Selecting between global and location-specific search results

• US 10,037,357 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Donaker, Gregory J., Blackman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Liao, Jason G
• Application Number:
  US12/964,158
• Time in Patent Office: 2,791 Days
• Field of Search: 707748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Methods, system, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for selecting between location-specific and global search results. One method includes receiving a query and a location identifier identifying a geographic location, obtaining a location-specific set of search results responsive to the query and a global set of search results responsive to the query, and determining a cluster score for the global set of search results. The method further includes selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results as a primary set of search results according to one or more scores for the location-specific and global sets of search results, wherein the one or more scores include the cluster score, and identifying one or more identified search results in the primary set of search results for presentation in response to the query.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more computers configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving a query and a location identifier identifying a geographic location;

obtaining a location-specific set of search results responsive to the query and a global set of search results responsive to the query, wherein the location-specific set of search results is specific to the associated geographic location for the query and the global set of search results is not specific to the associated geographic location for the query;

determining one or more scores measuring at least one of quality or responsiveness for the location-specific set of search results;

determining one or more scores including a clustering score for the global set of search results, wherein the clustering score is a measure of the geographical clustering of entities associated with the global set of search results relative to each other or around a single location unrelated to the associated geographic location of the query;

selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results as a primary set of search results based on the one or more scores for the location-specific and the one or more scores for the global set of search results; and

identifying one or more identified search results in the primary set of search results for presentation in response to the query.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the associated geographic location is a geographic location determined to be of interest to a user based on information that does not include text of the query.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting the one or more identified search results.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting a secondary set of search results; and

presenting a selectable user interface element that, when activated by a user, causes the system to present the secondary set of search results.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the query is received from a user through a map-based search user interface, and presenting the primary set of search results comprises presenting the primary set of search results in the map based user interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more scores for each of the location-specific and global sets of search results further include one or more responsiveness scores that each estimate how closely results in the set of search results match the query.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more scores for each of the location-specific and global sets of search results further include one or more quality scores that each estimate numbers of reviews of documents associated with the search results in each results set.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more scores for the location-specific and global sets of search results further include one or more scores derived from an estimate of a physical distance between search results in one of the sets of search results and the associated geographic location for the query.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results as a primary set of search results comprises selecting the global set of search results if the clustering score for the global set of search results indicates that a predetermined percentage of entities associated with search results in the global set of search results are physically located within a predetermined distance of each other.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results further comprises only selecting the global set of search results if an aggregate distance between search results in the global set of search results and the inferred location is greater than a first threshold.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results further comprises only selecting the global set of search results if at least one of the search results in the global set of search results has a name that matches the query.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results further comprises only selecting the global set of search results if a top ranked result of the global set of search results is different from a top ranked result of the location-specific set of search results.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results further comprises only selecting the global set of search results if the words in the query do not match a category associated with search results in the global set of search results.

14. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving a query and a location identifier identifying a geographic location;

obtaining a location-specific set of search results responsive to the query and a global set of search results responsive to the query, wherein the location-specific set of search results is specific to the associated geographic location for the query and the global set of search results is not specific to the associated geographic location for the query;

determining one or more scores measuring at least one of quality or responsiveness for the location-specific set of search results;

determining one or more scores including a clustering score for the global set of search results, wherein the clustering score is a measure of the geographical clustering of entities associated with the global set of search results relative to each other or around a single location unrelated to the associated geographic location of the query;

selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results as a primary set of search results based on the one or more scores for the location-specific and the one or more scores for the global set of search results; and

identifying one or more identified search results in the primary set of search results for presentation in response to the query.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the associated geographic location is a geographic location determined to be of interest to a user based on information that does not include text of the query.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising presenting the one or more identified search results.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

selecting a secondary set of search results; and

presenting a selectable user interface element that, when activated by a user, causes the system to present the secondary set of search results.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the query is received from a user through a map-based search user interface, and presenting the primary set of search results comprises presenting the primary set of search results in the map based user interface.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more scores for each of the location-specific and global sets of search results further include one or more responsiveness scores that each estimate how closely results in the set of search results match the query.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more scores for each of the location-specific and global sets of search results further include one or more quality scores that each estimate numbers of reviews of documents associated with the search results in each results set.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more scores for the location-specific and global sets of search results further include one or more scores derived from an estimate of a physical distance between search results in one of the sets of search results and the associated geographic location for the query.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results as a primary set of search results comprises selecting the global set of search results if the clustering score for the global set of search results indicates that a predetermined percentage of entities associated with search results in the global set of search results are physically located within a predetermined distance of each other.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results further comprises only selecting the global set of search results if an aggregate distance between search results in the global set of search results and the inferred location is greater than a first threshold.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results further comprises only selecting the global set of search results if at least one of the search results in the global set of search results has a name that matches the query.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results further comprises only selecting the global set of search results if a top ranked result of the global set of search results is different from a top ranked result of the location-specific set of search results.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results further comprises only selecting the global set of search results if the words in the query do not match a category associated with search results in the global set of search results.

27. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a query and a location identifier identifying a geographic location;

obtaining a location-specific set of search results responsive to the query and a global set of search results responsive to the query, wherein the location-specific set of search results is specific to the associated geographic location for the query and the global set of search results is not specific to the associated geographic location for the query;

determining one or more scores measuring at least one of quality or responsiveness for the location-specific set of search results;

determining one or more scores including a clustering score for the global set of search results, wherein the clustering score is a measure of the geographical clustering of entities associated with the global set of search results relative to each other or around a single location unrelated to the associated geographic location of the query;

selecting either the global set of search results or the location-specific set of search results as a primary set of search results based on the one or more scores for the location-specific and the one or more scores for the global set of search results; and

identifying one or more identified search results in the primary set of search results for presentation in response to the query.