Identifying items relevant to a current query based on items accessed in connection with similar queries

• US 20060053065A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dwayne Bowman, Greg Linden, Joel R. Spiegel, Ruben E. Ortega
• Original Assignee: Dwayne Bowman, Greg Linden, Joel R. Spiegel, Ruben E. Ortega
• Inventors: Ortega, Ruben E., Spiegel, Joel R., Linden, Greg, Bowman, Dwayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,620,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3334 Selection or weighting of terms from queries, including natural language queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3349 Reuse of stored results of previous queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The present invention provides a software facility for identifying the items most relevant to a current query based on items selected in connection with similar queries. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the facility receives a query specifying one or more query terms. In response, the facility generates a query result identifying a plurality of items that satisfy the query. The facility then produces a ranking value for at least a portion of the items identified in the query result by combining the relative frequencies with which users selected that item from the query results generated from queries specifying each of the terms specified by the query. The facility identifies as most relevant those items having the highest ranking values.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A method in a computer system for ordering auctions, the method comprising:

receiving from a user a selection specification;

identifying from a mapping of selection specifications to auctions a set of auctions that satisfy the received selection specification;

ranking multiple of the identified auctions based on a selection action performed by another user on at least one of the multiple of the identified auctions, the at least one of the identified auctions identified from a similar selection specification; and

providing the ordered auctions for display to the user.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the selection specification includes a category.

43. The method If claim 41 wherein the selection specification includes a term.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the selection action is placing a bid at an auction.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein the selection action is selecting to view an auction.

46. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of ranking auctions, the method comprising:

receiving from a user a selection specification that includes a category and a term;

identifying auctions that satisfy the received selection specification by determining whether other users who submitted a selection specification performed a selection action for an auction that was identified as satisfying the submitted selection specification;

generating a ranking for some of the identified auctions based on a relevance of the identified auctions to a submitted selection specification that is similar to the received selection specification; and

providing the ranked auctions for display to the user.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46 wherein the received selection specification is similar to the submitted selection specification.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 46 wherein the selection action is selecting an auction.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 46 wherein the selection action is placing a bid at an auction.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 46 wherein the selection action is selecting to view an auction.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 46 wherein the generated ranking is additionally based on time spent by other users viewing information displayed as a result of the selection action.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 46 wherein the auction is for an item and the selection action includes purchasing an item that is similar to the item of the auction.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 46 wherein the auction is for an item and the selection action includes adding to a shopping basket an item that is similar to the item.

54. A system for ranking auctions, comprising.

a communications component that receives a query from a user;

an identification component that identifies auctions that satisfy the received query; and

a ranking component that generates a ranking for some of the identified auctions based on a bid placed by another user at an auction that was identified as satisfying a similar query.

55. The system of claim 54 including a component that establishes a relevance of auctions to queries.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein the ranking is based at least in part on the established relevance of auctions.

57. The system of claim 54 including a display component that provides ranked auctions for display.

58. The system of claim 54 including a mapping of queries to auctions identified as a result of the mapped selection specifications.

59. The system of claim 58 wherein an auction in which a user placed a bid is mapped to a query.

60. The system of claim 54 wherein the query includes a category and a term.