Rule-Based System and Method to Associate Attributes to Text Strings

• US 20110208758A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leaf Group Ltd. (Graham Holdings Company)
• Original Assignee: Demand Media Incorporated (Graham Holdings Company)
• Inventors: Yehaskel, David M., Kjallbring, Henrik M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/247 Thesauruses; Synonyms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/24 Sorting, i.e. extracting data from one or more carriers, rearranging the data in numerical or other ordered sequence, and rerecording the sorted data on the original carrier or on a different carrier or set of carriers sorting methods in generalG06F7/36 takes precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a title is selected for content to be published online. A method implemented in a data processing system includes receiving a plurality of text strings. A plurality of rules are applied to the text strings. If a condition specified in one of the rules exists in a given text string, one or more attributes are associated to that text string as metadata. One or more of the text strings are selected, using the metadata, as a potential title for the content. A final title is prepared based on the potential title, and the content is published online under the final title.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of text strings;

applying, via a data processing system, a first plurality of rules to the plurality of text strings;

if a condition specified in at least one of the rules exists in one of the respective text strings, associating at least one attribute to the one respective text string as metadata; and

automatically selecting, based on the metadata, one of the plurality of text strings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises automatically selecting one of the text strings as a potential title for corresponding content, and the method further comprises publishing the content, under a final title based on the potential title, in an electronic publication.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing a first list of attributes in a first category, wherein the metadata further comprises a first attribute chosen from the first category.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising storing a second list of attributes in a second category, wherein the metadata further comprises a second attribute chosen from the second category.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first category corresponds to intended actions and the second category corresponds to items.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to the selecting of the one text string, sorting the plurality of text strings based on a combination of two or more of the at least one attribute.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first plurality of rules comprises a first rule, and further comprising:

if a condition specified in the first rule exists in a first text string of the plurality of text strings, extracting one or more words from the first text string; and

associating the one or more extracted words to the first text string as one or more attributes for selecting the potential title.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to publishing the content, preparing the content to include one or more key words selected from the plurality of text strings.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to publishing the content, comparing the online monetization values of the potential title and at least one alternative title.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to publishing the content, transforming the potential title in preparation for use as a final title using a second plurality of rules.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second plurality of rules comprises at least one rule that associates a plurality of similar word variations with a single attribute.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective text string is selected from one of the following text strings:

a keyword phrase;

a text string corresponding to an online search query previously received by a website;

an existing title for published online content; and

a text string obtained from an online shopping website.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the first plurality of rules to the plurality of text strings comprises identifying one or more of the following:

patterns in text strings, parts of speech, one or more specific words, and word combinations.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying one or more specific words comprises identifying one or more words found in one or more dictionaries.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises one or more of the following:

at least one tag;

an indication of intent;

query type; and

an indication of suitability for use as a title.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute comprises a query type selected from one of the following types:

informational, transactional, and navigational.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the text strings are existing titles for published online content, and the selecting comprises selecting one of the text strings as a recommendation, and the method further comprises providing the recommendation to a user device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the text strings are obtained from a first online shopping website, and the selecting comprises selecting one of the text strings as a recommendation for a second online shopping website, and the method further comprises providing the recommendation to a user device of a user accessing the second shopping website.

19. A machine-readable media embodying instructions, the instructions causing a data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of search queries previously submitted by users on a plurality of websites;

applying, via the data processing system, a first plurality of rules to the plurality of search queries, wherein the first plurality of rules comprises a first rule, a second rule, and a third rule;

if a condition specified in the first rule exists in a first search query of the plurality of search queries, extracting a first word from the first search query;

if a condition specified in the second rule exists in the first search query, extracting a second word from the first search query;

if a condition, dependent upon the first word and the second word, specified in the third rule exists in the first search query, associating an attribute to the first search query; and

automatically selecting, based on the attribute, one of the plurality of search queries as a potential title for online content or as an online recommendation.

20. A method, comprising:

automatically receiving, via a data processing system, a plurality of search queries previously submitted by users on a plurality of websites, wherein the data processing system is communicatively coupled to receive a portion of the search queries from a respective server associated with each of the websites;

applying a first plurality of rules to the plurality of search queries, wherein the first plurality of rules comprises a first rule;

if a condition specified in the first rule exists in a first search query of the plurality of search queries, extracting one or more words from the first search query;

associating the one or more extracted words to the first search query as metadata;

automatically selecting, based on the metadata, one of the plurality of search queries as a potential title for corresponding content; and

publishing the content, under a final title based on the potential title, in an electronic publication.