Query categorizer
First Claim
1. A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions, wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform certain steps including:
- receiving a first set of query terms;
for each vertical in a plurality of verticals, determining a number of previous searches that both (a) were performed based on the first set of query terms and (b) produced a set of search results, in the vertical, from which at least one search result was selected by a user;
ranking verticals in the plurality of verticals based at least in part on said numbers determined for each vertical in the plurality of verticals, thereby generating a ranked list of verticals;
selecting one or more selected verticals from the ranked list of verticals based on ranks of verticals in the ranked list of verticals; and
presenting, for each particular vertical of the one or more selected verticals, one or more search results that are (a) generated based on the first set of query terms and (b) within the particular vertical;
wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of (a) sending said instructions over transmission media, (b) receiving said instructions over transmission media, (c) storing said instructions onto a machine-readable storage medium, or (d) executing the instructions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In response to a user'"'"'s submission of a set of query terms through an Internet search engine'"'"'s user interface, the Internet search engine automatically ranks multiple verticals based on the estimated probabilities that those verticals will contain relevant content. After the verticals have been ranked, a set of the highest-ranked verticals is selected. Search results from each of the verticals in the selected set are presented to the user. Thus, the user may obtain a sample from verticals that are the most likely to contain relevant content. The search engine may rank a set of verticals based on historical search result selection data for similar sets of query terms. The historical search result selection data for a set of query terms indicates, for each vertical, the number of times that any user selected a search result from that vertical after conducting a search based on that set of query terms.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions, wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform certain steps including:
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receiving a first set of query terms; for each vertical in a plurality of verticals, determining a number of previous searches that both (a) were performed based on the first set of query terms and (b) produced a set of search results, in the vertical, from which at least one search result was selected by a user; ranking verticals in the plurality of verticals based at least in part on said numbers determined for each vertical in the plurality of verticals, thereby generating a ranked list of verticals; selecting one or more selected verticals from the ranked list of verticals based on ranks of verticals in the ranked list of verticals; and presenting, for each particular vertical of the one or more selected verticals, one or more search results that are (a) generated based on the first set of query terms and (b) within the particular vertical; wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of (a) sending said instructions over transmission media, (b) receiving said instructions over transmission media, (c) storing said instructions onto a machine-readable storage medium, or (d) executing the instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification