Location-based and alter-ego queries

Abstract

A user at a geographical location may submit a search query and receive results responsive to the search query. The search results provided to the user may be based on the user's geographical location. The search results may also be based on one or more attributes of alter ego. The alter ego may be an individual user or another type of entity, such as a group or a business. A user at a geographical location submitting an alter-ego search query may see the results that would be presented to the alter ego if the alter ego were at the geographical location. Each user's interests may be selected through an interest-selection interface, automatically generated as the user interacts with search results, dynamically generated as a user follows or likes search results, or otherwise determined.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . One or more computer storage media storing computer-usable instructions that, when used by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 determining a location of a client device associated with a first user;   providing, for presentation on the client device, a user interface presenting one or more alter egos for the first user including a first alter ego associated with a second user that is different from the first user;   responsive to receiving a selection of the first alter ego, generating a search query using one or more attributes of the first alter ego and the location of the client device; and   providing, for presentation on the client device, search results relevant to the search query.   
     
     
         2 . The computer storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the first alter ego is associated with a friend of the first user on a social network. 
     
     
         3 . The computer storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises one or more buttons corresponding to the one or more alter egos. 
     
     
         4 . The computer storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the search query is further based on a predetermined distance from the location of the client device. 
     
     
         5 . The computer storage media of  claim 4 , further comprising identifying the predetermined distance from user information. 
     
     
         6 . The computer storage media of  claim 1 , wherein the first alter ego is associated with a group to which the second user belongs. 
     
     
         7 . The computer storage media of  claim 6 , wherein the group is determined based on at least one of an interest, an age, a gender, an income level, or an education level. 
     
     
         8 . The computer storage media of  claim 1 , wherein generating the search query using one or more attributes of the first alter ego, comprises:
 providing, for presentation on the client device, a plurality of attributes of the first alter ego; and   receiving a selection of the one or more attributes from the plurality of attributes.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 determining a location of a client device associated with a first user;   providing, for presentation on the client device, a user interface presenting one or more alter egos for the first user including a first alter ego associated with a second user that is different from the first user;   responsive to receiving a selection of the first alter ego, generating a search query using one or more attributes of the first alter ego and the location of the client device; and   providing, for presentation on the client device, search results relevant to the search query.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first alter ego is associated with a friend of the first user on a social network. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the user interface comprises one or more buttons corresponding to the one or more alter egos. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the search query is further based on a predetermined distance from the location of the client device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising identifying the predetermined distance from user information. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first alter ego is associated with a group to which the second user belongs. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the group is determined based on at least one of an interest, an age, a gender, an income level, or an education level. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein generating the search query using one or more attributes of the first alter ego, comprises:
 providing, for presentation on the client device, a plurality of attributes of the first alter ego; and   receiving a selection of the one or more attributes from the plurality of attributes.   
     
     
         17 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more computer storage media storing computer-usable instructions that, when used by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:   determine a location of a client device associated with a first user;   provide, for presentation on the client device, a user interface presenting one or more alter egos for the first user including a first alter ego associated with a second user that is different from the first user;   responsive to receiving a selection of the first alter ego, generate a search query using one or more attributes of the first alter ego and the location of the client device; and   provide, for presentation on the client device, search results relevant to the search query.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first alter ego is associated with a friend of the first user on a social network. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first alter ego is associated with a group to which the second user belongs. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein generating the search query using one or more attributes of the first alter ego, comprises:
 providing, for presentation on the client device, a plurality of attributes of the first alter ego; and   receiving a selection of the one or more attributes from the plurality of attributes.