Context-based services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9361387-B2
Application number	US-76498510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2010
Priority date	Apr 22, 2010
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for providing context-based services. In one embodiment, context-based output is provided. The context-based output can include context-based search results for a query. Contextual information can be used to improve access to real-time, social, and other content by enabling a search engine to better understand and/or to supplement queries based upon the context within which the query is received. The contextual information can include, but are not limited to, searches and content associated with the searcher, one or more locations associated with the searcher, the time of day at which a query is received, the device from which a query is received, an application running at the device from which the query is received, the capabilities of the device from which the query is received, and other variables. The contextual information can be used to manipulate the search query, the search results, the presentation of the search results, and/or the content surrounding the search results such as, for example, advertising, links, graphics, and other content.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method for providing context-based services, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:
receiving, at a computer executing a context application, a request for context-based output;
determining a context associated with the request for the context-based output, the context comprising a time at which the request was submitted and at least one of a location at which the request was submitted or a device used to generate the request;
updating the request based upon the context, wherein updating the request comprises manipulating the request by incorporating additional information relevant to the request as indicated by the context to create an updated request, and wherein the updated request includes at least a portion of the request;
identifying the context-based output based upon the updated request;
diversifying the context-based output by
identifying terms related to the context associated with the request,
identifying additional context-based output related to the terms, and
adding the additional context-based output to the context-based output to create a diversified context-based output; and

outputting the diversified context-based output.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
receiving the request for the context-based output comprises receiving an implicitly augmented query comprising one or more contexts associated with a client device,
obtaining relevant data for at least one of the one or more contexts associated with the client device, and
pushing the relevant data to the client device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the relevant data is used to augment a social networking post or a social networking status update generated at the client device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the context-based output comprises a search query, and wherein the context-based output comprises search results, and further comprising:
identifying a data object corresponding to a one of the search results;
obtaining context data corresponding to the data object; and
associating the context data with the data object.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the context-based output comprises a search result set, and the method further comprises:
identifying a data object corresponding to one of the search results;
obtaining context data corresponding to a context associated with the data object;
comparing the context associated with the search query with the context associated with the data object; and
ranking the search result set corresponding to the data object based upon the comparing.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
ranking the search result higher, in response to determining that the context associated with the data object is similar to the context associated with the search query, wherein determining that the context associated with the data object is similar to the context associated with the search query comprises determining that the data object and the search query were created at the same geographic location.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the context-based output comprises a search query, and wherein determining the context associated with the request further comprises:
obtaining query context data associated with the search query;
analyzing the query context data to identify a context associated with the search query; and
manipulating the search query to reflect the identified context.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the context-based output comprises a search query, wherein identifying the context comprises identifying a client device used to generate the search query and determining a capability of the client device with an associated confidence interval, and wherein manipulating the search query comprises adding a term, operator, and metadata to the search query, the term, operator, and metadata indicating the capability of the client device and the associated confidence interval.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the context-based output comprises a search query, wherein identifying the context comprises identifying a geographic location at which the search query was generated, and wherein updating the request comprises adding data indicating the geographic location to the search query.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the context-based output comprises a search query, wherein identifying the context comprises identifying a time at which the search query was generated, and wherein updating the request comprises adding data indicating the time to the search query.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing a context application for execution on the processor and configured to
receive a search query for a search of real-time data, the search query being received from a client device,
determine a context associated with the search query by analyzing query context data obtained from the client device, the context comprising location data, time data, device data, and a confidence interval associated with the location data, the time data, or the device data,
update the search query based upon the context, wherein updating the search query comprises manipulating the search query by incorporating additional information relevant to the search query as indicated by the context to obtain an updated search query, and wherein the updated search query includes at least a portion of the search query,
identify search results based upon the updated search query,
diversify the search results by
identifying terms related to the context associated with the search query,
identifying additional search results related to the terms, and
adding the additional search results to the search results to create diversified search results, and

output the diversified search results.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the real-time data comprises at least one of a social networking wall associated with a user or real-time messages posted by a user.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein determining the context associated with the query further comprises:
obtaining the query context data from the client device;
analyzing the query context data to identify a context associated with the search query; and
manipulating the search query to reflect the identified context.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the context application is further configured to:
identify a data object corresponding to a one of the search results;
obtain context data corresponding to a context associated with the data object;
compare the context associated with the search query with the context associated with the data object; and
rank the search results corresponding to the data object based upon the comparing.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the context application is further configured to:
analyze the query context data to identify a context associated with the search query;
manipulate the search query to reflect the identified context;
identify a data object corresponding to a one of the search results;
obtain context data corresponding to a context associated with the data object;
compare the context associated with the search query with the context associated with the data object; and
filter the search results corresponding to data objects for which the context is not similar to the context associated with the search query.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by a computer, cause

Assignees

• Dumais Susan T
• Pell Barney Darryl
• Kinsel Patrick A
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Dumais Susan T
• Pell Barney Darryl
• Kinsel Patrick A

Classifications

• G06F16/9537 Primary

  Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries · CPC title

• G06F17/3087 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic