HK1174107B - Presenting actions and providers associated with entities - Google Patents

Description

Presenting actions and providers associated with an entity

Background

Increasingly, many searches performed by users are being used to accomplish tasks, such as, for example, making dinner reservations, watching online movies, purchasing books, reserving tours, and the like. Conventional practices for performing a task often result in a user having to find a website that supports the task and thereafter find the task within the website. Search engines can assist users in finding one or more websites to perform tasks. However, once navigated to the website, the user still has to browse the website (which has a different user interface than other websites) and/or re-enter information previously entered into the search query to complete the intended task. Further, because many tasks can be performed in association with various entities (e.g., people, places, and things) and various providers, users may spend an unnecessary amount of time looking for expected information and may be required to make a significant amount of guesswork to determine where the information will be obtained. This results in a poor user experience, longer task completion time, and less successful search sessions.

Disclosure of Invention

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

According to embodiments of the invention, a search results page generally includes search result items (e.g., search results, instant answers, etc.) that can represent an entity, i.e., a person, place, or thing. Actions (e.g., tasks) to be performed and/or providers for performing such actions associated with a particular entity can be displayed nearby with respect to search result items representing the particular entity. In this regard, the user is able to initiate performance of the desired action by the provider directly from the search results page. For example, the actions and/or providers selected for display in association with the search result items can be determined using one or more offline rankings, one or more online rankings, one or more query logs, one or more search result items identified in response to the search query, one or more user interests, a combination thereof, and/or the like.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary network environment suitable for use in implementing embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 provides an exemplary illustration of a plurality of entity sets, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram depicting a first illustrative display of search result items and corresponding actions and providers, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram depicting a second illustrative display of search result items and corresponding actions and providers, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram depicting an illustrative display of a user interface element that facilitates performance of an action in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram depicting a third illustrative display of search result items and corresponding actions and providers, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram depicting a fourth illustrative display of search result items and corresponding actions and providers, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram depicting a fifth illustrative display of search result items and corresponding actions and providers, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram depicting an illustrative method for generating or modifying an entity-set database, in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram depicting an illustrative method of providing one or more actions associated with an entity and one or more providers, in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram depicting another illustrative method of providing one or more actions associated with an entity and one or more providers, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

Detailed Description

The subject matter of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Instead, the inventors have envisaged: the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the terms "step" and/or "block" may be used herein to connote different elements of methods employed, the terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly described.

Embodiments of the invention described herein include computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing methods of facilitating presentation of actions and providers associated with an entity. The method includes referencing a set of entities. Each entity set includes an entity representing a person, place, or thing, an action corresponding to the entity and representing a function to be performed, and a provider performing the corresponding action. The one or more query logs are utilized to rank entities, actions, and/or providers in the set of entities according to expected relevance. Thereafter, the entity sets, including the corresponding entities, actions, and providers, and the corresponding rankings are entered into a database.

In a second illustrative embodiment, computer-executable instructions cause a computing device to perform a method of facilitating presentation of actions and providers associated with an entity. The method includes determining a query intent of a received query. A set of entities having entities matching the determined query intent is identified. Each entity set includes an entity, an action corresponding to the entity, and a provider. Actions associated with the entities that match the determined query intent are identified, and providers associated with the identified actions are identified. The actions associated with the entity and the corresponding providers are provided for incorporation with the representation of the associated entity on the search results page.

In a third illustrative embodiment, a graphical user interface embodied on one or more computer-readable media and executable on a computer is provided. The graphical user interface includes a first display area configured to display search result items presented on a search results page. The search result items correspond to the received search query. The graphical user interface also includes a second display area positioned proximate to the first display area. The second display area is configured to display a set of actions corresponding to the entity represented with the search result item and a set of providers associated with each action. Each set of providers is located proximate to a respective action.

Various aspects of embodiments of the invention may be described in the general context of computer program products that include computer code or machine-useable instructions, including computer-executable instructions such as program modules, being executed by a computer or other machine, such as a personal data assistant or other handheld device. Generally, program modules including routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., refer to code that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Embodiments of the invention may be practiced with various system configurations, including dedicated servers, general-purpose computers, laptop computers, more specialty computing devices, and the like. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network.

Computer-readable media includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media, and contemplates media readable by a database, a processor, and various other networked computing devices. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media may comprise media implemented in any method or technology for storing information. Examples of stored information include computer-executable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data representations. Examples of media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory and other memory technology, CD-ROM, Digital Versatile Disks (DVD), holographic media and other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage and other magnetic storage devices. These techniques can store data instantaneously, temporarily, or permanently.

An exemplary operating environment in which aspects of the present invention may be implemented is described below in order to provide a general context for various aspects of the present invention. Referring initially to FIG. 1, an exemplary operating environment for implementing embodiments of the present invention is shown and designated generally as computing device 100. Computing device 100 is but one example of a suitable computing environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the invention. Neither should the computing device 100 be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated.

Computing device 100 includes a bus 110 that directly or indirectly couples the following devices: memory 112, one or more processors 114, one or more presentation components 116, input/output (I/O) ports 118, input/output components 120, and an illustrative power supply 122. Bus 110 represents what may be one or more busses (such as an address bus, data bus, or combination thereof). Although the various blocks of FIG. 1 are shown with lines for the sake of clarity, in reality, delineating various components is not so clear, and metaphorically, the lines would more accurately be grey and fuzzy. For example, one may consider a presentation component such as a display device to be an I/O component. Also, the processor has a memory. The inventors have realized that: this is a property of the present technology (natureofheart), and reiterates: the diagram of FIG. 1 is merely illustrative of an exemplary computing device that can be used with one or more embodiments of the present invention. No distinction is made between categories such as "workstation," server, "" laptop, "" handheld device, "etc., as all are contemplated within the scope of fig. 1 and are referred to as" computing devices.

The memory 112 includes computer-executable instructions (not shown) stored in volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. The memory may be removable, non-removable, or a combination thereof. Exemplary hardware devices include solid state memory, hard disk drives, optical disk drives, and the like. Computing device 100 includes one or more processors 114 coupled to system bus 110 that read data from various entities such as memory 112 or I/O components 120. In one embodiment, the one or more processors 114 execute computer-executable instructions to perform various tasks and methods defined using the computer-executable instructions. One or more presentation components 116 are coupled to the system bus 110 and present data indications to a user or other device. Exemplary presentation components 116 include a display device, speakers, a printing component, and the like.

I/O ports 118 allow computing device 100 to be logically coupled to other devices including I/O components 120, some of which may be built-in. Illustrative components include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, printer, wireless device, keyboard, pen, voice input device, touch screen device, interactive display device, or mouse. The I/O components 120 can also include communication connections that can facilitate communicatively connecting the computing device 100 to remote devices, such as other computing devices, servers, routers, and the like, for example.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to providing related actions and/or providers in association with an entity represented, for example, on a search results page. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention facilitate providing actions and/or providers related to entities, search results, search queries, and the like. An entity represents any person, place, or thing (e.g., a movie, book, restaurant, game, television show, hotel, flight status, event, shopping, travel, stock, etc.). An action as used herein refers to any indication of one or more actions, one or more tasks, or one or more transactions that can be performed, for example, via a network (e.g., the internet). For example, the action can be performed based on a selection of the action or an entity or provider associated therewith. As can be appreciated, in some embodiments, the performance of an action may be the performance of a single task or activity. Alternatively, the performance of an action may be the performance of multiple, discrete tasks or activities. Generally, a provider performs, initiates, or implements one or more actions or coordinates the performance, initiation, or implementation thereof. In this regard, a provider is a company or other service provider (e.g., an individual) that performs, initiates, or implements an action desired by a user. Where the action includes multiple discrete tasks or activities, such tasks or activities may be accomplished by unrelated providers, for example. The providers may be presented so that the user can identify the provider of a particular action or so that the user can select a particular provider to perform a particular action.

In this regard, when a search results page is displayed to a user in response to a user query, embodiments of the present invention allow one or more related actions (i.e., actions associated with an entity) and/or one or more providers (i.e., providers corresponding to the actions) to be provided in association with a particular entity. Accordingly, actions and/or providers may be provided in association with search result items, such as search results, instant answers, advertisements, and so forth, presented on a search results page associated with a particular entity. As discussed more fully below, the actions and/or providers may be presented automatically (i.e., without user intervention) in proximity to the respective entity representations or may be presented in proximity to the respective entity representations based on a user indication (e.g., hovering a selector over the entity, selecting the action, etc.).

As can be appreciated, the entities can be represented on a search results page with independent representations of the entities or with search result items. Such search result items may refer to search results or instant answers, for example. Search results refer to results that are presented as relevant to a user search query. Typically, the search results include links to websites and snippets (snippets) that summarize the content of the websites. The user may select a website link for the search results to navigate to a webpage related to the user search query. For example, assume that the user search query is "weather in Seattle". Com may include a URL to weather. In such a case, the user may select the URL, go to that web page, and thereafter enter Seattle to obtain the weather conditions of Seattle.

"instant answer" (interchangeably referred to herein as "answer") refers to the result of a response or answer to a search query provided to a user on a main search results page. That is, the user is presented with domain-specific content on the search results page in response to a query, while the user may otherwise be required to select a link within the search results page to navigate to another web page, and thereafter, further search for the desired information. For example, assume that: the user search query is "weather in Seattle". The "answer" presented on the search results page contains the weather conditions of Seattle, such that the user is not required to navigate to another web page to find an answer to the predetermined query. As can be appreciated, the answers may relate to any subject matter including, for example, weather, news, area code, conversions, dictionary items, encyclopedia entries, finance, flights, health, holidays, appointments, hotels, local listings, mathematics, movies, music, shopping, sports, package tracking, and so forth. The answers can take the form of icons, buttons, links, text, video, images, photographs, audio, combinations thereof, or the like.

The term "query" refers to any type of request containing one or more search terms that can be submitted to a search engine (or search engines) in order to identify search result items based on the one or more search terms contained in the query. The search result items identified with the queries in the data structure are representations of results produced in response to the queries. For example, the search result items may be search results, instant answers, advertisements, and so forth.

By way of example and referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary instant answer 400 corresponding to an entity (e.g., flight status) that may be presented on a search results page in response to a user search query. A set of actions 402 corresponding to the entity is displayed in association with the instant answer 400. As shown in FIG. 4, one or more providers 404, 406, 408, and 410 are displayed in proximity to each respective action.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a block diagram of an exemplary network environment 200 suitable for use in implementing embodiments of the present invention is shown. The network environment 200 includes user equipment 210, a search service 212, and an entity-set service 214. User device 210, search service 212, and entity-set service 214 communicate over network 216, where network 216 may include any number of networks, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), the Internet, a cellular network, a peer-to-peer network (P2P), a mobile network, or a combination of networks, for example. The network environment 200 shown in FIG. 2 is an example of one suitable network environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of embodiments of the inventions disclosed throughout this document. Neither should the exemplary network environment 200 be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any single component or combination of components illustrated therein. For example, the user device 210 may communicate with the search service 212 via a mobile network or the internet, and the search service 212 may communicate with the entity-set service 214 via a local area network. Further, although environment 200 is illustrated with a network, one or more components may communicate with each other directly, e.g., via HDMI (high definition multimedia interface), DVI (digital visual interface), etc.

User device 210 may be any type of computing device capable of allowing a user to submit a search query to search service 212 and/or entity-set service 214 and receive a search results page including one or more actions and/or providers associated with an entity represented on the search results page in response to the search query. For example, in an embodiment, user device 210 may be a computing device, such as computing device 100, as described above with reference to fig. 1. In embodiments, the user device 210 may be a Personal Computer (PC), laptop, workstation, mobile computing device, PDA, cellular telephone, and the like.

In one embodiment, the user device 210 is separate and distinct from the search service 212 and/or other components shown in FIG. 2. In another embodiment, the user device 210 is integrated with the search service 212 and/or the entity-set service 214. For clarity of explanation, we shall describe embodiments in which the user device 210, the search service 212, and the entity-set service 214 are separate, with the understanding that this may not be the case in the various configurations contemplated within the present invention.

With continued reference to FIG. 2, the user device 210 communicates with a search service 212 to facilitate searching for content. In an embodiment, for example, a user utilizes user device 210 to search for content available via network 216. For example, in some embodiments, the network 216 may be the Internet, and the user device 210 interacts with the search service 212 to search for content stored on servers associated with websites. In other embodiments, for example, the network 216 may be an enterprise network associated with a company. In these embodiments, the user device 210 interacts with a search service 212 to search for content stored on various nodes within the enterprise network. It should be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art that any number of other implementation scenarios may also be possible.

Search service 212 provides search services to users. In an embodiment, for example, the search service 212 provides search services by searching for content in an environment such as the Internet, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a database, a computer, etc., where content can be stored. According to embodiments, the search service 212 can be implemented as a server system, program module, virtual machine, component of one or more servers, network, or the like.

In an embodiment, the search service 212 receives a search query, i.e., a search request, submitted by a user via the user device 210. The search queries received from the user can include search queries that are manually or verbally entered by the user, queries that are suggested to the user and selected by the user, and any other search queries received by the search service 212 that are somehow approved by the user. In other embodiments, the search service 212 can receive search queries originating from other locations. For example, a query suggestion module (not shown) associated with search service 212 can provide a search query in response to a user selection of query suggestions, and so forth. In general, the search service 212 can receive search queries from any number of people, locations, organizations, and devices.

Search service 212 may be or include, for example, a search engine, crawler (crawler), and the like. In some embodiments, the search service 212 is configured to perform a search using a query submitted by the user device 210. In various embodiments, the search service 212 can provide a user interface for facilitating a search experience for a user in communication with the user device 210. In one embodiment, the search service 212 monitors search activity and can generate one or more records or logs representing search activity, submitted previous queries, obtained search result items, and so forth. These services can be leveraged to improve the search experience in many different ways. According to various embodiments of the invention, the search service 212 references an associated web index (not illustrated for brevity and clarity of description) to identify search result items relevant to the search query received from the user.

In one embodiment, the search service 212 is configured to receive the submitted query and perform a search using the query. In one embodiment, once the search result items that satisfy the search query are identified, the search service 212 returns a collection of search result items to the user device 210 using a graphical interface, such as a search results page. The set of search result items includes representations of content or content websites (e.g., web pages, databases, etc. containing content) that are deemed relevant to the user-defined search query. For example, search result items can be presented as content links, segments, thumbnails, summaries, answers, advertisements, and so forth. A content link refers to a selectable representation of content or a content website that corresponds to an address for associated content. For example, the content link may be a selectable representation that corresponds to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), IP address, or other type of address. In this way, selection of a content link can cause the user's browser to be redirected to the corresponding address, whereby the user can access the associated content. One common example of a content link is "hyperlink" (interchangeably referred to herein as an "anchor")

According to embodiments of the invention, the search results page can include many different types of content. For example, the search results page can include algorithmic search results, query suggestions, related searches, historical information, sponsored search results, advertisements, and instant answers. According to embodiments of the invention, the search service 212 can generate or retrieve answers, for example, from an answer service (not shown) to provide one or more acquisitions on a search results page.

As can be appreciated, the search service 212 may communicate with the entity-set service 214 to integrate related entities, actions, and/or providers with the search results page. In this regard, the entity-set service 214 may communicate data to the search service 212 to implement relevant entities, actions, and/or providers in a search results page. Alternatively, search service 212 may transmit a search results page or search results items to entity-set service 214 for incorporation of the relevant entities, actions, and/or providers into the search results page. In yet another embodiment, another component, such as the user device 210, can receive data from the search service 212 and/or the entity-set service 214 and thereafter aggregate the data to generate a search results page with related actions and/or providers that are presented in association with one or more entities represented on the search results page.

The entity-set service 214 generally provides one or more entity sets, or portions thereof, to be displayed in association with a search results page. As previously mentioned, such entity sets or portions thereof (e.g., entities, actions, providers) may be displayed in association with search results, instant answers, etc., or may be displayed as a separate feature of a search results page. The entity-set service 214 in some embodiments includes an entity-set management component 220, a query intent recognition (recognizing) component 222, an entity-set determination component 224, and a presentation component 226. According to embodiments of the invention, the entity-set service 214 can include any number of other components not illustrated. In some embodiments, one or more of the illustrated components 220, 222, 224, and 226 can be integrated into a single component or can be separated into many different components. Components 220, 222, 224, and 226 can be implemented on any number of machines and can be integrated with any number of other functions or services as desired.

The entity-set management component 220 is configured to manage entity sets. As used herein, an entity set refers to a set of data associated with an entity. In one embodiment, the set of entities includes an entity, an action corresponding to the entity, and a provider corresponding to the action and/or the entity. As can be appreciated, the entity sets can also include entity set attributes. Entity set attributes refer to any attribute, characteristic, or detail of an entity, action, and/or provider included within an entity set. For example, the entity set attributes may include additional details that further describe or identify the entity, action, and/or provider.

By way of example only and referring to fig. 3, fig. 3 includes a plurality of entity sets 310. Each of the plurality of entity sets 310 includes an entity 312, an action 314, and a provider 316. Although not illustrated, the entity set attributes may include further details describing the entity, action, and/or provider. For example, the entity set 320 associated with a "movie tickets" entity may include attributes describing the cost of the ticket, the time of the movie, and so on. As can be appreciated: such entity set attributes may be included, for example, with the corresponding entity, action, and/or provider, or alternatively, provided as another part. Although fig. 3 depicts entity section 312 to generally describe an entity (e.g., a DVD), in an embodiment entity section 312 includes a more detailed description of the entity (e.g., an Avatar DVD).

Returning to FIG. 2, the entity set management component 220 references the entity sets and, in some cases, attributes associated therewith. The entity sets can be referenced by receiving, obtaining, accessing, retrieving, determining, identifying, recognizing, etc. In an embodiment, the entity set may be provided by a vendor. For example, a vendor may publish an entity set or portion thereof in an open format, in the form of an API, or via code or data that is scraped through a crawl network. The format may be described via an API in XML, e.g., price for streaming or purchasing items, joint login information, action options such as color for items to be purchased, time of subscription, location, etc.

Once the entity set is referenced, entity matching can be performed. Such entity matching matches the same or similar entities. By way of example only, there may be multiple actions and/or providers for a particular entity. In such a case, the entities may be matched or associated such that related entities are related, associated, or combined together.

As can be appreciated: while multiple entities may be similar, such entities may not be matched together. For example, one entity may be the movie "Avatar" shown in 2005, while another entity may be the movie "Avatar" shown in 2009. Although these entities initially appear similar (i.e., each is named "Avatar"), such entities are completely different from each other. Accordingly, the entity set management component 220 can be configured to recognize or identify entities that are very similar or identical in nature. In such a case, instances of the same or similar entities may be recognized across multiple actions and/or providers based on representations of the entities or attributes thereof, e.g., using UPC codes, titles, manufacturers, directors, authors, locations, dates, or any other details related to the entities. Matching entities can utilize machine learning across multiple features to recognize how closely the respective attributes of two entities match. Any duplicate entity sets may be identified such that they are not included in a database, such as entity set database 228. In embodiments, entity matching may be performed such that related entities are near, approximate, or associated with each other in a database, such as entity-set database 228.

Additionally or alternatively, for example, actions and/or providers may be matched so that related actions and/or providers associated with a particular entity are combined together. With respect to entity matching, matching actions and/or providers may also be accomplished using any method, such as, for example, utilizing matching learning across multiple features to recognize how closely various attributes of two actions and/or providers match. The actions and/or providers identified as matches may be located near, proximate to, or in association with each other in a database, such as entity-set database 228.

The one or more entity sets, or portions thereof, can be ranked, for example, via an offline ranker (ranker). Since entity sets are ranked prior to receiving a user query, such ranking may be referred to herein as offline ranking. As can be appreciated, the entity sets, or portions thereof, can be ranked based on entity relevance, action relevance, provider relevance, or a combination thereof. By way of example only, assume: various "Avatar" movies exist (e.g., version 2005 and version 2009). In such a case, the "Avatar" movie entity may be ranked based on the likely relevance of a particular version of the "Avatar" movie. Accordingly, if the 2009 version is identified as having a higher perceptual relevance associated with the entity, query, search results, etc., one or more entities corresponding to the 2009 version may have a higher ranking than the 2005 version. Further, entities related to the 2009 "Avatar" movie may be ranked relative to each other based on actions and/or providers associated with the respective entities. Higher rankings are generally provided for actions and/or providers that are most relevant to a particular entity. A higher ranking is used herein to indicate a stronger or otherwise higher priority or preferred ranking. As can be appreciated, in this manner, in some cases, a higher ranking may actually correspond to a lower value if the lower value indicates a higher priority or preference.

By way of further example, many retailers may exist in association with a particular entity. Accordingly, ranking the providers enables particular entity sets (e.g., entity sets with higher rankings) or portions thereof to be selected for display in association with a search results page to prevent cluttering the search results page.

The ranking can be based on any data, such as, for example, click-through rates in query logs (e.g., music streams may be provided first from a main provider that is popular in search logs), reputation analytics related to actions and link structures on the provider's network (e.g., restaurants that may be recommended more popular than others), history of one or more users (e.g., search history, navigation history, query logs), combinations thereof, and so forth. Additionally or alternatively, a higher ranking may be awarded to suppliers who subscribe to the system, suppliers who issue higher monetary offers, and the like. In some embodiments, the offline ranking of the entity set or portions thereof can affect the presentation of entities, actions, and/or providers associated with one or more search result items. As can be appreciated, the entity set, the entities in the entity set, the actions in the entity set, and/or the providers in the entity set can be associated with a single offline ranking. Alternatively, entity sets, entities, actions, and/or providers may each have an independent offline ranking.

The entity sets can be populated into a database, such as entity set database 228, for example, via a database generator. The database generator is configured to generate, update, or modify the entity-set database. An entity-set database refers to any database or other storage system that includes a set of entities. The entity sets may be entered into a database. In an embodiment, the entity sets are entered into the entity set database according to entity matching and/or entity ranking. For example, matching entity sets may be located or indexed next to each other in an appropriate ranking order based on the respective rankings of the entity sets, entities, actions, and/or providers.

The query intent recognition component 222 is configured to recognize the query intent of the user. As used herein, query intent refers to the user's intent in accordance with a query input by the user. That is, the query intent represents data or information that is intended or desired to be viewed by the user. To recognize the query intent, a query entered by a user is referenced (e.g., received, retrieved, etc.). One or more past query logs, such as a query log associated with a user entering a query, a query log of a group of users, or a query log of all users, can be used to recognize query intent. Other data, such as user data, may additionally or alternatively be used to determine query intent. For example, the user's interests may be utilized to determine query intent. For the intent of the query, the query may be evaluated using a machine learning algorithm such as clustering. As can be appreciated, in some embodiments, the query intent may be or include a query entered by a user without further analysis.

The entity-set determining component 224 is configured to determine, identify, or select one or more entity sets, or portions thereof, to present. As previously discussed, the entities, actions, and/or providers to be presented can be based on an offline ranking associated therewith. For example, the offline ranking can be used to select which entities, actions, and/or providers will present and/or the order in which the items are presented.

In another embodiment, the entities, actions, and/or providers to be presented may be based on an online ranking. As used herein, an online ranking refers to a ranking that is generated after a query is entered. Such online ranking can be used to identify which entities, actions, and/or providers are to display and, in some cases, the appropriate order in which these items are to be displayed. For example, assume an entity is associated with 10 actions, but only 5 actions are expected to be presented in association with a representation of the entity. In such a case, the 5 actions associated with the highest ranking may be selected for presentation.

The online ranking can be determined using query intent. For example, if the query intent associated with the query corresponds to one or more entities, actions, and/or providers stored, for example, in an entity-set database, a representation of that entity, action, and/or provider can be provided in the search results page. In some cases, the offline ranking can be modified in view of query intent to generate an online ranking. In this regard, an online ranking for one or more query sets, one or more entities, one or more actions, and/or one or more providers can be identified with reference to the offline ranking along with query intent. Similar to the offline ranking, the entity set, the entities in the entity set, the actions in the entity set, and/or the providers in the entity set may be associated with a single online ranking. Alternatively, entity sets, entities, actions, and/or providers may each have an independent offline ranking.

By way of example, assume: the entity "Avatar" is associated with version 2005, while another entity "Avatar" is associated with version 2009. In such a case, if the user types "Avatar" as the search query, based on the offline ranking, the 2009 "Avatar" movie may be displayed if it has a higher relevance ranking. On the other hand, if the user search query includes "Avatar 2005", while the offline ranking may result in "Avatar" of 2009 being displayed, the online ranking takes into account the query intent and thus displays a representation of the entity associated with the 2005 "Avatar" movie.

In addition to or instead of using query intent, search result items provided or identified in response to a user search query can be utilized to perform online ranking. By way of example only, assume: a search query is entered and search result items (e.g., search results, instant answers, etc.) are identified. Such search result items can be used to modify offline rankings of entity sets, entities, actions, and/or providers to obtain online rankings. For example, assume that: the search query entered by the user is "rent Avatar 2005. "further assume: one of the popular search results and viaA (net-plane) website renting movies. In such a case, while a higher offline ranking may be associated with the entity set that includes the purchase of the 2009 "Avatar" movie, the online ranking may rank the entity set or portion thereof associated with the entity 2005 "Avatar" movie, the actions of renting the movie, and the search results higher based on user intent and search resultsA provider.

In some embodiments, the offline and online rankings may be utilized to determine one or more entity sets, or portions thereof, for presentation in association with a search results page. For example, an online ranking may be used to identify appropriate entities in the entity-set database, while an offline ranking may be used to identify appropriate actions and/or providers to present in association with representations of entities within the search results page.

The presentation component 226 is configured to present a set of entities or portions thereof (i.e., one or more entities, one or more actions, and/or one or more providers). In one embodiment, the entity set, or portions thereof, is presented by displaying such data to the user in association with a search results page via a user interface. In another embodiment, the entity set or portions thereof are presented by transmitting such data to another computing device. For example, such data may be communicated to a search engine such that the search engine can incorporate the data into a search results page to be sent to the user device. By way of further example, such data may be communicated to the user device for display to the user via a display screen of the user device.

The entity sets or portions thereof can be displayed within the search results page in any number of ways. In one embodiment, once one or more entity sets are determined, identified, or selected for presentation, representations of one or more entities associated with such entity sets may be displayed within a search results page. Such one or more representations can be displayed anywhere on the search results page, e.g., near the top portion of the results, near the side portion of the results, in conjunction with the results (e.g., near related search results or immediate answers), and so forth. Actions and/or providers related to representations of such one or more entities can be displayed proximate or adjacent to such one or more entities. In an alternative embodiment, once one or more entity sets are determined, identified, or selected for presentation, actions and/or providers in the selected one or more entity sets can be displayed proximate or adjacent to search result items (e.g., search results or instant answers) that correspond to or represent one or more entities in the selected one or more entity sets.

By way of example only, FIGS. 4-9 illustrate displays of a graphical user interface for providing an entity set or portion thereof according to embodiments of the invention. Such a display view can be viewed, for example, via a display screen of a user device, such as user device 210. As previously mentioned, FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary instant answer 400 corresponding to an entity (e.g., flight status) that may be presented on a search results page in response to a user search query. A set of actions 402 corresponding to an entity or representation thereof is displayed in association with the instant answer. As shown in FIG. 4, one or more providers 404, 406, 408, and 410 are displayed proximate to each respective action. In such a case, the set of actions and corresponding providers may be automatically displayed with the search result item.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first display area 502 that includes a set of search result items presented on a search results page 500. The second display area 504 includes a set of actions 506 and a set of one or more providers 508, 510, 512, and 514 for each action. As can be appreciated, in some embodiments, the second display area may be displayed upon user indication such as a selector (e.g., a cursor) hovering over a search result item or selecting a search result item (e.g., "zeeks pizza"). Further, as shown in FIG. 5, additional details 516 associated with the provider may be displayed upon user indication such as a cursor hovering over provider 518. Although not illustrated, additional details may also be provided in association with the action upon user indication.

Suppose that: the user selects provider 520 corresponding to the "make a reservation" action 522. As shown in FIG. 6, a user interface element 600 may be displayed to enable a user to facilitate action execution by specifying one or more details or parameters for the action. In some cases, a summary 602 of the entity may be displayed to provide context. Form fields (formfields) requesting specific data may also be displayed so that the user can select or enter data associated with an action. For example, in FIG. 6, the user may specify a date 604 for the reservation, a time 606 for the reservation, and a size 608 for the reservation of the party. Such interface elements facilitate completing desired actions (e.g., making reservations) in a search results page without redirection to the provider's website.

Turning now to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 illustrates another exemplary search result item 700 corresponding to a particular entity (e.g., a restaurant) that may be presented on a search results page. Actions 702, 704, and 706 corresponding to the entity and/or search result item are displayed in association with the search result item 700. The set of providers 708 is displayed proximate to the corresponding action 702. The provider is not initially displayed in association with acts 704 and 706 for any number of reasons. This may be the case if those actions and/or providers are associated with a lower ranking or if there are too many providers for each of those actions 704 and 706. In any case, "view provider" indicators 710 and 712 can be displayed in association with respective actions 704 and 706 to provide an indication to the user that, upon selection of an indicator, one or more providers associated with the selected indicator can be displayed.

FIG. 8 illustrates another exemplary search result item 800 corresponding to a particular entity (e.g., a movie) that may be presented on a search results page. Actions 802, 804, 806, and 808 corresponding to the entity and/or search result item are displayed in association with the search result item 800. As can be appreciated, actions 802, 804, 806, and 808 are identified using action identifier 810. Further, a "more actions" indicator 812 can be displayed to provide an indication to the user, wherein upon selection of the indicator, one or more additional actions can be displayed. The set of providers 814 associated with act 802 is provided adjacent to act 802. A set of providers 816 associated with act 804 is provided adjacent to act 804. A set of providers 818 associated with act 806 is provided adjacent to act 806, and a set of providers 820 associated with act 808 is provided adjacent to act 808. As illustrated, "more providers" indicators 822, 824, and 826 can be displayed to provide an indication to the user, wherein upon selection thereof, one or more additional providers can be displayed. Further actions and/or further provider indicators can be represented in any manner, such as text links, arrow shaped links, etc. Such indicators can provide a user with a way to interact with options not initially displayed. As previously discussed, the providers and/or actions to be displayed may be based on, for example, query intent, online ranking, offline ranking, query logs, related search result items, and so forth.

Referring to FIG. 9, another exemplary search result item 900 is provided that corresponds to a particular entity (e.g., a movie) that may be presented on a search results page. Actions 902, 904, and 906 corresponding to the entity and/or search result item 900 are initially displayed along with the search result item 900. As shown in fig. 9, additional details such as providers 908 and 910, as well as other details (not shown) such as action parameters (e.g., show time selection, etc.) can be displayed vertically. For example, based on selection of the "view providers" indicator 912, providers 908 and 910 may be displayed.

As can be appreciated, a user may interact with the display screen using well-known input components such as a mouse, joystick, stylus pen, touch screen, keyboard, and the like, for example. In this regard, a user may select a provider associated with an action to initiate performance of the corresponding action in association with the selected provider. For example, assume that: the user selects provider 908. In such a case, an action of "renting" movie title a "via the selected provider 908 can be initiated. In this regard, another user interface element, such as user interface element 600 of fig. 6, may be presented (e.g., within or overlaying the search results page) to complete the action, end the action, confirm completion of the action, obtain additional data for the action, and so forth. Accordingly, the user is not required to navigate away from the search results page to perform the action. Allowing actions to be performed within the context of a search results page can provide a consistent user interface experience for the user. In some embodiments, upon selection of a provider, the user may be linked to a third party in order to perform the action. Similarly, the user may select an action to initiate its execution.

Restated, embodiments of the invention include systems, machines, media, methods, techniques, processes, and options for providing related actions and/or providers associated with an entity. Such actions and/or providers can be displayed on a search results page in association with an entity representation such as a search result item (e.g., a search result or an instant answer). Turning to FIG. 10, a flow diagram is illustrated that shows an exemplary method 1000 for generating or modifying an entity-set database in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, aspects of embodiments of the illustrative method 1000 can be stored on computer-readable media as computer-executable instructions, where the instructions are executed by a processor in a computing device, thereby causing the computing device to implement aspects of the method 1000. The same is of course true for the illustrative methods 1100 and 1200 or any other embodiments, variations, or combinations of these methods described in fig. 11 and 12, respectively.

Initially, at block 1010, multiple entity sets are referenced. The entity set includes entities, actions, and providers. In some cases, the entity set may also include entity attributes that provide details about the entity, action, and/or provider. At block 1012, entity sets having matching (e.g., same or similar) entities are associated. In some cases, actions and/or providers may additionally or alternatively be matched. At block 1014, one or more ranking indicators are referenced. The ranking indicator may provide any indication of a ranking that should be associated with an entity set, entity, action, and/or provider. In embodiments, the ranking indicator is one or more of a query log, a reputation analysis of a link structure on the network, a history of the user, login information associated with the user, and the like. Subsequently, at block 1016, one or more ranking indicators (e.g., query logs) are utilized to rank the entity set or portions thereof (e.g., entities, actions, and/or providers). Such entity sets are entered into or updated within the database according to one or more respective rankings and/or associations of the entity sets. This is indicated at block 1018.

Turning now to FIG. 11, a flow diagram depicts an illustrative method 1100 of providing one or more actions and one or more providers in association with an entity such that the actions and/or providers can be displayed in conjunction with a representation of the entity. Initially, at block 1110, a query intent of a query received by a user is determined. Such a query may be input or selected by a user. At block 1112, one or more entity sets within the database having entities that match (e.g., are the same as or similar to) the determined query intent are recognized. The entity set includes entities, actions, and providers.

One or more actions associated with the entity that matches the determined query intent are identified. This is indicated at block 1114. In some embodiments, each action associated with a set of entities having an entity matching the query intent is identified. In an alternative embodiment, a portion of the actions associated with the set of entities having an entity matching the query intent are identified. The identification of such a portion of the action can be based on, for example, an offline ranking (e.g., associated with the entity set, entity, or action), an online ranking (e.g., associated with the entity set, entity, or action), a query intent, a query log, search result items identified in response to a search query, combinations thereof, and so forth.

One or more providers associated with the identified one or more actions are identified, as shown at block 1116. In some embodiments, each provider associated with the identified action is identified. In an alternative embodiment, a portion of the provider associated with the identified action is identified. The identification of such a portion of providers can be based on, for example, an offline ranking (e.g., associated with the entity set, entity, or provider), an online ranking (e.g., associated with the entity set, entity, or provider), a query intent, a query token, a search result item identified in response to a search query, a combination thereof, and so forth. One or more actions associated with the entity and the corresponding one or more providers are provided for integration with the entity, such as a representation of a search result item corresponding to the entity. This is indicated at block 1118.

Referring to FIG. 12, another flow diagram depicts an illustrative method 1200 of providing one or more actions and one or more providers in association with an entity such that the actions and/or providers can be displayed with a representation of the entity. Referring initially to block 1210, a query intent is referenced. Once a query is received, a query intent of the query can be determined using (e.g., associated with) a query log. At block 1212, one or more search result items are referenced. The search result items may be search results or instant answers identified as relevant to the user-provided search query. At block 1214, one or more entity sets having entities that match the query intent and/or one or more search result items are identified. Such entity sets can be stored within a database, and each entity set can include entities, actions, and providers.

The query intent, the one or more search result items, and/or the one or more offline rankings are used to determine an online ranking for each of the one or more entity sets, or portions thereof, as indicated at block 1216. In this regard, an online ranking can be determined for an entity set, entity, action, and/or provider. Based on the online ranking, at least one entity set, or portion thereof, is selected for presentation. This is indicated at block 1218. In some embodiments, all entity sets or portions thereof are selected for presentation. Alternatively, the entity sets or portions thereof associated with a particular degree (e.g., ratio, percentage, number, etc.) of higher online rankings are selected for presentation. Subsequently, at block 1220, at least one action and at least one provider associated with the entity represented with the search result item on the search results page are presented. In some cases, search result items that correspond to or are relevant to an entity or set of entities may be identified or recognized for actuation and/or display in association with which the provider can associate.

The various embodiments of the present invention have been described with the understanding that the present invention is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent from time to time without departing from the scope of embodiments of the invention. It will be appreciated that: some features and sub-combinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

Claims (7)

1. A method of facilitating presentation of actions and providers associated with an entity, the method comprising:

determining a query intent of the received query;

identifying one or more entity sets having entities that match the determined query intent, wherein each of the one or more entity sets includes an entity, an action corresponding to the entity, and a provider;

identifying one or more actions associated with the entity that matches the determined query intent;

identifying one or more providers associated with the identified one or more actions; and

one or more actions associated with the entity and corresponding one or more providers are provided for incorporation with a representation of the associated entity on a search results page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the query intent comprises at least a portion of the query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions are identified based on a ranking associated with the one or more actions or a set of entities associated therewith.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the ranking comprises utilizing one or more query logs to generate an offline ranking of the ranking for each of the one or more actions.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the ranking comprises an online ranking utilizing one or more of query intent, search result items, or user interests.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more providers are identified based on a ranking associated with the one or more providers or a set of entities associated therewith.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the ranking comprises an offline ranking determined using one or more query logs to generate a ranking for each of the one or more providers or an online ranking determined using one or more of query intent, search result items, user interests, or offline ranking to generate a ranking for each of the one or more providers.