TECHNIQUES FOR INCLUDING COLLECTION ITEMS IN SEARCH RESULTS

• US 20110238675A1
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Joshua E. Schachter
• Inventors: Schachter, Joshua E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/749
• 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

Abstract

Techniques are provided for including collection items in the ranked set of search results that are returned to a user in response to a search query. Collection scoring techniques are also provided for generating relevance scores for collection items in a different manner than relevance scores are generated for base items that are not collections. The collection scoring techniques may be applied to non-base collection items, base collection items, or both. Items that match the search query, including base items and collection items, are ranked in a unified ranking based on their respective relevance scores, thereby allowing searches to readily determine the relevance ranking of matching collection items relative to matching base items.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, in an index associated with a system, a first index entry associated with a first collection item;

storing, within the system, data that indicates that a plurality of items indexed by the system are collection items, wherein the plurality of items include the first collection item;

in response to receiving a search query, identifying a set of matching items, wherein the set of matching items includes one or more base items and the first collection item, wherein identifying the set of matching items includes matching the search query to the first index entry; and

responding to said search query by generating search results based at least in part on the set of matching items, wherein the search results comprise;

a) at least one of the one or more base items; and

b) the first collection item;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating search results includes providing a ranked listing of matching items from said set, wherein said ranked listing is ordered based on relevancy rankings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the index entry is performed in response to receiving a registration request from a service provider or program that is used to generate collection items.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the registration request comprises registration metadata that includes one or more of:

a) information that identifies a plurality of base items in a collection that is represented by the first collection item

b) information about the creator of the first collection item;

or

c) information about the first collection item.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the registration metadata includes information about the first collection item, wherein the information about the first collection item includes a user-generated tag that identifies one or more keywords for describing the collection item;

wherein the method further comprises associating the user-generated tag with the first index entry;

wherein matching the search query to the first index entry is performed by matching the search query to the user-generated tag.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a web page associated with the first collection item, wherein the web page includes controls for accessing the base items that belong to the collection item.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the web page is performed in response to receiving a request originating from a set of search results presented to a user, wherein the request is associated with the collection item.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, through discovery, files that correspond to collection items.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the base items are web pages and the collection items are bookmark sets.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the base items are audio files and the collection items are playlists.

11. A computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

storing, in an index associated with a system, a first index entry associated with a first collection item;

storing, within the system, data that indicates that a plurality of items indexed by the system are collection items, wherein the plurality of items include the first collection item;

in response to receiving a search query, identifying a set of matching items, wherein the set of matching items includes one or more base items and the first collection item, wherein identifying the set of matching items includes matching the search query to the first index entry; and

responding to said search query by generating search results based at least in part on the set of matching items, wherein the search results comprise;

a) at least one of the one or more base items; and

b) the first collection item.

12. The computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 11 wherein generating search results includes providing a ranked listing of matching items from said set, wherein said ranked listing is ordered based on relevancy rankings.

13. The computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 11, wherein storing the index entry is performed in response to receiving a registration request from a service provider or program that is used to generate collection items.

14. The computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 13, wherein the registration request comprises registration metadata that includes one or more of:

a) information that identifies a plurality of base items in a collection that is represented by the first collection item

b) information about the creator of the first collection item;

or

c) information about the first collection item.

15. The computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 14, wherein the registration metadata includes information about the first collection item, wherein the information about the first collection item includes a user-generated tag that identifies one or more keywords for describing the collection item;

wherein the instructions further include instructions for associating the user-generated tag with the first index entry;

wherein matching the search query to the first index entry is performed by matching the search query to the user-generated tag.

16. The computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further include instructions for generating a web page associated with the first collection item, wherein the web page includes controls for accessing the base items that belong to the collection item.

17. The computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 16, wherein generating the web page is performed in response to receiving a request originating from a set of search results presented to a user, wherein the request is associated with the collection item.

18. The computer-readable non-volatile storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further include instructions for identifying, through discovery, files that correspond to collection items.

19. The computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 11 wherein the base items are web pages and the collection items are bookmark sets.

20. The computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium of claim 11 wherein the base items are audio files and the collection items are playlists.