Patents by Inventor Dwayne Bowman

Dwayne Bowman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140222803
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: A9.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Greg Linden, Ruben E. Ortega, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Patent number: 8694385
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: A9.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Greg Linden, Ruben E. Ortega, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Patent number: 7974885
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: A9.Com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Greg Linden, Ruben E. Ortega, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Patent number: 7921119
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: A9.Com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Patent number: 7761446
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: A9.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Patent number: 7620572
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: A9.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Greg Linden, Ruben E. Ortega, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Publication number: 20080177728
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Patent number: 7305390
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: A9.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Publication number: 20070083507
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Joel Spiegel
  • Patent number: 7124129
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: A9.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Publication number: 20060117003
    Abstract: A search engine process predicts the correct spellings of search terms within multiple-term search queries. In one embodiment, when a user submits a multiple-term search query that includes a non-matching term and at least one matching term, a table is accessed to look up a set of terms that are “related” to the matching term or terms. A spelling comparison function is then used to determine whether any of these related terms is sufficiently similar in spelling to the non-matching term to be deemed a candidate correctly-spelled replacement. A candidate replacement term may automatically be substituted for the non-matching term, or may be suggested to the user as a replacement. The invention also includes a process for identifying terms that are related to each other based on the relatively high frequencies with which they co-occur in search queries of users, database records, and/or specific database fields.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2006
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Ruben Ortega, Dwayne Bowman
  • Patent number: 7050992
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the item identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Greg Linden, Ruben E. Ortega, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Publication number: 20060053065
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Greg Linden, Ruben Ortega, Joel Spiegel
  • Publication number: 20050289140
    Abstract: A search engine system displays the results of a multiple-category search according to levels of relevance of the categories to a user's search query. A query server receives a search query from a user and identifies, within each of multiple item categories, a set of items that satisfy the query. The sets of items are used to generate, for each of the multiple categories, a score that reflects a level significance or relevance of the category to the search. The scores may be based, for example, on the number of hits within each category relative to the total number of items in that category, the popularity levels of items that satisfy the query, a personal profile of the user, or a combination thereof. The categories are then presented to the user, together with the most relevant items within each category, in the order of highest to lowest category relevance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: James Ford, Christopher Scofield, Dwayne Bowman, Ruben Ortega
  • Publication number: 20050177569
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Publication date: August 11, 2005
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Joel Spiegel
  • Publication number: 20050071332
    Abstract: A search engine process predicts the correct spellings of search terms within multiple-term search queries. In one embodiment, when a user submits a multiple-term search query that includes a non-matching term and at least one matching term, a table is accessed to look up a set of terms that are “related” to the matching term or terms. A spelling comparison function is then used to determine whether any of these related terms is sufficiently similar in spelling to the non-matching term to be deemed a candidate correctly-spelled replacement. A candidate replacement term may automatically be substituted for the non-matching term, or may be suggested to the user as a replacement. The invention also includes a process for identifying terms that are related to each other based on the relatively high frequencies with which they co-occur within search queries of users, database records, and/or specific database fields.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Ruben Ortega, Dwayne Bowman
  • Publication number: 20020049752
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Joel R. Spiegel
  • Patent number: 6185558
    Abstract: The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne Bowman, Ruben E. Ortega, Greg Linden, Joel R. Spiegel