Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for contextual query revision are disclosed. A current search query is received during a search session. The current search query includes one or more current search tokens. Potentially inaccurate search tokens are identified from the one or more current search tokens. A possible replacement token is identified based upon the potentially inaccurate search token. A group of related tokens is identified from query logs, and a modified search query is generated if the replacement token is not included in the related tokens.

Abstract: A search method includes the step of creating a list of candidate probe words. For each candidate probe word, the number of item descriptions that contain the candidate probe word is counted. Q probe words are chosen whose word count most equally divides the number of remaining item descriptions into q+1 subgroups. The q probe words are presented for selection. Based on the selection, the list of probe words is pruned to eliminate items that that were not selected. The counting step, choosing step, presenting step and pruning step are repeated until a final list of items remain.

Abstract: A set of ordered predicted completion strings including strings of ideographs are presented to a user as the user enters text in a text entry box (e.g., a browser or a toolbar). The user entered text may include zero or more ideographs followed by one or more phonetic characters, or the entered text may be one or more. The predicted completion strings can be in the form of URLs or query strings. The ordering may be based on any number of factors (e.g., a query's frequency of submission from a community of users). URLs can be ranked based on an importance value of the URL. The sets of ordered predicted completion strings are obtained by matching a fingerprint value of the user's entry string to a fingerprint to table map which contains the set of ordered predicted completion strings. The generation of the ordered prediction strings takes into account multiple phonetic representations of certain strings of ideographs.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for evaluating substitute terms. One of the methods includes selecting a first term and a second term. A first co-occurrence frequency is determined for co-occurring terms in search queries that include the first term. A first vector is generated for the first term using the first co-occurrence frequencies. A second co-occurrence frequency is determined for the co-occurring terms in the search queries that include the first term adjacent to the second term. A second vector is generated for the second term using the second co-occurrence frequencies. A score for the second term as a context for a substitution rule based on the first term is computed, wherein the score is based on a comparison between the first vector and the second vector.

Abstract: There is provided an ecommerce method and system to generate a data dictionary for searching data items stored in a database. In one embodiment, the system comprises a candidate list generator module to generate a list of keywords from search query information and generate a set of token pairs including a keyword from the list of keywords and a token, the token being a synonym of the keyword. Demand information retrieved from query logs maintained for user-provided query entries is used to apply candidate selection rules to token pairs. The system also comprises a validation module and a data dictionary module to receive validated token pairs as entries in a vocabulary.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for domain name system (DNS) pre-caching. A method for DNS pre-caching is provided. The method includes receiving uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames for DNS pre-fetch resolution prior to a user hostname request for any of the URL hostnames. The method also includes making a DNS lookup call for at least one of the URL hostnames that are not cached by a DNS cache prior to the user hostname request. The method further includes discarding at least one IP address provided by a DNS resolver for the URL hostnames, wherein a resolution result for at least one of the URL hostnames is cached in the DNS cache in preparation for the user hostname request. A system for DNS pre-caching is provided. The system includes a renderer, an asynchronous DNS pre-fetcher and a hostname table.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media are provided. An example method includes receiving user input in a control, for example, one associated with a search engine. The user input includes a series of input characters that when completed would form a completed user request. The method further includes, while receiving the user input, evaluating the characters to identify completions for the completed request. The method further includes identifying, by one or more processors, a content item associated with the one or more completions and identifying display data associated with the content item for transmission to the user along with one or more completions in response to receiving the user input.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on one or more computer storage devices, for grouping search query refinements. One of the methods includes while receiving a text input into an input field by a user and before the user has submitted the text input to a search engine obtaining query suggestions based at least in part on the text input. The method includes grouping query suggestions based on a common query term shared by the query suggestions, wherein the query suggestions include terms that refine the common query term. The method includes transmitting a set of query suggestions to a client device for presentation, wherein the set includes the query suggestions that are presented as a group with the common query term presented in a prominent position and the refinement terms presented in subordinate positions and wherein the common query term and the refinement terms are each user-selectable.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for generating a suggestion list. The method includes merging a current set of multiple query candidates (QCs) with two or more historical sets of multiple QCs to obtain two or more corresponding modified sets and merging the two or more modified sets. The current set of multiple QCs is extracted from multiple digital documents (DDs) belonging to a first time period. Each of two or more historical sets of multiple QCs are extracted from multiple DDs corresponding to at least two time periods. Each of the two or more time periods begin prior to the first time period. Each of the two or more time periods is greater that the first time period. Each of the two or more time periods differ in duration and recency.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for dynamically generating indicators of entity locations on an electronic map corresponding, for example, to a suggested search request. In one aspect, a method includes providing an electronic map of a geographic area for display on a user interface, receiving a character string entered into the user interface, the character string representing a partial search query, determining a suggested search request based on the character string, and identifying an entity responsive to the suggested search request and a geographic location for the identified entity. An indicator identifying the geographic location of the entity is provided for display on the electronic map.

Abstract: An apparatus for suggesting changes to processes includes memory and a processor. The memory includes a base process repository for storing data representing one or more base processes, a modified process repository for storing data representing one or more modified processes modifying the one or more base processes, and an effects repository for storing data associated with effects of the one or more modified processes relative to the base processes. The processor is configured to receive data corresponding to a desired base process and desired effects, to compare the desired effects to effects stored in the effects repository, and to provide one or more suggested modified processes from the modified process repository based on a similarity of the suggested modified processes with the desired base process and a similarity of effects associated with the suggested modified processes with the desired effects.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a method of performing a search for content on the Internet, in which a user may speak a search query and speech recognition may be performed on the spoken query to generate a text search query to be provided to a plurality of search engines. This enables a user to speak the search query rather than having to type it, and also allows the user to provide the search query only once, rather than having to provide it separately to multiple different search engines.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which a first search query in a session is compared to a second search query within the session to determine whether any terms included in the second search query differ from terms in the first search query. If differing search terms are identified in the second search query, the differing search terms can be excluded from bigram analysis with other search terms included in the second query.

Abstract: Displaying an information product that includes exceptional search queries to a user can include receiving search queries, measuring the frequencies of search queries received, determining the search queries whose frequencies are rising in the most relevant manner, and then displaying these exceptional queries on a user interface. The user then can select one of the displayed exceptional queries, and then the system can provide search results corresponding with the exceptional queries. The activity of a particular query can be based on the frequency of the search query's reception over a given period of time, whether in relation to an expected frequency level or the rate of change of the frequency level. Additionally, the relevant periods of time over which activity is measured can be relatively short to maximize their relevance at a given instant.

Abstract: A method of incrementally refining queries and updating query result lists without requiring a user to provide an explicit indicator of query submission. In the method, one or more query related character patterns are defined. Entry of query defining characters by a user is monitored to detect entry of a defined query related character pattern. The user is provided with one or more suggested query refinement options and an updated query result list each time a defined query related character pattern is detected. The query related character patterns may be a character pattern that indicates a word has been input by the user.

Abstract: A system and method are provided to process listing data in a network-based commerce system, for example, a network-based auction facility. The method may comprise providing a user with a graphic user interface to enter listing data in the network-based commerce system, the listing data including at least one entered word. A database including a plurality of reference words that relate to listings provided by the network-based commerce system may then be investigated. If at least one entered word is misspelled, the method may include identifying at least one suggested word from the plurality of reference words and communicating the at least one suggested word to the user. In one embodiment, the reference words include words frequently misspelled and the at least one suggested word is the correct spelling of the word. The at least one suggested word may be associated with at least one category associated with a listing.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for voice-enabled searching. Techniques include a co-occurrence based approach to improve accuracy of the 1-best hypothesis for non-phrase voice queries, as well as for phrased voice queries. A co-occurrence model is used in addition to a statistical natural language model and acoustic model to recognize spoken queries, such as spoken queries for searching a search engine. Given an utterance and an associated list of automated speech recognition n-best hypotheses, the system rescores the different hypotheses using co-occurrence information. For each hypothesis, the system estimates a frequency of co-occurrence within web documents. Combined scores from a speech recognizer and a co-occurrence engine can be combined to select a best hypothesis with a lower word error rate.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for invoking an analysis routine running on a parallel computer system to analyze query results. A query generated using a query builder application for execution against a database to produce query results. Embodiments receive a selection of one of a plurality of analysis routines to apply to the query results. A command and the query results are transmitted to a compute node of a parallel computer system using an established network connection. Embodiments invoke the selected analysis routine on the parallel computing system using the translated command and the query results to produce analysis routine results. The analysis routine results are merged with the query results to produce merged results, and the merged results are output for display.

Abstract: In various example embodiments, systems and methods to mine product recommendations from query reformulation is provided. In example embodiments, a search query is mapped to a particular product. Transition data for the particular product is accessed. The transition data includes values reflecting a number of search transitions between the particular product and other products in session sets of previous queries. One or more recommendations based on the transition data is determined and provided to the user.

Abstract: Enhanced computer- and network-based methods, systems, techniques are provided for retrieving more accurate and responsive search results when searching content for a designated entity using an off-the-shelf keyword-based search engine. For example, the embodiments described herein may be used to improve search results by eliminating off-topic results when presenting queries to an existing keyword-based search engine invoked by means of an API from an intermediating application. Example embodiments provide a Keyword-Based Search Enhancement System (“KBSES”), which enables intermediating applications to obtain information more closely related to user queries by enhancing such queries, on behalf of the user, with disambiguating information when deemed necessary.

Abstract: A method includes calculating, by at least one server communicatively coupled to a network, a rating for a domain name. The rating is based in part on reputation data for the domain name. The method includes receiving, by the at least one server, a domain name query from a requester, and forming, by the at least one server, a listing of candidate domain names using the domain name query. An inclusion of the domain name into the listing of candidate domain names or an order placement of the domain name within the listing of candidate domain names is a function of the rating for the domain name. The method includes returning, by the at least one server, the listing of candidate domain names to the requester.

Abstract: Techniques and systems for facilitating searching of digital media assets are disclosed. In one embodiment, a user can be assisted in entering search strings for searching a media repository (e.g., online media store) having a plurality of digital media assets that are available, e.g., available for purchase. When the user enters a search character, a list of possible complete search strings corresponding to digital media assets available in the media repository can be obtained over a network and presented to the user. The list of possible search strings can be filtered based on whether a client device supports a media type associated with a word or based on a location of the client device.

Abstract: Rich media search suggestions may be provided to search facility users. Rich media search suggestions may occupy various sizes of search suggestion presentation “real estate,” and may change size, for example, in response to user interaction. A search facility may partially or fully delegate responsibility for providing search suggestions to third party search suggestion providers. Available search suggestion places may be auctioned to interested third party search suggestion providers. Third party search suggestion providers may be responsible for providing search suggestion presentation specifications (e.g., specified with hypertext markup language) for the delegated search suggestion places. Such search suggestion presentation specifications may be provided at bid time and/or in real-time in response to search input by users.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for extracting information from a user's memory that will be easily recalled during future authentication yet is hard for an attacker to guess. The information might be a little-known fact of personal relevance to the user or the personal details surrounding a public event. The user is guided to appropriate topics and forms an indirect hint that is useful to the user yet not to an attacker. Information extraction techniques verify that the information is not easily attacked and to estimate how many bits of assurance the question and answer provide. The information extracted may be, e.g., Boolean (Yes/No), multiple choice, numeric, textual, or a combination of the foregoing. The enrollment process may schedule the sending of one or more reminder messages to the user containing the question (but not the answer) to reinforce the memory of the user.

Abstract: A system may receive one or more terms of a search query. The system may automatically identify prior search queries that include the one or more terms of the search query from a history of prior search queries. The system may automatically identify possible spelling corrected search queries based on the one or more terms of the search queries. The system may automatically receive remote server-based query completion suggestions including the one or more terms of the search query. The system may present query refinement options, the query refinement box being populated with the prior search queries as suggested queries for possible selection by a user, the identified possible spelling corrected search queries, and the received query completion suggestions.

Abstract: Provided is an information recommendation system capable of recommending an unexpected item which a user is interested in but cannot assume easily. A server gives one or more times of initial recommendations of recommending information by a means of a user profile and a behavior history, and narrows down second recommended items to recommend next by using not only information relating to items having responses but also information relating to items having no response together. In narrowing down, the items are arranged by means of an item arrangement program by using the results of the initial recommendations, and it is identified depending on similarity by means of a boundary calculation program where the boundary between user's interest and no interest is positioned in all the items.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing search suggestions are disclosed. A webpage is analyzed. Terms from the webpage are extracted based on analyzing the webpage. At least one suggestions is generated based on the extracted terms, wherein each of the at least one suggestion is actionable.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for enhancing selecting relevant and diverse advertisements. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an initial query, selecting one or more additional queries relating to the initial query, including selecting a first additional query and a second diverse additional query, identifying one or more content items for each of the additional queries, the one or more content items forming a content block, and providing a content block and associated additional query to be displayed at a client device along with search results associated with the initial query.

Abstract: Methods and systems for efficient query rewriting and the like are described here. One such described method comprises: offline mapping frequently-seen search queries to rewritten queries that may be better for searching; offline caching the mapping in a cache memory; and upon receiving a search query from a user similar to one of the mapped search queries, obtaining a corresponding rewritten query from the mapping in the cache memory based on predetermined conditions, and issuing a search of the rewritten query to the backend data system in order to avoid having to issue a search query to the backend data system twice while the user is online.

Abstract: An information retrieval system uses phrases to index, retrieve, organize and describe documents, analyzing documents and storing the results of the analysis as phrase data. Phrases are identified that predict the presence of other phrases in documents. Documents are the indexed according to their included phrases. Related phrases and phrase extensions are also identified. Changes to existing phrase data about a document collection submitted by a user is captured and analyzed, and the existing phrase data is updated to reflect the additional knowledge gained through the analysis.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for clustering and presenting search suggestions. A segment of text is obtained via a search query section of a user interface, the segment of text being a portion of a search query. A set of suggestions is obtained, each suggestion in the set of suggestions being a suggested search query relating to the segment of text. Two or more groups of suggestions are generated, each of the two or more groups of suggestions including a different subset of the set of suggestions. The two or more groups of suggestions are provided such that each of the two or more groups of suggestions is displayed in a separate partition of a search assistance segment of the user interface.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for processing electronically stored information (ESI) for electronic discovery are described. In some examples, an electronic analysis of documents in the ESI indicated as being responsive to a search query of the ESI is performed. Results of the electronic analysis are stored in a database to provide a repository of case knowledge. Search parameters for at least one additional search query are generated automatically based on the case knowledge. The search parameters are provided as output.

Abstract: A search and find user interface is provided that is integrated with a data indexing engine to allow efficient and high-speed data search and retrieval across data storage folders associated with a given software module or associated with a number of disparate software modules. An expanded form of the search and find user interface is provided for advanced searching. Where searching is required beyond a present search scope, an automatic “upscoping” mechanism is provided for expanding a search to data storage folders outside a current data storage folder on which an initial search is executed.

Abstract: A system for guiding a search for information is presented. The system comprises a user interface that accepts a phrase and receives at least one suggestion based at least in part on the phrase. The system also includes a phrase suggestion engine that matches the phrase with the at least one suggestion. Methods of using the system are also provided.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method and apparatus are provided to receive a syntax correct query, analyze the syntax correct query, and output a message associated with the syntax correct query.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining and utilizing selection data are described. In one aspect, a system and method for determining an article containing at least one item associated with selection data, determining a path associated with the article containing the at least one item, and identifying at least one term associated with one or more of the at least one item based at least in part on the path is described. In another aspect, a system and method for determining a geographical location associated with an article based at least in part on selection data associated with the article, determining geographical locations associated with at least some items within a plurality of items based at least in part on selection data associated with the at least some items, and selecting at least one of the plurality of items to be presented on the article based at least in part on the geographical location associated with the article and the geographical location associated with the item is described.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing query suggestions. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a search string from a user device. A measure of query completeness is determined for the search string. The measure of query completeness is compared to a threshold measure of query completeness. One or more specific query suggestions are provided to the user device, selected from a plurality of specific query suggestions for the search string, when the measure of query completeness exceeds the threshold measure of query completeness; or one or more general query suggestions are provided to the user device, selected from a plurality of general query suggestions for the search string, when the measure of query completeness does not exceed the threshold measure of query completeness.

Abstract: A network-accessible toolbox permits collaborative annotation, facilitating interaction and communication among users. In an implementation, content on a Web page, or other page or document accessible through a network or the Internet, can be annotated. A user can view the page and with the toolbox, select content on the page and make an annotation or suggestion. Multiple users can view and make annotations to the same page at the same time. After annotations are made, users can view the page with annotations made by other users. The author or owner of the page can accept or reject the annotations or suggestions made to the page. If the owner accepts a particular suggestion, the selected content is replaced with the suggestion.

Abstract: The disclosed technology can enable files to be stored with a networked environment. The files can be associated with information (e.g., properties) such as a file name, a file type, a date/time at which a respective file was last accessed, a number of times a respective file was accessed, data representing the contents of a respective file, and other information. Based at least in part on analyzing the information, the disclosed technology can select or identify a file and/or a file property (e.g., a file type) that the disclosed technology predicts to be most relevant to the user. The disclosed technology can then recommend applications based at least in part on the selected or identified file and/or file property (e.g., file type).

Abstract: An embodiment includes a computer-implemented method. For one embodiment, the computer-implemented method includes displaying a plurality of first groups of words in a browser for display to a user, constructing a new combination of search terms using more than one user-selected word groups, wherein the user-selected word groups are selected by the user from the plurality of first groups of words displayed to the user; invoking a search service with the new combination of search terms, displaying results of the search service using the new combination of search terms in the browser, and storing the results in memory coupled to a processor.

Abstract: A system and method may assist in accurately inserting user data into a form document. An attribute may be received from a user, where the attribute is associated with an attribute name. A document may be presented including a form field element having an identifier. User information may be received into the form field element. It may be determined whether the user information matches the attribute. If so, the identifier associated with the form field element is mapped to the attribute name and the mapping is stored. Upon subsequent display of the form document, user data associated with the mapped attributed name may be inserted into the form field element based on the mapping.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for dynamically suggesting answers to questions submitted to a portal of an online service. These mechanisms and methods for dynamically suggesting answers to questions submitted to a portal of an online service can enable embodiments to provide help document suggestions with limited user input. The ability of embodiments to provide help document search term suggestions with limited user input can enable users to quickly and efficiently find useful help documents.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a unique and novel archiving system that includes two or more network storage systems, each network storage system including removable hard disk drives embedded in removable disk cartridges, referred to simply as removable disk drives. The removable disk drives allow for expandability and replacement such that the archiving system need not be duplicated to add new or more storage capacity. In embodiments, the archiving system accesses, writes, reads, or performs functions on data from one network storage system to another remote network storage system.

Abstract: Described is a system, method, and product for building a roster. A user interface is rendered. A list of entities is presented. A selection of a first entity and a second entity are received via the user interface. A first list of elements associated with the first entity and a second list of elements associated with the second entity are presented. A selection of an element from the first list of elements is received via the user interface. The second list is updated to include only elements associated with the selected element. A roster is generated, wherein the roster includes summary data, the summary data corresponding to the elements in the updated second list. The summary data is displayed in the user interface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for an automated keyword refinement tool for generating an output set of keywords. The keyword refinement tool may utilize or incorporate results from keyword suggestion tools and keyword ranking tools in order to determine a set of keywords that produce better search engine results that if the keyword suggestion tools or keyword ranking tools were utilized individually. The keyword refinement tool may use a variety of methods for determining input to keyword suggestions tools and keyword ranking tools and a variety of methods for combining the results from the keyword suggestion tools and keyword ranking tools.

Abstract: Methods and systems for submitting media object queries and receiving suggested answers for the media object queries. In one aspect, a method includes receiving from a first user a first media object and a first query relating to content in the first media object, presenting the first media object and the first query to multiple second users, receiving a suggested answer to the first query from each of two or more second users of the multiple second users, where at least two of the suggested answers are distinct, ranking the suggested answers, and presenting one or more of the ranked suggested answers to the first user.

Abstract: A web feed portal can enable users to discover new web feeds and manage existing subscriptions of feeds. Recommended feeds can be generated for a user that reflect the user's interests or that are popular within a user community. Users can subscribe to feeds by selecting recommended web feeds or by contributing web feeds to the web feed portal. The user's web feed subscriptions can also be ranked to display the feeds in order of update time and/or time viewed by the user.

Abstract: A search term suggestion engine of a computing device receives characters of user data as the characters are input. The user data is at least part of a search term to be provided to one of multiple applications to search for the search term. An indication of multiple suggestion sources is received from the one application, and one or more suggested search terms are obtained, from the multiple suggestion sources, based on the received characters. One or more suggested search terms can also be obtained from the multiple suggestion sources based on one or more linguistic alternatives for the received characters. The one or more suggested search terms are combined into a combined set of suggested search terms, and the combined set of suggested search terms is returned to a search user interface for presentation to the user.

Abstract: In one general sense, information may be presented to a user by receiving one or more ambiguous characters that may be resolved to one of at least two disambiguated characters, exchanging at least one of the ambiguous characters with a host, receiving, from the host, results that reflect disambiguated terms related to the ambiguous characters exchanged with the host, rendering the results in a manner enabling the user to perceive which of the disambiguated terms will be used upon user selection of an aspect of the results, and enabling the user to select an aspect of the results to effect use of a corresponding one of the disambiguated terms.

Abstract: Recommending a media item may include, for example, a statistical model of media consumption is applied to media session consumption data from a community of users to infer parameters of the model. The model comprises a first probability distribution for each user defining a likelihood of the user having a latent characteristic for a session, and a second probability distribution for each latent characteristic defining a likelihood of a user selecting a media item given the latent characteristic. In another example, the inferred parameters are provided to a recommendation engine arranged to recommend media items. The recommendation engine uses the model with inferred parameters and data describing media items newly consumed by a user to infer a current latent characteristic for a current session of the user, and uses them to generate recommended media items for the user in the current session based on the current latent characteristic.