Patent ID: 8321431

Claim:
At a computer system including one or more processors and system memory, the computer system including a database of searchable information, a method for providing a user with requested information, the method comprising: an act of using input portals to enter searchable information into a database, the searchable information comprising contextual data, location specific information, and time specific information; an act of receiving a query from another computing device, the query including search terms of a user request for the searchable information; an act of parsing the query to identify the included search terms and to identify the user; an act of accessing relevant contextual data for the user based on the search terms and the identity of the user, the relevant contextual data including at least accumulated behavioral data for the user, the accumulated behavioral data indicative of one or more prior interactions the user has had with the computer system, the contextual data also including the user's search history; an act of formulating a current context for the query from the relevant contextual data for the user; an act of determining that the search terms in view of the current context do not define the user request for information since the search terms in view of the current context are ambiguous, provide too few relevant results, or provide too many relevant results; an act of entering into an interactive query dialogue with the other computing device to obtain additional relevant contextual data for the user, including performing one or more times: an act of submitting a further query back to the other computing device, the further query requesting the additional contextual data for the user; and an act of receiving the additional contextual data from the other computing device, the additional contextual data having been entered by the user at the other computing device; the computer system formulating a refined context for the query from the current context and the additional contextual data; an act of using the search terms in view of the refined context to search the searchable information in the database for any relevant portions of data responsive to the query; an act of identifying one or more relevant portions of data responsive to the query from the database; and an act of returning the one or more portions of data comprising the user's search history to the other computing device in response to the query.