Efficient paging of search query results

• US 20080172377A1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kapadia, Arshish, Zeller, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Methods and computer-readable media provide for efficient paging of search results in accordance with the access rights of a user. According to various implementations, a request for a search query results in a calculated number of search results being retrieved and analyzed for user access rights. As documents having user access rights are located, session state information corresponding to the number of located documents having user access rights and to the number of analyzed documents required to locate the number of documents having user access rights is maintained. This information is used to dynamically alter the number of subsequent documents that are retrieved in order to fill a page of results. This minimizes redundant determinations of user access rights and minimizes the number of documents required to be retrieved and analyzed in order to fulfill a search query request.

Claims

1. A method of providing search results to a user, comprising:

receiving a request for a search query, the request comprising a maximum number of documents to be displayed on a results page;

retrieving a number of documents relevant to the search query, the number of documents retrieved greater than the maximum number of results to be displayed on the results page by a predetermined amount;

determining access rights corresponding to a plurality of retrieved documents;

maintaining session state information, the session state information comprising a first value representing a number of documents for which a user is determined to have access rights and a second value representing a number of documents for which the access rights have been determined;

retrieving a number of additional documents relevant to the search query, the number of additional documents determined from the session state information;

determining access rights for a plurality of the additional documents beginning with a document following the number of documents for which the access rights have been determined; and

instructing a client computer to display documents on the results page for which the user is determined to have access rights.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining access rights corresponding to the plurality of retrieved documents comprises determining access rights corresponding to each retrieved document until access rights corresponding to all retrieved documents have been determined.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining access rights corresponding to the plurality of retrieved documents comprises determining access rights corresponding to each retrieved document until a number of documents for which the user is determined to have access rights is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an estimate of a total number of documents relevant to the search query for which the user will be determined to have access rights; and

causing the client computer to display the estimate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the estimate of the total number of documents relevant to the search query for which the user will be determined to have access rights comprises multiplying a total number of documents relevant to the search query by a quotient obtained by dividing the first value of the session state information by the second value of the session state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining access rights corresponding to the plurality of retrieved documents comprises:

setting a first document of the number of documents retrieved as a current result;

determining whether the user is authorized to view the current result;

if the user is not authorized to view the current result,

removing the current result,

setting a next document of the number of documents retrieved as the current result, and

determining whether the user is authorized to view the current result; and

if the user is authorized to view the current result,

selecting the current result for display,

setting a next document of the number of documents retrieved as the current result, and

determining whether the user is authorized to view the current result.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the client computer to store the session state information after the number of documents for which the user is determined to have access rights is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a request for a subsequent results page, the request comprising a maximum number of documents to be displayed on the subsequent results page that is not equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page;

retrieving prior session state information characterized by a first value that is less than a number of a first document to be displayed on the subsequent results page;

determining a quantity of documents between the first value of the prior session state information and the number of the first document to be displayed on the subsequent results page as overfetch;

identifying documents relevant to the search request for which the user has access rights; and

instructing a client computer to display documents on the subsequent results page for which the user is determined to have access rights excluding the overfetch.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request for a search query, the request comprising a maximum number of documents to be displayed on a results page;

retrieve a number of documents relevant to the search query that is greater than the maximum number of results to be displayed on the results page by a predetermined amount;

determine access rights corresponding to a plurality of retrieved documents;

maintain session state information, the session state information comprising a first value representing a number of documents for which a user is determined to have access rights and a second value representing a number of documents for which the access rights have been determined;

determine whether the first value is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page;

if the first value is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page, cause a client computer to display the documents for which the user is determined to have access rights; and

if the first value is not equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page,

retrieve an additional number of documents relevant to the search query calculated using the session state information,

determine access rights corresponding to the additional number of documents until the first value is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page, and

cause the client computer to display the documents for which the user is determined to have access rights.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

determine an estimate of a total number of documents relevant to the search query for which the user will be determined to have access rights; and

cause the client computer to display the estimate.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein causing the computer to determine the estimate of the total number of documents relevant to the search query for which the user will be determined to have access rights comprises causing the computer to multiply a total number of documents relevant to the search query by a quotient obtained by dividing the number of documents for which a user is determined to have access rights by the number of documents for which the access rights have been determined.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein causing the computer to determine access rights corresponding to the plurality of retrieved documents comprises causing the computer to:

set a first document of the number of documents retrieved as a current result;

determine whether the user is authorized to view the current result;

if the user is not authorized to view the current result,

remove the current result,

set a next document of the number of documents retrieved as the current result, and

determine whether the user is authorized to view the current result; and

if the user is authorized to view the current result,

select the current result for display,

set a next document of the number of documents retrieved as the current result, and

determine whether the user is authorized to view the current result.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to instruct the client computer to store the session state information after the number of documents for which the user is determined to have access rights is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request for a subsequent results page, the request comprising a maximum number of documents to be displayed on the subsequent results page that is not equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page;

retrieve prior session state information characterized by a first value that is less than a number of a first document to be displayed on the subsequent results page;

determine a quantity of documents between the first value of the prior session state information and the number of the first document to be displayed on the subsequent results page as overfetch;

identify documents relevant to the search request for which the user has access rights; and

instruct a client computer to display documents on the subsequent results page for which the user is determined to have access rights excluding the overfetch.

15. A method for providing search results to a user, comprising:

receiving a request for a search query, the request comprising a maximum number of documents to be displayed on a results page;

retrieving a quantity of documents relevant to the search query that is a greater than the maximum number of results to be displayed on the results page by a predetermined percentage;

setting a first document of the quantity of documents retrieved as a current result;

determining whether a user is authorized to view the current result;

if the user is not authorized to view the current result,

removing the current result,

setting a next document of the quantity of documents retrieved as the current result, and

determining whether the user is authorized to view the current result;

if the user is authorized to view the current result,

selecting the current result for display,

setting a next document of the quantity of documents retrieved as the current result,

determining whether the user is authorized to view the current result, and

increasing each of two values maintained as session state information,

a first value representing a quantity of documents for which a user is determined to be authorized to view and a second value representing a quantity of documents for which the a determination has been made as to whether the user is authorized to view;

determining whether the first value is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page;

if the first value is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page, causing a client computer to display the documents for which the user is determined to have access rights; and

if the first value is not equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page,

retrieving an additional quantity of documents relevant to the search query calculated using the session state information,

determining access rights corresponding to the additional quantity of documents until the first value is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page, and

causing the client computer to display the documents for which the user is determined to have access rights.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining an estimate of a total quantity of documents relevant to the search query for which the user will be determined to be authorized to view; and

causing the client computer to display the estimate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining an estimate of the total quantity of documents relevant to the search query for which the user will be determined to be authorized to view comprises multiplying a total quantity of documents relevant to the search query by a quotient obtained by dividing the quantity of documents for which a user is determined to be authorized to view by the quantity of documents for which the a determination has been made as to whether the user is authorized to view.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising instructing the client computer to store the session state information after the number of documents for which the user is determined to be authorized to view is equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the session state information to the client computer as an encrypted cookie.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request for a subsequent results page, the request comprising a maximum number of documents to be displayed on the subsequent results page that is not equivalent to the maximum number of documents to be displayed on the results page;

retrieving prior session state information characterized by a first value that is less than a number of a first document to be displayed on the subsequent results page;

determining a quantity of documents between the first value of the prior session state information and the number of the first document to be displayed on the subsequent results page as overfetch;

identifying documents relevant to the search request for which the user has access rights; and

instructing a client computer to display documents on the subsequent results page for which the user is determined to have access rights excluding the overfetch.