Retrieval and display of data objects using a cross-group ranking metric

• US 20060036591A1
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Wei, Gerasoulis, Apostolos, Seo, Hyun-Ju
• Granted Patent: US 7,330,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Techniques to assign a ranking value to objects in a database such as a collection of cross referencing documents, the World-Wide Web or a hyperlinked database are described. The ranking value assigned to a given data object represents a cross-cluster strength metric and is a function of the object'"'"'s importance across all groups or clusters in which the object is classified. The cross-cluster strength metric may be particularly beneficial in enhancing the performance of web-based search engines because it emphasizes the importance of objects that appear in multiple groups while de-emphasizing the importance of objects that, while highly linked within one or a few groups, are relatively unlinked to objects in other groups.

Claims

1. A method to rank a data object, wherein the data object is a member of a plurality of groups, the method comprising:

obtaining a group-value for each group In which the data object is a member;

obtaining an object-value associated with the data object for each group in which the data object is a member;

obtaining a weighting factor value;

combining the group-values and the object-values and the weighting factor in a group-by-group fashion to assign a scalar strength score to the data object; and

processing the data object according to the strength score.

2-24. -24. (canceled)