Method and system for processing queries initiated by users of mobile devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9451428-B2
Application number	US-201414338451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2004
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for processing queries initiated by users of mobile devices includes receiving an incoming message containing a query initiated by a user of a mobile device, and extracting the query from the received message. The message further includes obtaining a result of the query and creating an outgoing message with the result of the query for delivery to the mobile device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a query message that is formatted as a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message, a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message, or an e-mail message;
identifying textual characters in the query message that correspond to user-provided parameters;
extracting the identified textual characters as one or more terms from text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message;
generating a search query that includes the one or more terms from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message;
transmitting the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, to a search engine that (i) indexes content of one or more web resources, and (ii) outputs, as search results, data identifying web resources whose indexed content is associated with query terms of search queries; and
receiving, from the search engine, search results for the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
generating a results message based on the search results for the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, wherein the results message is also formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message; and
transmitting the results message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, in reply to receiving the query message.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating a results message based on the search results for the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, wherein the results message is also formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, comprises:
identifying a format of the query message;
selecting a format for the results message that is the same as the format of the query message; and
generating the results message in the format selected for the results message.

4. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
determining that a size of a results message based on the search results for the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, would exceed a maximum allowed size, wherein the results message is also formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message; and
in response to determining that a size of a results message based on the search results for the generated search query would exceed a maximum allowed size, splitting the results messages into multiple results messages that are each formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
identifying a format of the query message;
selecting a format for the results message that is the same as the format of the query message; and
determining the maximum allowed size for the format for the results message.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein splitting the results messages into multiple results messages that are each formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message comprises:
providing an indicator in each of the multiple results messages that indicates a sequence for the multiple results messages.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the query message is formatted as a SMS message.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the query message is formatted as an e-mail message.

9. A system comprising:
one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
receiving a query message that is formatted as a Short Messaging Service (SMS) message, a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message, or an e-mail message;
identifying textual characters in the query message that correspond to user-provided parameters;
extracting the identified textual characters as one or more terms from text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message;
generating a search query that includes the one or more terms from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message;
transmitting the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, to a search engine that (i) indexes content of one or more web resources, and (ii) outputs, as search results, data identifying web resources whose indexed content is associated with query terms of search queries; and
receiving, from the search engine, search results for the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message.

10. The system of claim 9 , the operations comprising:
generating a results message based on the search results for the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, wherein the results message is also formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message; and
transmitting the results message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, in reply to receiving the query message.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein generating a results message based on the search results for the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, wherein the results message is also formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, comprises:
identifying a format of the query message;
selecting a format for the results message that is the same as the format of the query message; and
generating the results message in the format selected for the results message.

12. The system of claim 9 , the operations comprising:
determining that a size of a results message based on the search results for the generated search query that includes the one or more query terms that were obtained from the text of the query message that is formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message, would exceed a maximum allowed size, wherein the results message is also formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message; and
in response to determining that a size of a results message based on the search results for the generated search query would exceed a maximum allowed size, splitting the results messages into multiple results messages that are each formatted as an SMS message, an MMS message, or an e-mail message.

13. The system of claim 12 , the operations comprising:
identifying a format of the query message;
selecting a format for the results message that

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Ling Benjamin
• Wu Jie J
• Deng Jian Gong
• Feng Hanping

Classifications

• G06F16/90335

  Query processing · CPC title

• H04W48/16

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title

• G06F16/9038

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• H04L51/066

  Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression · CPC title

• H04W4/14 Primary

  Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] · CPC title