Computer method and apparatus for collaborative web searches

• US 20060136377A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Patt-Shamir, Boaz, Adar, Eytan, Tuttle, Mark Rogers
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3346 using probabilistic model
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links

Abstract

Computer method and apparatus for collaborative web search operate in an intranet with non-existent or defective link structure. A search engine produces an initial search result list in response to a user query. A list optimizer reranks pages on the initial list based on implicit user recommendation or endorsement of pages. A last click heuristic defines user endorsement of a page. To form the final result list, the list optimizer scores each page according to reranking, a textual match (or information retrieval score) of the page with the query and an adjustment value.

Claims

1. Computer apparatus for collaborative web search, comprising:

a search engine, the search engine producing an initial search result list in response to a user query in an intranet, and

a list optimizer coupled to the search engine for receiving the initial search result list and reranking pages on the list based on implicit user endorsements of pages, the list optimizer forming and outputting a final result list from at least the reranked pages.

2. Computer apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the list optimizer employs a last clicked heuristic to define user endorsement of a page.

3. Computer apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the list optimizer records in a log the session ID and indications of pages clicked on by a user during the session, and scans the log to compute for each query which pages the user has endorsed.

4. Computer apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the list optimizer reranks pages according to any one or combination of:

(i) a statistical count of the number of times a page has been endorsed,

(ii) a move-to-front ordering of the pages, and

(iii) a probabilistic ordering of the pages.

5. Computer apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the list optimizer further utilizes a global ranking of pages regardless of query to rerank the pages.

6. Computer apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the list optimizer further employs a scoring of each page to form the final result list.

7. Computer apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the scoring of a page is based on at least the reranking of the pages and information retrieval score of the page with the query.

8. Computer apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the scoring includes a random adjustment value.

9. Computer apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the intranet has one of:

a non-existent link structure, and

a defective link structure.

10. A method for collaborative web search, comprising the steps of:

in response to a user query in an intranet, employing a search engine to produce an initial result list;

reranking pages on the initial search result list based on implicit user endorsement of pages; and

forming and outputting a final result list from at least the reranked pages.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the step of reranking includes employing a last clicked heuristic to define user endorsement of a page.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the step of reranking employs any one or a combination of:

(i) a statistical count of the number of times a page has been endorsed,

(ii) a move-to-front ordering of the pages, and

(iii) a probabilistic ordering of the pages.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the step of reranking utilizes a a global ranking of pages regardless of query.

14. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the step of forming the final result list includes scoring each page based on at least the reranking of the pages and information retrieval score of the page with the query.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the scoring includes a random adjustment value.

16. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the intranet has one of:

a non-existent link structure, and

a defective link structure.

17. A computer system for collaborative web search comprising:

in an intranet with a non-existent link structure or a defective link structure, means for receiving a search result list produced by a search engine; and

list optimizing means responsive to the received search result list and reranking pages on the list based on user feedback, the list optimizing means forming and displaying a final result list according to at least the reranking of pages.

18. A computer system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the user feedback is in the form of user selection of pages, each page selected by the user effectively being implicitly endorsed;

and

the list optimizing means reranks pages according to any one or combination of;

(i) a statistical count of the number of times a page has been endorsed,

(ii) a move-to-front ordering of the pages, and

(iii) a probabilistic ordering of the pages.

19. A computer system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the list optimizing means further utilizes a global ranking of pages regardless of query to rerank the pages.

20. A computer system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the list optimizing means further scores each page according to at least the reranking of pages, to form the final result list.