an app and including an app download address (ADA) for downloading the app, determining, by an analysis system in a server, one or more connections associated with the app, and determining, by the analysis system, one or more terms associated with one or more resources connected with the app by the one or more connections;
receiving, by a search system in the server, a search query from a user device;
identifying, by the search system, one or more of the plurality of app records based on the search query and based on the one or more terms associated with the one or more resources connected with the app specified by the each of the plurality of app records;
selecting, by the search system, one or more ADAs from the identified one or more of the plurality of app records; and
transmitting, by the search system, the one or more ADAs to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more connections associated with the app specified by at least one of the plurality of app records comprise one or more of the following:
an outbound link configured to enable the app to access another resource; or
an inbound link configured to enable another resource to access the app.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more connections associated with the app specified by at least one of the plurality of app records comprise one or more of the following:
a link between the app and another app;
a link between the app and an app programming interface (API);
an app library included in the app; or
a link between the app and a web resource.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more connections associated with the app specified by at least one of the plurality of app records comprises performing a static connection analysis including identifying one or more software instructions associated with the app that cause the app to communicate with another resource.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more connections associated with the app specified by at least one of the plurality of app records comprises performing a dynamic connection analysis including detecting that the app is communicating with another resource.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more of the plurality of app records based on the search query and based on the one or more terms associated with the at least one resource connected with the app specified by the each of the plurality of app records comprises identifying the each of the plurality of app records based on one or more matches between one or more terms of the search query and the one or more terms associated with the one or more resources connected with the app specified by the each of the plurality of app records.

7. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of app records further includes one or more app attributes (AAs) that describe the app,
the method further comprising identifying the one or more of the plurality of app records based on the one or more AAs included in the each of the plurality of app records, including identifying the each of the plurality of app records based on one or more matches between one or more terms of the search query and one or more terms of the one or more AAs included in the each of the plurality of app records.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of app records further includes one or more app attributes (AAs) that describe the app, the method further comprising, for each of the plurality of app records, augmenting the one or more AAs included in the each of the plurality of app records to include the one or more terms determined for the each of the plurality of app records, and
wherein identifying the one or more of the plurality of app records based on the search query and based on the one or more terms associated with the one or more resources connected with the app specified by the each of the plurality of app records comprises identifying the each of the plurality of app records based on one or more matches between one or more terms of the search query and one or more terms of the augmented one or more AAs included in the each of the plurality of app records.

9. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of app records further includes one or more app attributes (AAs) that describe the app,
wherein, for at least one of the plurality of app records, the one or more connections determined for an app record of the plurality of app records connect the app specified by the app record of the plurality of app records with another app specified by another one of the plurality of app records, and
wherein determining the one or more terms for the app record comprises selecting one or more terms of the one or more AAs included in the other one of the plurality of app records as the one or more terms associated with the one or more resources connected with the app specified by the each of the plurality of app records.

10. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein, for at least one of the plurality of app records, the one or more connections determined for an app record of the plurality of app records connect the app specified by the app record of the plurality of app records with another app, and
wherein determining the one or more terms for the app record of the plurality of app records comprises selecting one or more terms describing one or more of the following as the one or more terms associated with the one or more resources connected with the app specified by the each of the plurality of app records:
a name of the other app;
a function performed by the other app;
a category associated with the other app; or
a description of the other app.

11. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein, for at least one of the plurality of app records, the one or more connections determined for an app record of the plurality of app records connect the app specified by the app record of the plurality of app records with a website, and
wherein determining the one or more terms for the app record of the plurality of app records comprises selecting one or more terms displayed on the website as the one or more terms associated with the at least one resource connected with the app specified by the each of the plurality of app records.

12. A method comprising:
for each of a plurality of application (app) records each specifying an app and including an app download address (ADA) for downloading the app, determining, by an analysis system in a server, one or more connections associated with the app, and determining, by the analysis system, one or more terms associated with one or more resources connected with the app by the one or more connections;
receiving, by a search system in the server, a search query from a user device;
identifying, by the search system, one or more of the plurality of app records based on the search query;
for each of the identified one or more of the plurality of app records, generating, by the search system, a result score based on one or more terms associated with at least one resource connected with an app specified by the identified one or more of the plurality of app records;
selecting, by the search system, one or more app records from the identified one or more of the plurality of app records based on the generated result score;
selecting, by the search system, the one or more ADAs from the selected one or more app records; and
transmitting, by the search system, the one or more ADAs to the user device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Glover Eric
• Mark Gilead
• Sankaranarasimhan Manikandan

Classifications

• G06F16/9535 Primary

  Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation · CPC title

• G06F16/24578 Primary

  using ranking · CPC title

• G06F17/30867 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic