Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a processing system, a search query and a device type identifier from a user device and identifying, by the processing system, a consideration set of application records based on the search query and the device type identifier. Each application record of the consideration set corresponds to a respective software application and has an initial score associated therewith indicating a degree to which the application record matches the search query. The method also includes determining, by the processing system, a result score of the application record based on the initial score and features corresponding to the application record for each application record. The method further includes generating, by the processing system, device-specific search results based on the consideration set of application records and the result scores thereof and transmitting, by the processing system, the device-specific search results to the user device.

Abstract: A server computing system including a storage device and a processing device. The storage device storing application records including application attributes and location data indicating a geographic area associated with an application. The processing device configured to receive a search query comprising a search term, identify application records stored by comparing the search term with the application attributes, and determine a search location. The processing device also configured to: for each of the identified application records, compute a distance scoring feature based on a distance between the search location and the geographic area indicated in the application record and determine a relevance score for the application record based on the distance scoring feature; select download addresses from the application records based on the relevance scores; and transmit the download addresses to the client computing device.

Abstract: An application search system stores information describing device capabilities used by one or more applications. The device capabilities describe interfaces with hardware on the user device. The application search system identifies the application capabilities related to applications in any search results. One method that the application search system identifies application capabilities includes identifying function calls to device interfaces used by an application. The application search system may receive user-selected identification of a desired application capability from a search, from a user-selected entry or from a search term, among others. The application capability in a search may be used to score relevance of applications and increase relevance of applications matching the desired application capability.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a search query and a device type identifier from a user device at a processing system. The method also includes identifying a consideration set of application records based on the search query. Each application record in the consideration set has an initial score associated therewith indicating a degree to which the application record matches the search query. For each application record, the method includes determining a device-specific rating of the software application identified in the application record based on the device type identifier by the processing system, and determining a result score of the application record based on the device-specific rating and the initial score. The method further includes generating device-specific search results based on the consideration set of application records and the result scores thereof by the processing system and transmitting the device-specific search results from the processing system to the user device.

Abstract: According to some implementations of the present disclosure, a method that is executed by a processing system is described. The method includes receiving an ad request, determining a context category structure based on the ad request, and identifying one or more app-specific rules based on the category defined in the context category. The method further includes, for each app-specific rule: determining whether the identified entities in the context category structure are received by the template defined in the app-specific rule; generating a function identifier based on the set of identified entities and the template when the identified entities are received by the template defined in the app-specific rule; and determining a score for each of the generated function identifiers. The method includes selecting one or more of the generated function IDs based on the respective scores of the function IDs and generating an advertisement object corresponding to the function ID.

Abstract: A search system stores records, each identifying search functionality of a respective application. Each record includes a path to reach a corresponding search input state and includes an indication of required input parameters. A code generation module provides a first software object to a first developer for incorporation into a first state of a first application. The first software object includes instructions for, upon the first state being accessed by a user, transmitting a query to a search system with an entity corresponding to the first state and an action to be performed. The instructions receive an advertisement object from the search system in response to the query. The instructions selectively display a first user interface element in the first state based on the advertisement object. The instructions open, in response to selection by the user of the first user interface element, a designated application to a designated state.

Abstract: A search system stores records, each identifying search functionality of a respective application. Each record includes a path to reach a corresponding search input state and includes an indication of required input parameters. A code generation module provides a first software object to a first developer for incorporation into a first state of a first application. The first software object includes instructions for, upon the first state being accessed by a user, transmitting a query to a search system with an entity corresponding to the first state and an action to be performed. The instructions receive an advertisement object from the search system in response to the query. The instructions selectively display a first user interface element in the first state based on the advertisement object. The instructions open, in response to selection by the user of the first user interface element, a designated application to a designated state.

Abstract: According to some implementations of the present disclosure, a method that is executed by a processing system is described. The method includes receiving an ad request, determining a context category structure based on the ad request, and identifying one or more app-specific rules based on the category defined in the context category. The method further includes, for each app-specific rule: determining whether the identified entities in the context category structure are received by the template defined in the app-specific rule; generating a function identifier based on the set of identified entities and the template when the identified entities are received by the template defined in the app-specific rule; and determining a score for each of the generated function identifiers. The method includes selecting one or more of the generated function IDs based on the respective scores of the function IDs and generating an advertisement object corresponding to the function ID.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a search query and one or more context parameters from a user device. The search query indicates a search string. The method includes determining a search area based on at least one of the search string or the one or more context parameters, and obtaining a set of point of interest records based on the search area. The method includes clustering the point of interest records into clusters based at least on locations of the respective points of interest and generating one or more location-based refinements based on the clusters of the of point of interest records. Each location-based refinement is based on one of the clusters of the point of interest records and includes a display portion and a refined search query that is constrained by the refined search area. The method includes transmitting the one or more location-based refinements to the user device.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a processing system, a search query and a device type identifier from a user device and identifying, by the processing system, a consideration set of application records based on the search query and the device type identifier. Each application record of the consideration set corresponds to a respective software application and has an initial score associated therewith indicating a degree to which the application record matches the search query. The method also includes determining, by the processing system, a result score of the application record based on the initial score and features corresponding to the application record for each application record. The method further includes generating, by the processing system, device-specific search results based on the consideration set of application records and the result scores thereof and transmitting, by the processing system, the device-specific search results to the user device.

Abstract: A method includes transmitting, by a processing system included in a user device, a query wrapper including a search query and a multi-state request to a remote device. The method further includes receiving search results from the remote device, wherein the search results include a multi-state result. The multi-state result includes multi-state instructions and access mechanisms that may be used to launch a primary application state and one or more secondary application states. The method further includes displaying the multi-state result as a user-selectable link in a search engine results page, whereby the user-selectable link indicates the primary application state. Additionally, the method includes launching the primary application state and the one or more secondary application states indicated by the multi-state result according to the multi-state instructions and access mechanisms.

Abstract: A method includes transmitting a search query to a search engine and receiving search results that include a first result object corresponding to a first displayed search result and a second result object corresponding to a second displayed search result. The first displayed search result corresponds to a first software application and includes one or more first input elements. The second displayed search result corresponds to a second software application and includes one or more second input elements. The method includes receiving user input in at least one of the one or more the first input elements and replicating the user input in at least one of the one or more second input elements. The method also includes receiving a selection of the second displayed search result, determining an access mechanism to access a state of the second software application, and launching an edition of the software application.

Abstract: A server computing system including a storage device and a processing device. The storage device storing application records including application attributes and location data indicating a geographic area associated with an application. The processing device configured to receive a search query comprising a search term, identify application records stored by comparing the search term with the application attributes, and determine a search location. The processing device also configured to: for each of the identified application records, compute a distance scoring feature based on a distance between the search location and the geographic area indicated in the application record and determine a relevance score for the application record based on the distance scoring feature; select download addresses from the application records based on the relevance scores; and transmit the download addresses to the client computing device.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a search query and a device type identifier from a user device at a processing system. The method also includes identifying a consideration set of application records based on the search query. Each application record in the consideration set has an initial score associated therewith indicating a degree to which the application record matches the search query. For each application record, the method includes determining a device-specific rating of the software application identified in the application record based on the device type identifier by the processing system, and determining a result score of the application record based on the device-specific rating and the initial score. The method further includes generating device-specific search results based on the consideration set of application records and the result scores thereof by the processing system and transmitting the device-specific search results from the processing system to the user device.

Abstract: A system and method for receiving, by one or more processing devices, a search query containing one or more query terms from a remote computing device; determining, by the one or more processing devices, a query categorization of the search query based on one or more relevant query terms of the one or more query terms, the query categorization being indicative of one or more application categories to which the search query likely pertains; generating, by the one or more processing devices, an advertisement based on the query categorization; encoding, by the one or more processing devices, the advertisement in search results; and providing, by the one or more processing devices, the search results to the remote computing device.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a search query from a user device, identifying a plurality of function records included in a data store based on the received search query, and determining a search location. Each function record includes an access mechanism specifying a state of an application, state information corresponding to the state of the application, and location data including a coordinate and a perimeter. The coordinate defines the location of a place corresponding to the state information and the perimeter defines a geographic area surrounding the coordinate. The method also includes determining whether the search location is located within the geographic area defined by the location data of the function record for each of the plurality of function records, selecting access mechanisms from function records that include location data defining a geographic area that includes the search location, and transmitting the selected access mechanisms to the user device.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a search query froth a user device and identifying a plurality of function records included in a data store based on the received search query. Each of the function records includes an access mechanism specifying a state of an application, state information describing the state of the application, and location data including a coordinate and a perimeter. The coordinate defines the location of a place corresponding to the state information and the perimeter defines a geographic area surrounding the coordinate. The method also includes determining a search location and a score for the function record based on where the determined search location is located relative to the geographic area defined by the location data for each of the identified function records. The method also includes selecting access mechanisms from the function records based on the scores and transmitting the selected access mechanisms to the user device.

Abstract: An application search system stores information describing device capabilities used by one or more applications. The device capabilities describe interfaces with hardware on the user device. The application search system identifies the application capabilities related to applications in any search results. One method that the application search system identifies application capabilities includes identifying function calls to device interfaces used by an application. The application search system may receive user-selected identification of a desired application capability from a search, from a user-selected entry or from a search term, among others. The application capability in a search may be used to score relevance of applications and increase relevance of applications matching the desired application capability.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a search query from a computing device, performing a search for software applications using the search query, and generating a list of N software applications identified during the search. The method further includes identifying an advertisement record in an advertisement data store. The advertisement data store includes one or more advertisement records. Each advertisement record lists a sponsored application associated with the advertisement record and includes advertisement content for the sponsored application. Identifying the advertisement record includes determining that the sponsored application of the identified advertisement record is similar to at least one of the N software applications identified during the search.