DYNAMIC RERANKING OF SEARCH RESULTS BASED UPON SOURCE AUTHORITY

• US 20110246456A1
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kinsel, Patrick A., Gounares, Alexander George, Weitz, Stefan David
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for dynamically reranking search results based upon source authority. A search query is received and analyzed. One or more topics are identified in the search query. An authority index is searched to identify authoritative sources for content relating to the identified topic(s). Promoted results corresponding to content generated by the authoritative sources relating to the identified topics are obtained. The promoted results can be presented to an entity requesting the search, or injected into search results. Contribution dimensions associated with the promoted results can be determined, and filters based upon the contribution dimensions can be generated and used by an entity to dynamically manipulate the search results.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically reranking search results based upon source authority, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

analyzing a received search query to determine a query topic associated with the search query;

searching an authority index to identify authoritative sources associated with the query topic;

obtaining, from the authority index, promoted results associated with the authoritative sources and identifying content relating to the query topic; and

outputting the promoted results with a search result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the authoritative sources associated with the query topic comprises:

accessing an authority index comprising entries;

searching the authority index for entries associated with the query topic;

identifying a plurality of entries associated with the query topic, each of the plurality of entries being associated with a source having a corresponding authority value and corresponding to one of the promoted results; and

defining the authoritative sources as the sources associated with the promoted results.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising computing at least one contribution dimension for the sources associated with the promoted results.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating a contribution dimension filter for filtering the promoted results and the search result, wherein the contribution dimension filter is configured to manipulate the promoted results and the search result based upon the contribution dimension.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the contribution dimension comprises

source data identifying the source,

point of view data identifying a point of view associated with the sources and the query topic, and

authority data identifying authority values associated with the sources, the query topic, and the point of view associated with the promoted results.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the contribution dimension comprises

source data identifying the sources,

time data comprising a time associated with the promoted results, and

authority data identifying authority values associated with the sources, the query topic, and the time data.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the contribution dimension comprises

source data identifying the sources,

location data comprising locations associated with the promoted results, and

authority data identifying authority values associated with the sources, the query topic, and the location data.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

computing at least one contribution dimension for the sources associated with the promoted results;

generating a contribution dimension filter for filtering the promoted results and the search result based upon the contribution dimension; and

dynamically reranking the promoted results and the search result based upon the contribution dimension in response to receiving input indicating a command to apply the contribution dimension filter to the promoted results and the search result.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the authoritative sources associated with query topic comprises:

accessing an authority index comprising entries, each of the entries comprising source data indicating a source, topic data indicating a topic, and authority data indicating an authority associated with the source and the topic;

searching the authority index for entries associated with the query topic, each of the entries comprising one of the promoted results;

obtaining a plurality of promoted results;

ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result based upon a contribution dimension associated with the promoted results; and

outputting the ranked promoted results and the search result.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein

accessing the entries comprises accessing the entries, each of the entries further comprising time data indicating a time associated with the entry, and

wherein ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result comprises ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result based upon the time data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein

accessing the entries comprises accessing the entries, each of the entries further comprising location data indicating a geographic location associated with the entry, and

wherein ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result comprises ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result based upon the location data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the authoritative source comprises identifying an entity that consumed content associated with the query topic.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the authoritative sources comprises identifying entities that created content associated with the query topic.

14. A computer-implemented method for dynamically reranking search results based upon source authority, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

analyzing a received search query to determine a query topic associated with the search query;

performing a search and generating search results;

accessing an authority index comprising entries;

searching the authority index for entries associated with the query topic, each of the entries comprising a promoted result relating to the query topic and identifying content associated with the authoritative source;

obtaining the promoted results in response to the searching;

ranking the promoted results and the search results based upon a contribution dimension associated with the promoted results; and

outputting the ranked promoted results and the search results.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising computing contribution dimensions for the sources associated with the promoted results.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating contribution dimension filters for filtering the promoted results and the search results, wherein each of the contribution dimension filters is configured to manipulate the promoted results and the search results based upon a one of the contribution dimensions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein ranking the promoted results and the search results comprises

receiving input indicating selection of a one of the contribution dimension filters;

and

ranking the search results and the promoted results based upon the selected contribution dimension filter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the contribution dimension filters comprise

source data identifying sources associated with the promoted results,

point of view data identifying points of view associated with the promoted results, and

authority data identifying authority values associated with the promoted results.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein outputting the ranked promoted results and the search results further comprises outputting data corresponding to a link for content associated with the promoted results.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

analyze a search query to determine a query topic associated with the search query;

perform a search and generate search results;

access an authority index comprising entries;

search the authority index for entries associated with the query topic, each of the entries comprising a promoted result relating to the query topic and identifying content associated with an authoritative source;

obtain the promoted results in response to the searching;

compute contribution dimensions for the sources associated with the promoted results;

generate contribution dimension filters for filtering the promoted results and the search results;

rank the promoted results and the search results based upon the contribution dimensions associated with the promoted results;

output the ranked promoted results and the search results;

receive input indicating selection of a one of the contribution dimension filters;

rerank the search results and the promoted results based upon the selected contribution dimension filter; and

receive feedback data relating to how the search results or the promoted results are used, consumed, or filtered.