Group Customized Search

Abstract

A computer-implemented method associates a plurality of groups with a user. Each group may have at least one profile. The method also includes receiving a search query from the user and identifying information items associated with the search query. The method computes adjusted scores for the information items based on the groups' profiles, and ranks the information items accordingly before providing the ranked information items to the user. Alternately, a computer-implemented method associates a group having a plurality of profiles with a user. The method also includes receiving a search query from the user and identifying information items associated with the search query. The method computes adjusted scores for the information items based on the group's profiles, and ranks the information items accordingly before providing the ranked information items to the user.

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising: 
 associating a plurality of groups with a user;    accessing at least one profile for each of the plurality of groups associated with the user;    receiving a search query from the user;    identifying a plurality of information items associated with the search query;    computing an adjusted score based on the profiles of the groups;    ranking the information items in accordance with the adjusted score; and    providing the ranked information items to the user.    
   
   
       2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 identifying a website associated with the user;    determining a website profile of the website;    determining a determined group in accordance with the website profile;    associating the determined group with the user.    
   
   
       3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 assigning profile confidence values to at least one respective profile of at least one respective group of the groups; and    computing the adjusted score in accordance with the profile confidence value.    
   
   
       4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein assigning the profile confidence value further comprises assigning the profile confidence value in accordance with a query type of the search query.  
   
   
       5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 assigning group confidence values to respective groups of the plurality of the groups; and    computing the adjusted score in accordance with the assigned group confidence values.    
   
   
       6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein assigning the group confidence value further comprises: 
 evaluating a coherence of a respective group of the plurality of groups;    evaluating a type of the respective group; and    assigning the group confidence value in accordance with the coherence and the type of the respective group.    
   
   
       7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein evaluating the type of the respective group further comprises: 
 if the respective group associated with the user is an internet address type group, determining a traffic volume of an internet address or internet address range associated with the user; and    assigning the group confidence value in accordance with the traffic volume.    
   
   
       8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the plurality of groups with the user further comprises: 
 identifying an internet address of the user;    determining if the internet address is associated with an internet address group; and    associating the internet address group with the user in accordance with the internet address of the user.    
   
   
       9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein determining if the internet address is associated with the internet address group further comprises: 
 evaluating a coherence of the internet address group;    evaluating a number of other users associated with the internet address group; and    if the coherence is greater than a predetermined coherence and the number is greater than a predetermined value determining that the internet address is associated with the internet address group.    
   
   
       10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the plurality of groups with the user further comprises: 
 identifying a location of the user;    determining if the location is associated with a location group; and    associating the location group with the user in accordance with the location of the user.    
   
   
       11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the plurality of groups with the user further comprises: 
 identifying a history of the user;    determining if the history is associated with a respective group; and    associating the respective group with the user in accordance with the history of the user.    
   
   
       12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein identifying the history of the user further comprises identifying at least one of a website visited by the user, a query submitted by the user, and user interaction by the user with search results associated with the query.  
   
   
       13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the plurality of groups with the user further comprises identifying a respective group corresponding to a user profile of the user.  
   
   
       14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein associating the plurality of groups with the user further comprises: 
 identifying a domain name associated with the user;    determining if domain name is associated with a domain name group; and    associating the domain name group with the user in accordance with the domain name associated with the user.    
   
   
       15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein computing an adjusted score based on the profiles of the groups further comprises: 
 assigning a profile confidence value to each profile of the groups;    assigning a group confidence value to each of the plurality of the groups;    calculating the adjusted score based on the profile confidence value of each profile of the groups and the group confidence value of each of the plurality of the groups.    
   
   
       16 . A computer system for managing time and place information, comprising: 
 memory;    one or more processors;    one or more programs stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including: 
 instructions for associating a plurality of groups with a user;  
 instructions for accessing at least one profile for each of the plurality of groups associated with the user;  
 instructions for receiving a search query from the user;  
 instructions for identifying a plurality of information items associated with the search query;  
 instructions for computing an adjusted score based on the profiles of the groups;  
 instructions for ranking the information items in accordance with the adjusted score; and  
 instructions for providing the ranked information items to the user.  
   
   
   
       17 . A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: 
 instructions for associating a plurality of groups with a user;    instructions for accessing at least one profile for each of the plurality of groups associated with the user;    instructions for receiving a search query from the user;    instructions for identifying a plurality of information items associated with the search query;    instructions for computing an adjusted score based on the profiles of the groups;    instructions for ranking the information items in accordance with the adjusted score; and    instructions for providing the ranked information items to the user.    
   
   
       18 . A computer-implemented method, comprising: 
 associating a first group having a plurality of profiles with a user;    receiving a search query from the user;    identifying a plurality of information items associated with the search query;    computing an adjusted score based, at least in part, on the profiles of the first group;    ranking the information items in accordance with the adjusted score; and    providing the ranked information items to the user.    
   
   
       19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 identifying a website associated with the user;    determining a website profile of the website;    determining a group in accordance with the website profile;    associating the group with the user.    
   
   
       20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 assigning profile confidence values to at least one respective profile of the plurality of profiles; and    computing the adjusted score in accordance with the profile confidence values.    
   
   
       21 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein assigning the profile confidence values further comprises assigning the profile confidence values in accordance with a query type of the search query.  
   
   
       22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 assigning a respective group confidence value to a respective group and computing the adjusted score in accordance with the respective group confidence value.    
   
   
       23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , wherein assigning the group confidence value further comprises: 
 evaluating a coherence of the respective group;    evaluating a type of the respective group; and    assigning the group confidence value in accordance with the coherence and the type of the respective group.    
   
   
       24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , wherein evaluating the type of a respective group further comprises: 
 if the respective group associated with the user is an internet address type group, determining a traffic volume of an internet address or internet address range associated with the user; and    assigning the group confidence value in accordance with the traffic volume.    
   
   
       25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 identifying an internet address of the user;    determining if the internet address is associated with an internet address group; and    associating the internet address group with the user in accordance with the internet address of the user.    
   
   
       26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 25 , wherein determining if the internet address is associated with the internet address group further comprises: 
 evaluating a coherence of the internet address group;    evaluating a number of other users associated with the internet address group; and    if the coherence is greater than a predetermined coherence and the number is greater than a predetermined value determining that the internet address is associated with the internet address group.    
   
   
       27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 identifying a location of the user;    determining if the location is associated with a location group; and    associating the location group with the user in accordance with the location of the user.    
   
   
       28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 identifying a history of the user;    determining if the history is associated with a respective group; and    associating the respective group with the user in accordance with the history of the user.    
   
   
       29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , wherein identifying the history of the user further comprises identifying at least one of a website visited by the user, a search query submitted by the user, and user interaction by the user with search results associated with the search query.  
   
   
       30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprises identifying a group corresponding to a user profile of the user.  
   
   
       31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 identifying a domain name associated with the user;    determining if domain name is associated with a domain name group; and    associating the domain name group with the user in accordance with the domain name associated with the user.    
   
   
       32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , wherein computing an adjusted score based, at least in part, on the profiles of the first group further comprises: 
 assigning a profile confidence value to each profile;    assigning a group confidence value to respective groups including the first group;    calculating the adjusted score based on the profile confidence value of each profile and the group confidence value of each of the respective groups.    
   
   
       33 . A computer system for managing time and place information, comprising: 
 memory;    one or more processors;    one or more programs stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including: 
 instructions for associating a first group having a plurality of profiles with a user;  
 instructions for receiving a search query from the user;  
 instructions for identifying a plurality of information items associated with the search query;  
 instructions for computing an adjusted score based on the profiles of the first group;  
 instructions for ranking the information items in accordance with the adjusted score; and  
 instructions for providing the ranked information items to the user.  
   
   
   
       34 . A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: 
 instructions for associating a first group having a plurality of profiles with a user;    instructions for receiving a search query from the user;    instructions for identifying a plurality of information items associated with the search query;    instructions for computing an adjusted score based on the profiles of the first group;    instructions for ranking the information items in accordance with the adjusted score; and    instructions for providing the ranked information items to the user.