Enhanced popularity ranking

• US 20030135490A1
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (IAC/InterActiveCorp)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (IAC/InterActiveCorp)
• Inventors: Barrett, Michael E., Levin, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method of organizing information in which the search activities of previous users is monitored and such activity is used to organize information for future users. The user activities are monitored from a time and use based perspective to insure more relevant results can be provided in response to a user'"'"'s search for information.

Claims

1. A method of creating a relevancy score for information using a score based on inflation factors applied to previous uses.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said previous uses comprises use of the same information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said enhanced popularity score is created using adaptive inflation scoring.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said enhanced popularity score is created using blended inflation scoring.

3. A method of returning results from a search of a collection of information consisting of ranking the results based on an enhanced popularity score.

6. A database containing indexed information further containing an enhanced popularity score related to information contained in the database.

7. The database of claim 6 wherein said information is a representation of data available over the Internet.

8. The database of claim 6 wherein said information is discrete data which is wholly contained in said database.

9. A method of generating an enhanced popularity score comprising:

tracking the use history of information; and

applying a time decay rate to said use history to create said enhanced popularity score.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said time decay rate is modified based on the historical use of a particular piece of information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said enhanced popularity score is adjusted based on assessing actual use rate of said information against expected use rate.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said historical use is stored as a static value, wherein said static value may be adjusted periodically.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said historical use is reassessed dynamically.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said time decay rate is modified dynamically based on the rate of use of said information.

15. A method of generating an enhanced popularity score comprising:

assigning at least a high use time decay rate and a low use time decay rate to information;

tracking the use history of said information;

generating at least two hypothetical enhanced popularity scores based on said use history and said high and low use time decay rates; and

applying a weighting factor to said hypothetical scores to create said enhanced popularity score.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said weighting factor is based on the actual rate of use of the information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said enhanced popularity score is adjusted based on assessing actual use rate of said information against and expected use rate.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said information is a website and said rate of use is the traffic to said website.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said traffic to said website is an estimated value.

20. A method of using checksum coding, consisting of:

placing a time and date code in a call to a tracking website; and

reviewing the time and date code at the tracking website to determine whether to account for the website call.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of determining whether to account for the website call comprises determining the time elapsed from the time said time and date code was generated.

22. A system for use at a website that tracks usage of other websites selected from a search results list comprising:

code to check for a time and date code;

code to determine how much time has elapsed since said time and date code was generated; and

code to determine whether to track the use of a selected website based on the amount of time that has elapsed since said time and date code was generated.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said code to determine whether to track the use of a selected website allows a user to define the amount of time used for the determination.

24. An information tracking system that receives a request to display user selected information comprising:

a memory for storing information regarding said request; and

a program for modifying an enhanced popularity score associated with said selected information based on receipt of said request.

25. The information tracking system of claim 24 wherein said selected information is a link to a website.

26. The information tracking system of claim 24 further comprising a program for checking said request to determine whether it should be used to modify said enhanced popularity score.

27. The information tracking system of claim 26, wherein said program for checking said request, comprises reviewing a time and date code in said request and determining whether a preset time has past since the generation of said time and date code.