ARRANGING SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS

• US 20090187557A1
• Filed: 01/23/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gscompare, LLC
• Original Assignee: GlobalSpec, Inc. (S&P Global Inc.)
• Inventors: Carey, Kevin D., Gaulin, Mark Richard, Hansen, Richard Karl, De, Nilanjana
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Search engine results arranged according to one or more first criteria (e.g., relevancy) are obtained. The results are assigned groups within chosen or calculated relevancy ranges. The results are then resorted within each group according to one or more second criteria (e.g., payment). The groups maintain original placement relative to each other during resorting. A list of at least some of the resorted results is then created for various uses, including search or further manipulation.

Claims

1. A method of arranging search engine results, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of search engine results sorted according to at least one first criteria;

grouping the sorted plurality of search engine results into at least two groups according to the at least one first criteria;

sorting within each of the at least two groups according to at least one second criteria while maintaining relative placement of the at least two groups; and

creating a list of at least some of the plurality of search engine results in accordance with the sorting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein within each of the at least two groups any results not satisfying the at least one second criteria are placed in a less prominent position than results satisfying the at least one second criteria according to the at least one first criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two groups are of predefined size.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second criteria comprises a payment amount.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first criteria comprises relevancy.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each group comprises a different range of normalized relevancy scores, and wherein the grouping comprises determining a group for a given result according to the formula (N−

S)/B where N=maximum possible normalized score for the at least one first criteria, S=normalized score of the given result for the at least one criteria, and B=a predetermined range size of normalized scores for each group.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a position of one or more results after the sorting.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining, the grouping, the sorting and the creating are performed in real time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the obtaining, the grouping, the sorting and the creating are performed for a page of search engine results.

10. A method of arranging search engine results, comprising:

sorting a plurality of search engine results, the plurality of search engine results comprising at least one paid result and at least one unpaid result; and

creating a list of at least some of the plurality of search engine results in accordance with the sorting, wherein at least one of the at least one unpaid result appears in a more prominent position in the list than at least one of the at least one paid result.

11. A method of arranging search engine results, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of search engine results sorted according to relevancy, wherein the plurality of search engine results include at least one paid result and at least one unpaid result;

grouping the sorted plurality of search engine results into at least two groups according to relevancy range;

sorting within each of the at least two groups according to payment amount while maintaining relative placement of the at least two groups, wherein within each of the at least two groups any unpaid results are placed below paid results; and

creating a list of at least some of the plurality of search engine results in accordance with the sorting, wherein the obtaining, the grouping, the sorting and the creating are performed in real time.

12. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer usable medium encoded with computer readable program code logic to facilitate arranging search engine results, said computer readable program code logic when executing performing the following;

obtaining a plurality of search engine results sorted according to at least one first criteria;

grouping the sorted plurality of search engine results into at least two groups according to the at least one first criteria;

sorting within each of the at least two groups according to at least one second criteria while maintaining relative placement of the at least two groups; and

creating a list of at least some of the plurality of search engine results in accordance with the sorting.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein within each of the at least two groups any results not satisfying the at least one second criteria are placed in a less prominent position than results satisfying the at least one second criteria according to the at least one first criteria.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the at least two groups are of predefined size.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the at least one second criteria comprises a payment amount.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the at least one first criteria comprises relevancy.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein each group comprises a different range of normalized relevancy scores, and wherein the grouping comprises determining a group for a given result according to the formula (N−

S)/B where N=maximum possible normalized score for the at least one first criteria, S=normalized score of the given result for the at least one criteria, and B=a predetermined range size of normalized scores for each group.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 12, further comprising changing a position of one or more results after the sorting.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the obtaining, the grouping, the sorting and the creating are performed in real time.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the obtaining, the grouping, the sorting and the creating are performed for a page of search engine results.

21. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer usable medium encoded with computer readable program code logic to facilitate arranging search engine results, said computer readable program code logic when executing performing the following;

sorting a plurality of search engine results, the plurality of search engine results comprising at least one paid result and at least one unpaid result; and

creating a list of at least some of the plurality of search engine results in accordance with the sorting, wherein at least one of the at least one unpaid result appears in a more prominent position in the list than at least one of the at least one paid result.

22. An article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer usable medium encoded with computer readable program code logic to facilitate arranging search engine results, said computer readable program code logic when executing performing the following;

obtaining a plurality of search engine results sorted according to relevancy, wherein the plurality of search engine results include at least one paid result and at least one unpaid result;

grouping the sorted plurality of search engine results into at least two groups according to relevancy range;

sorting within each of the at least two groups according to payment amount while maintaining relative placement of the at least two groups, wherein within each of the at least two groups any unpaid results are placed below paid results; and

creating a list of at least some of the plurality of search engine results in accordance with the sorting, wherein the obtaining, the grouping, the sorting and the creating are performed in real time.

23. A system to arrange search engine results, the system comprising:

at least one processor to obtain a plurality of search engine results sorted according to at least one first criteria;

at least one processor to group the sorted plurality of search engine results into at least two groups according to the at least one first criteria;

at least one processor to sort within each of the at least two groups according to at least one second criteria while maintaining relative placement of the at least two groups; and

at least one processor to create a list of at least some of the plurality of search engine results in accordance with the sorting.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein within each of the at least two groups any results not satisfying the at least one second criteria are placed in a less prominent position than results satisfying the at least one second criteria according to the at least one first criteria.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least two groups are of predefined size.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one second criteria comprises a payment amount.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one first criteria comprises relevancy.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein each group comprises a different range of normalized relevancy scores, and wherein the grouping comprises determining a group for a given result according to the formula (N−

S)/B where N=maximum possible normalized score for the at least one first criteria, S=normalized score of the given result for the at least one criteria, and B=a predetermined range size of normalized scores for each group.

29. The system of claim 23, further comprising at least one processor to change a position of one or more results after the sorting.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor to obtain, the at least one processor to group, the at least one processor to sort and the at least one processor to create process in real time.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the at least one processor to obtain in real time comprises at least one processor to obtain in real time a page comprising the plurality of search engine results.

32. A system to arrange search engine results, the system comprising:

at least one processor to sort a plurality of search engine results, the plurality of search engine results comprising at least one paid result and at least one unpaid result; and

at least one processor to create a list of at least some of the plurality of search engine results in accordance with the sorting, wherein at least one of the at least one unpaid result appears in a more prominent position in the list than at least one of the at least one paid result.

33. A system to arrange search engine results, the system comprising:

at least one processor to obtain a plurality of search engine results sorted according to relevancy, wherein the plurality of search engine results include at least one paid result and at least one unpaid result;

at least one processor to group the sorted plurality of search engine results into at least two groups according to relevancy range;

at least one processor to sort within each of the at least two groups according to payment amount while maintaining relative placement of the at least two groups, wherein within each of the at least two groups any unpaid results are placed below paid results; and

at least one processor to create a list of at least some of the plurality of search engine results in accordance with the sorting, wherein the at least one processor to obtain, the at least one processor to group, the at least one processor to sort, and the at least one processor to create process in real time.