Flexible asset and search recommendation engines

Abstract

The subject mater herein relates to Internet-based commerce and, more particularly, to a flexible asset and search recommendation engines. Various embodiments herein provide systems, methods, and software to identify relationships between assets and provide asset recommendations as a function of the identified relationships. in some embodiments, relationships between assets are identified by gathering statistics including a probability of an action in view of one or more other actions an entity may have performed.

1 . A method comprising:
 maintaining a database of searches that are submitted by entities;   assigning a score to a search based on an action taken by an entity as a result of a search recommendation provided to the entity,
 the assigning of the score being performed by a processor of a machine; 
   receiving a search recommendation request that includes an argument;   retrieving the search from the database of searches as one of a plurality of candidate searches based on the argument and on the score; and   providing the search in a further search recommendation in response to the received search recommendation request.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 updating the score of the search based on a further action taken by a further entity as a result of the further search recommendation provided in response to the received search recommendation request. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the search recommendation request includes multiple arguments that include a representation of a previous search and an indication to broaden the previous search.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the search recommendation request includes multiple arguments that include a representation of a previous search and an indication to narrow the previous search.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the score indicates a probability of performance of a combination of action-asset pairs,
 one of the action-asset pairs representing the action taken by the entity and representing a corresponding asset with which the action is taken by the entity. 
   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 weighting the score based on a level of satisfaction that corresponds to the asset. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising:
 determining the level of satisfaction based on feedback that references the asset. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the feedback is provided by the entity based on the action taken by the entity with respect to the asset.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the feedback is provided by multiple entities based on actions taken by the
 multiple entities with respect to the asset, 
 the multiple entities including the entity, 
 the actions including the action taken by the entity. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the action taken by the entity includes a bid.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the action taken by the entity includes a purchase,   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the action taken by the entity includes a further search.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the action taken by the entity includes providing feedback with respect to the asset,   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the action taken by the entity includes viewing a document related to the asset.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the action taken by the entity includes indicating that the entity owns a product corresponding to the asset.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the action taken by the entity includes updating a list belonging to the entity to include a reference to the asset.   
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 means for attaining a database of searches that are submitted by entities; and   a processor configured by a module to perform operations comprising:
 assigning a score to a search based on an action taken by an entity as result of a search recommendation provided to the entity; 
 receiving a search recommendation request that includes an argument; 
 retrieving the search from the database of searches as one of a plurality of candidate searches based on the argument and on the score; and 
 providing the search in a further search recommendation in response to the received search recommendation request. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the operations further comprise updating the score of the search based on a further action taken by a further entity as a result of the further search recommendation provided in response to the received search recommendation request.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
 maintaining a database of searches that are submitted by entities;   assigning a score to a search based on an action taken by an entity as result of a search recommendation provided to the entity;   receiving a search recommendation request that includes an argument;   retrieving the search from the database of searches as one of a plurality of candidate searches based on the argument and on the score; and   providing the search in a further search recommendation in response to the received search recommendation request.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 updating the score of the search based on a further action taken by a further entity as a result of the further search recommendation provided in response to the received search recommendation request.