Priming Search Results on Online Social Networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016063118-A1
Application number	US-201414473123-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 29, 2014
Priority date	Aug 29, 2014
Publication date	Mar 3, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving from a client device of a first user of an online social network a partial query input including a first character string. The method may determine one or more predicted queries based on the partial query input. The method may generate one or more search results for each of the predicted queries. The method may send, in response to receiving the partial query input, one or more of the search results to the client device for storage in a cache of the client device. The method may also retrieve, in response to receiving a completed query input from the first user, one or more of the search results from the cache of the client device for display. The completed query input may include a second character string, where the second character string may include at least the first character string.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving from a client device of a first user of an online social network a partial query input comprising a first character string; determining one or more predicted queries based on the partial query input; generating, for each of one or more of the predicted queries, one or more search results corresponding to the predicted query; and sending, responsive to receiving the partial query input, one or more of the search results to the client device of the first user for storage in a cache of the client device, one or more of the search results being retrieved from the cache of the client device for display responsive to receiving a completed query input at the client device of the first user comprising a second character string, wherein the second character string comprises at least the first character string, the completed query input substantially matching at least one of the predicted queries.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the client device of the first user, the completed query input; and retrieving, at the client device of the first user, responsive to receiving the completed query input, one or more of the search results stored in the cache of the client, the retrieved search results corresponding to the at least one predicted query substantially matching the completed query input.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, responsive to receiving the completed query input, one or more suggested queries to the client device of the first user for display, each suggested query corresponding to one of the one or more predicted queries.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving, at the client device of the first user, a selection of one of the suggested queries; and retrieving, at the client device of the first user, responsive to receiving the selected suggested query, one or more of the search results stored in the cache of the client, the retrieved search results corresponding to the selected suggested query.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the client device of the first user, the completed query input, wherein the completed query input does not substantially match at least one of the predicted queries; generating, for the completed query input, one or more search results corresponding to the completed query input; and sending, responsive to receiving the completed query input, one or more of the search results to the client device for display to the first user.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising:
a first node corresponding to a first user associated with an online social network; and
a plurality of second nodes that each correspond to a concept or a second user associated with the online social network.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the predicted queries is a structured query comprising references to one or more nodes and one or more edges.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein generating the one or more search results corresponding to the predicted queries comprising searching the social graph to identify one or more objects corresponding to one or more nodes, respectively, of the plurality of nodes that substantially match each of the predicted queries.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the search results comprises references to one or more of the identified objects.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating a score for each of the predicted queries based at least in part on the partial query input.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the score for each of the predicted queries is based on a ranking determined by a typeahead process, wherein the typeahead process identifies one or more matches between one or more n-grams of the partial query input and one or more objects associated with the online social network.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the score for each of the predicted queries is based on a query type of the partial query input.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the score for each of the predicted queries is based on a page of the online social network currently accessed by the first user.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the score for each of the predicted queries is based on a number of characters in the partial query input.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the score for each of the predicted queries is further based on a social-graph affinity associated with the first user with respect to one or more objects associated with the predicted query.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining whether to execute each of the predicted queries based at least in part on the calculated score of the predicted query.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved search results are displayed on a search-results page of a native application associated with the online social network or a webpage of the online social network accessed by a browser client.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved search results are displayed on a search-results page of a webpage of the online social network accessed by a browser client.

19 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:
receive from a client device of a first user of an online social network a partial query input comprising a first character string; determine one or more predicted queries based on the partial query input; generate, for each of one or more of the predicted queries, one or more search results corresponding to the predicted query; and send, responsive to receiving the partial query input, one or more of the search results to the client device of the first user for storage in a cache of the client device, one or more of the search results being retrieved from the cache of the client device for display responsive to receiving a completed query input at the client device of the first user comprising a second character string, wherein the second character string comprises at least the first character string, the completed query input substantially matching at least one of the predicted queries.

20 . A system comprising: one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to:
receive from a client device of a first user of an online social network a partial query input comprising a first character string; determine one or more predicted queries based on the partial query input; generate, for each of one or more of the predicted queries, one or more search results corresponding to the predicted query; and send, responsive to receiving the partial query input, one or more of the search results to the client device of the first user for storage in a cache of the client device, one or more of the search results being retrieved from the cache of the client device for display responsive to receiving a completed query input at the client device of the first user comprising a second character string, wherein the second character string comprises at least the first character string, the completed query input substantially matching at least one of th

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Campbell Craig S
• Kulkarni Guarav

Classifications

• G06Q10/40

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• G06F16/3322

  using system suggestions (G06F16/3325 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F16/332

  Query formulation · CPC title

• G06F16/9574

  of access to content, e.g. by caching · CPC title

• G06F16/9535 Primary

  Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation · CPC title