Patents by Inventor Howard Wan
Howard Wan 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).
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Patent number: 11100169Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving a search query and suggesting one or more alternative queries based on the received search query when processing an electronic search are disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a server, an electronic search query from a user device of a user; obtaining one or more search results responsive to the electronic search query; obtaining a suggested electronic search query based on the electronic search query as received; the suggested electronic search query determined based on information representative of an importance of the electronic search query; generating an electronic response including the one or more search results and the suggested electronic search query for display on a display of the user device; and providing the electronic response including the one or more search results and the suggested electronic search query as a hyperlink to the user device for display on the display of the user device.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2018Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: TARGET BRANDS, INC.Inventors: Zhiping Zheng, Howard Wan
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Patent number: 10795938Abstract: A computer-implemented method for correcting a spelling of a search term includes extracting search information from a clickstream database that includes search keywords received by a search engine. A server builds a database of acceptable terms that includes search keywords from the clickstream database that match a product in a product database. The server builds a database of correctable terms that include search keywords from the clickstream database that do not match a product in the product database. A plurality of spell correction candidates are identified based on the search keywords in the database of correctable terms. A confidence value for each of the plurality of spell correction candidates is determined. The spell correction candidate having a relatively highest confidence value among the confidence values for the plurality of spell correction candidates is stored in the database of correctable terms.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.Inventors: Howard Wan, Joe Gilbert, Alexander R. Arnold, Steffie Rodrigues, Priyabrata Kuanr
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Patent number: 10762145Abstract: A computer-implemented method for processing a query is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a server, a query from a user device over a network, the query including one or more keywords; classifying, by the server, the query into one or more categories based on the one or more keywords of the query; determining, by the server, a confidence indicator associated with each of the one or more categories from the classifying; and modifying the query to boost the one or more categories when the confidence indicator associated with the one or more categories for one or more of the keywords of the query is greater than or equal to a confidence level threshold.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2016Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.Inventor: Howard Wan
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Patent number: 10643142Abstract: A system and computer-implemented method for predicting a search term of a search are disclosed. The method includes building, by a server, a search prediction dictionary database, the search prediction dictionary database including a plurality of search terms and a plurality of prediction scores corresponding to the plurality of search terms; receiving, by the server, one or more characters from a user device over a network, the one or more characters corresponding to the search; identifying, by the server, one or more predicted search terms based on the one or more characters, the identifying including determining one or more of the plurality of search terms including the one or more characters; and providing, by the server, a search term prediction list including the one or more predicted search terms to the user device for display on a display device of the user device.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2016Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: TARGET BRANDS INC.Inventors: Howard Wan, Priyabrata Kuanr, Nikhil Bansal
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Publication number: 20190108235Abstract: Systems and methods for receiving a search query and suggesting one or more alternative queries based on the received search query when processing an electronic search are disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a server, an electronic search query from a user device of a user; obtaining one or more search results responsive to the electronic search query; obtaining a suggested electronic search query based on the electronic search query as received; the suggested electronic search query determined based on information representative of an importance of the electronic search query; generating an electronic response including the one or more search results and the suggested electronic search query for display on a display of the user device; and providing the electronic response including the one or more search results and the suggested electronic search query as a hyperlink to the user device for display on the display of the user device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2018Publication date: April 11, 2019Inventors: Zhiping ZHENG, Howard WAN
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Publication number: 20180260406Abstract: A computer-implemented method for correcting a spelling of a search term includes extracting search information from a clickstream database that includes search keywords received by a search engine. A server builds a database of acceptable terms that includes search keywords from the clickstream database that match a product in a product database. The server builds a database of correctable terms that include search keywords from the clickstream database that do not match a product in the product database. A plurality of spell correction candidates are identified based on the search keywords in the database of correctable terms. A confidence value for each of the plurality of spell correction candidates is determined. The spell correction candidate having a relatively highest confidence value among the confidence values for the plurality of spell correction candidates is stored in the database of correctable terms.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2018Publication date: September 13, 2018Inventors: Howard WAN, Joe GILBERT, Alexander R. ARNOLD, Steffie RODRIGUES, Priyabrata KUANR
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Publication number: 20180039699Abstract: A system and computer-implemented method for predicting a search term of a search are disclosed. The method includes building, by a server, a search prediction dictionary database, the search prediction dictionary database including a plurality of search terms and a plurality of prediction scores corresponding to the plurality of search terms; receiving, by the server, one or more characters from a user device over a network, the one or more characters corresponding to the search; identifying, by the server, one or more predicted search terms based on the one or more characters, the identifying including determining one or more of the plurality of search terms including the one or more characters; and providing, by the server, a search term prediction list including the one or more predicted search terms to the user device for display on a display device of the user device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2016Publication date: February 8, 2018Inventors: Howard WAN, Priyabrata KUANR, Nikhil BANSAL
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Publication number: 20170193115Abstract: A computer-implemented method for processing a query is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a server, a query from a user device over a network, the query including one or more keywords; classifying, by the server, the query into one or more categories based on the one or more keywords of the query; determining, by the server, a confidence indicator associated with each of the one or more categories from the classifying; and modifying the query to boost the one or more categories when the confidence indicator associated with the one or more categories for one or more of the keywords of the query is greater than or equal to a confidence level threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2016Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventor: Howard Wan