Context based data searching

Abstract

Data searching over a network is facilitated. A search request is received from a user device via the network. The search request includes information related to the user device. The search request is processed by identifying a context chain related to the user device based on information passed with the search request. The context chain is an array of contexts. Contexts are added to and subtracted from the context chain dependent upon communications received from the user device. The search request is responded to by providing at least one search result to the user device. The search result is obtained from at least one context in the plurality of contexts.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 storing a plurality of candidate responses from at least one information provider and storing respective acceptance criteria from the at least one information provider for a respective candidate response of the candidate responses;   based on input from the information provider, distributing the plurality of candidate responses and the respective acceptance criteria in a plurality of contexts;   based on content of a search request, identifying at least one context of the plurality of contexts to satisfy the search request; and   processing the search request with the respective acceptance criteria distributed in the at least one context to determine whether the respective candidate response distributed in the at least one context is relevant to the search request and to generate a response for the search request.   
     
     
         2 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising a plurality of computer-executable instructions stored therein, wherein the plurality of computer-executable instructions comprise:
 instructions to store a plurality of candidate responses from at least one information provider and to store respective acceptance criteria from the at least one information provider for a respective candidate response of the candidate responses;   instructions to distribute, based on input from the information provider, the plurality of candidate responses and the respective acceptance criteria in a plurality of contexts;   instructions to identify, based on content of a search request, at least one context of the plurality of contexts to satisfy the search request; and   instructions to process the search request with the respective acceptance criteria distributed in the at least one context to determine whether the respective candidate response distributed in the at least one context is relevant to the search request and to generate a response for the search request.   
     
     
         3 . An apparatus comprising:
 a server device including:
 a memory operable to store a plurality of candidate responses from at least one information provider and to store respective acceptance criteria from the at least one information provider for a respective candidate response of the candidate responses, wherein the plurality of candidate responses and the respective acceptance criteria are distributed in a plurality of contexts based on input from the information provider; and 
 a search engine operable to identify, based on content of a search request, at least one context of the plurality of contexts to satisfy the search request and operable to process the search request with the respective acceptance criteria distributed in the at least one context to determine whether the respective candidate response distributed in the at least one context is relevant to the search request and to generate a response for the search request.