Search result relevance based on content associated with software applications

Abstract

Techniques include receiving a search query from a user device, determining native application states that are accessible by a user of the user device, and identifying application state records based on the search query and the application states. Each application state record includes an application access mechanism (AAM) and application state information (ASI). The AAM references a native application and indicates operations for the application to perform. The ASI describes a state of the native application after the application has performed the operations. Identifying the application state records based on the application states includes determining that the ASI included in each record describes one of the application states. The techniques also include selecting AAMs from the identified application state records and transmitting the AAMs to the user device. Additional techniques include generating result scores for application state records identified based on the search query using the application states.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a search query from a user device;   identifying one or more native applications that are accessible by the user device;   identifying one or more application state records by matching between at least one of the search query and the one or more native application states and one or more terms of information included in the one or more application state records;   selecting one or more application access mechanisms (AAMs) from the identified one or more application state records; and   transmitting the selected one or more AAMs to the user device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each application state record includes the AAMs and application state information (ASI). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the ASI describes a state of the native application after the native application has performed the one or more operations. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the identified one or more application state records includes an indication that the state described by the ASI included in the application state record is accessible by all. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 for at least one of the identified one or more application state records, generating accessibility data that indicates that the state described by the ASI included in the application state record is accessible by the user of the user device within the native application referenced by the AAMs included in the application state record.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein identifying the one or more application state records based on the search query comprises identifying each application state record based on one or more matches between one or more terms of the search query and one or more terms of the ASI included in the application state record. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 generating a result score for each of the identified one or more application state records based on whether the ASI included in the application state record describes one of the one or more native application states; and   ordering the identified one or more application state records based on the one or more result scores,   wherein the selecting of the one or more application state records comprises selecting the one or more application state records from the ordered one or more application state records.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating the result score for each of the identified one or more application state records comprises generating the result score using a machine-learned model comprising one of a gradient-boosted decision tree and a logistic probability formula. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the AAMs reference a native application and indicates one or more operations for the native application to perform. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, using a user device, a search query to a search system configured to generate search results in response to a received search query;   receiving search results from the search system at the user device in response to transmitting the search query, wherein the search results include one or more application access mechanisms (AAMs) that each reference a native application and indicate one or more operations for the native application to perform, the AAMs is selected from an one or more application state records by the search system, the one or more application state records identified by matching between at least one of the search query and one or more native application states which are accessible by the user device, and one or more terms of information included in the one or more application state records;   determining, using the user device, whether the native application referenced by the AAMs performing the one or more operations indicated by the AAMs sets the native application into any of the one or more native application states; and   displaying the one or more AAMs at the user device based on the determination.   
     
     
         11 . A search system comprising:
 a transceiver configured to receive a search query from a user device; and
 at least one processor configured to: 
 identify one or more native applications that are accessible by a user of the user device, 
 identify one or more application state records by matching between at least one of the search query and the one or more native application states and one or more terms of information included in the one or more application state records, 
 select one or more application access mechanisms (AAMs) from the identified one or more application state records, and 
 control the transceiver to transmit the selected one or more AAMs to the user device. 
   
     
     
         12 . The search system of  claim 11 , wherein each application state record includes the AAM and application state information (ASI). 
     
     
         13 . The search system of  claim 12 , wherein the ASI describes a state of the native application after the native application has performed the one or more operations. 
     
     
         14 . The search system of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the identified one or more application state records includes an indication that the state described by the ASI included in the application state record is accessible by all. 
     
     
         15 . The search system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 generate a result score for each of the identified one or more application state records based on whether the ASI included in the application state record describes one of the one or more native application states, and   order the identified one or more application state records based on the one or more result scores,   wherein the selecting of the one or more application state records comprises selecting the one or more application state records from the ordered one or more application state records   
     
     
         16 . The search system of  claim 11 , wherein the AAMs reference a native application and indicates one or more operations for the native application to perform. 
     
     
         17 . A user device comprising:
 a display;   a transceiver configured to:
 transmit, a search query to a search system configured to generate search results in response to a received search query, and 
 receive search results from the search system in response to transmitting the search query, wherein the search results include one or more application access mechanisms (AAMs) that each reference a native application and indicate one or more operations for the native application to perform, the AAMs are selected from an one or more application state records by the search system, the one or more application state records identified by matching between at least one of the search query and one or more native application states which are accessible by the user device, and one or more terms of information included in the one or more application state records; and 
   at least one processor configured to:
 determine whether the native application referenced by the AAMs performing the one or more operations indicated by the AAMs sets the native application into any of the one or more native application states, and 
 control the display to display the one or more AAMs based on the determination.