Enhancing rankings of search results for member profile queries

• US 10,042,940 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Rahul, Sundaram, Senthil
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US14/579,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20160063121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 707706, 707723, 707732
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

Techniques for improving rankings of search results generated by a search engine are described. A set of member profiles is identified. The identifying is based on keywords specified in a search query matching search index entries corresponding to the set of member profiles. A subset of the member profiles is selected. The selecting is based on a matching of the keywords to special index entries associated with the subset of the member profiles. The special index entries represent values of data fields specified in each of the subset of the set of member profiles. The special index entries also represent relationships between the values of the data fields. Ranking scores associated with each of the subset of the member profiles are boosted. A portion of each of the set of member profiles is communicated for presentation in user interface in order of the ranking scores.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

reranking a set of member profiles for presentation in a search results user interface, the reranking comprising;

identifying the set of member profiles, the identifying based on a set of keywords specified in a search query matching a set of search index entries corresponding to the set of member profiles;

based on a determining that a first keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to a first value associated with a first data field included in the set of member profiles and a determining that a second keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to a second value associated with a second data field included in the set of member profiles, inferring a relationship between the first keyword and second keyword;

based on the inferring of the relationship, comparing the combination of the first keyword and the second keyword to special index entries generated for the set of member profiles, the special index entries representing the relationship;

selecting a subset of the member profiles, the selecting based on the comparing indicating a match between the combination and the special index entries corresponding to each of the subset of the member profiles;

boosting ranking scores associated with each of the subset of the member profiles;

performing the reranking of the set of member profiles, the reranking taking into account the boosted ranking scores for reach of the subset of the member profiles; and

communicating a portion of each of the set of member profiles for presentation in the search results user interface based on the reranking.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the first keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to the first value associated with the first data field is based on a matching of the first keyword to a plurality of possible values specified in the set of member profiles with respect to the first data field.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining that the first keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to the first value associated with the first data field is based on a context of the search query, the context including information pertaining to a searcher who submitted the query and information pertaining to a behavior of the searcher who submitted the query.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating the special index entries based on a determination of a significance of the values of the data fields to the context, the determination of the significance based on an analysis of a history of previous search results.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a type of a relationship between the first value and the second value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a strength of a relationship between the first value and the second value.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the boosting of the ranking scores is proportional to an importance of the type of the relationship, the importance determined based on an analysis of a history of past search results.

8. A system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer memories;

one or more modules incorporated into the one or more computer memories, the one or more modules configuring the one or more computer processors to perform operations for reranking a set of member profiles for presentation in a search results user interface the operations comprising;

identifying a set of member profiles, the identifying based on a set of keywords specified in a search query matching search index entries corresponding to the set of member profiles;

based on a determining that a first keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to a first value associated with a first data field included in the set of member profiles and a determining that a second keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to a second value associated with a second data field included in the set of member profiles, inferring a relationship between the first keyword and second keyword;

based on the inferring of the relationship, comparing the comparing the combination of the first keyword and the second keyword to special index entries generated for the set of member profiles, the special index entries representing the relationship;

selecting a subset of the member profiles, the selecting based on the comparing indicating a match between the combination and the special index entries corresponding-to each of the subset of the member profiles;

boosting ranking scores associated with each of the subset of the member profiles;

performing the reranking of the set of member profiles, the reranking taking into account the boosted ranking scores for reach of the subset of the member profiles; and

communicating a portion of each of the set of member profiles for presentation in the search results user interface based on the reranking.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the determining that the first keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to the first value associated with the first data field is based on a matching of the first keyword to a plurality of possible values specified in the set of member profiles with respect to the first data field.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the determining that the first keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to the first value associated with the first data field is based on a context of the search query, the context including information pertaining to a searcher who submitted the query and information pertaining to a behavior of the searcher who submitted the query.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising generating the special index entries based on a determination of a significance of the values of the data fields to the context, the determination of the significance based on an analysis of a history of previous search results.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a type of a relationship between the first value and the second value.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a strength of a relationship between the first value and the second value.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the boosting of the ranking scores is proportional to an importance of the type of the relationship, the importance determined based on an analysis of a history of past search results.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

reranking a set of member profiles for presentation in a search results user interface, the reranking comprising;

identifying the set of member profiles, the identifying based on a set of keywords specified in a search query matching a set of search index entries corresponding to the set of member profiles;

based on a determining that a first keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to a first value associated with a first data field included in the set of member profiles and a determining that a second keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to a second value associated with a second data field included in the set of member profiles, inferring a relationship between the first keyword and second keyword;

based on the inferring of the relationship, comparing the comparing the combination of the first keyword and the second keyword to special index entries generated for the set of member profiles, the special index entries representing the relationship;

selecting a subset of the member profiles, the selecting based on the comparing indicating a match between the combination and the special index entries for each of the subset of the member profiles;

boosting ranking scores associated with each of the subset of the member profiles;

performing the reranking of the set of member profiles, the reranking taking into account the boosted ranking scores for reach of the subset of the member profiles; and

communicating a portion of each of the set of member profiles for presentation in the search results user interface based on the reranking.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the determining that the first keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to the first value associated with the first data field is based on a matching of the first keyword to a plurality of possible values specified in the set of member profiles with respect to the first data field.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the determining that the first keyword of the set of keywords corresponds to the first value associated with the first data field is based on a context of the search query, the context including information pertaining to a searcher who submitted the query and information pertaining to a behavior of the searcher who submitted the query.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising generating the special index entries based on a determination of a significance of the values of the data fields to the context, the determination of the significance based on an analysis of a history of previous search results.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a type of a relationship between the first value and the second value.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein each of the special search index entries includes a special character representing a strength of a relationship between the first value and the second value.