RANKING AND SELECTING ENTITIES BASED ON CALCULATED REPUTATION OR INFLUENCE SCORES

• US 20120284282A9
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Topsy Labs, Inc (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Ghosh, Rishab Aiyer, Prakash, Vipul Ved
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• 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 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Ranking and selecting entities based on calculated reputation or influence scores is provided. In some embodiments, a method includes determining whether a first entity is a subject or an object; determining whether a second entity is a subject or an object; and generating a graph, in which a subset of the graph is a subject graph of subject nodes that includes at least one or more subjects (e.g., subject entities) linked to one or more other subjects, and in which the graph includes one or more objects (e.g., object entities) each linked to one or more subjects in the subject graph. In some embodiments, the graph includes directed and undirected links. In some embodiments, the graph includes one or more objects linked to one or more objects.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining whether a first entity is a subject or an object;

determining whether a second entity is a subject or an object; and

generating a graph, wherein a subset of the graph is a subject graph of subject nodes that includes at least one or more subjects linked to one or more other subjects, and wherein the graph includes one or more objects each linked to one or more subjects in the subject graph.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the graph includes directed and undirected links.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the graph includes directed links.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the graph includes one or more objects linked to one or more objects.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more subjects include one or more of the following:

users of microblogging services, users of social networks, bloggers, and reviewers.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more objects include one or more of the following:

Internet web sites, blogs, music, videos, books, and other objects represented by a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

7. A method, comprising:

receiving a graph, wherein a subset of the graph is a subject graph of subject nodes that includes at least one or more subjects linked to one or more other subjects, and wherein the graph includes one or more objects each linked to one or more subjects in the subject graph;

determining subjective reputation scores for one or more subjects from a perspective of a first subject;

assigning citation scores to any subset of a plurality of objects from the perspective of a plurality of subjects, wherein the citation score measures are based at least in part on a match determination for citations of objects from subjects with descriptive criteria;

combining the citation scores for the objects and the subjective reputation scores for the subjects citing the objects to provide selection scores for objects; and

ranking the objects based on the selection scores.

8. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the objects include books, films, music, documents, websites, objects for sale, objects that are reviewed or recommended or cited, or any entities that are or can be associated with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), wherein the subjects include entities representing authors of Internet content or users of social media services including one or more of the following:

blogs, Twitter, and reviews on Internet web sites, wherein the links are citations of objects from subjects including one or more of the following;

Tweets, blog posts, and reviews of objects on Internet web sites.

9. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising:

receiving descriptive criteria from a user.

10. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising:

receiving search terms, wherein the search terms are provided in a search query, and wherein the search terms are included in the descriptive criteria.

11. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising:

is displaying a subset of top ranked objects based on the selection scores.

12. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising:

receiving search terms, wherein the search terms are provided in a search query; and

displaying a subset of top ranked objects based on the selection scores, wherein the top ranked objects based on the selection scores provide a subjective based search result.

13. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising:

determining a content score for an object based on the description criteria;

wherein the selection score is based on the citation score, the subjective reputation score, and the content score.

14. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising:

determining an expertise score for each subject citing each object based on a second descriptive criteria, wherein the selection score is based on the citation score, the subjective reputation score, and the expertise score.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving a graph, wherein a subset of the graph is a subject graph of subject nodes that includes at least one or more subjects linked to one or more other subjects, and wherein the graph includes one or more objects each linked to one or more subjects in the subject graph;

determining subjective reputation scores for a first dimension for one or more objects from a perspective of a first subject; and

ranking the objects based on the reputation scores.

16. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the objects include books, films, music, documents, websites, objects for sale, objects that are reviewed or recommended or cited, or any entities that are or can be associated with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), wherein the subjects include entities representing Internet authors or users of social media services including one or more of the following:

blogs, Twitter, and reviews on Internet web sites, wherein the is links are citations of the objects from the subjects including one or more of the following;

Tweets, Blog posts, and reviews of objects on Internet web sites.

17. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the first dimension includes search terms:

18. The method recited in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving descriptive criteria.

19. The method recited in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving search terms, wherein the search terms are provided in a search query, and wherein the search terms are included in the descriptive criteria.

20. The method recited in claim 15, further comprising:

displaying a subset of top ranked objects based on the reputation scores.

21. The method recited in claim 15, further comprising:

receiving search terms, wherein the search terms are provided in a search query; and

displaying a subset of top ranked objects based on the reputation scores, wherein the top ranked objects based on the reputation scores provide a subjective based search result.

22. The method recited in claim 15, further comprising:

determining a content score for one or more objects based on the description criteria;

wherein a selection score for each object is based on the subjective reputation score and the content score; and

ranking the one or more objects based on the selection score for each object.

23. A method, comprising:

receiving a graph, wherein a subset of the graph is a subject graph of subject nodes that includes at least one or more subjects linked to one or more other subjects, and wherein the graph includes one or more objects each linked to one or more subjects in the subject graph;

determining influence scores for one or more subjects;

assigning citation scores to any subset of a plurality of the objects from the perspective of any subjects, wherein the citation score measures are based at least in part on a match determination for citations of objects from subjects with descriptive criteria;

combining the citation scores for the objects and the influence scores for the subjects citing those objects to provide selection scores for the objects; and

ranking the objects based on the selection scores.

24. The method recited in claim 23, wherein the objects include books, films, music, documents, websites, objects for sale, objects that are reviewed or recommended or cited, or any entities that are or can be associated with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), wherein the subjects include entities representing Internet authors or users of social media services including one or more of the following:

blogs, Twitter, and reviews on Internet web sites, wherein the links are citations of the objects from the subjects including one or more of the following;

Tweets, Blog posts, and reviews of objects on Internet web sites.

25. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising:

receiving descriptive criteria.

26. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising:

receiving search terms, wherein the search terms are provided in a search query, and wherein the search terms are included in the descriptive criteria.

27. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising:

displaying a subset of top ranked objects based on the selection scores, wherein the top ranked objects based on the selection scores provide an influence based search result.

28. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising:

determining a content score for a first object based on the description criteria;

wherein the selection score is based on the citation score, the influence score, and the content score.

29. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising:

determining an expertise score for each subject citing each object based on a second descriptive criteria, wherein the selection score is based on the citation score, the influence score, and the expertise score.

30. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising:

determining a content score for a first object based on a first description criteria;

wherein the selection score is based on the citation score, the influence score, and the content score; and

determining an expertise score for each subject citing each object based on a second descriptive criteria, wherein the selection score is based on the citation score, the influence score, and the expertise score, and wherein the second descriptive criteria includes the first descriptive criteria.

31. The method recited in claim 23, wherein the selection score and object ranking is a combination of the citation score for objects and the influence score for subjects citing to the objects and an expertise score for each subject citing each object based on the citations from each subject matching descriptive criteria as a relative share of all citations from the subject, and citations from all subjects matching the descriptive criteria as a relative share of citations from all subjects.

32. The method recited in claim 23, wherein the selection score and object ranking is a combination of the citation score for objects and the reputation score for subjects citing to the object and an expertise score for each subject citing each object based on the citations from each subject matching descriptive criteria as a relative share of all citations from the subject and citations from all subjects matching the descriptive criteria as a relative share of citations from all subjects.

33. The method recited in claim 23, wherein search terms include one or more of the following search criteria:

geography, language, and time.

34. A method, comprising:

receiving a graph, wherein a subset of the graph is a subject graph of subject nodes that includes at least one or more subjects linked to one or more other subjects, and wherein the graph includes one or more objects each linked to one or more subjects in the subject graph;

determining a first count, wherein the first count is based on a number of links between subjects whose influence is below a first threshold and a first object;

determining a second count, wherein the second count is based on a number of links between subjects whose influence is above the first threshold and the first object; and

determining a quality score of the first object using the first count and the second count.

35. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the objects include entities that are each associated with a URL, and wherein subjects include entities representing authors on social media services.

36. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the objects include books, films, music, documents, websites, objects for sale, objects that are reviewed or recommended or cited, or any entities that are or can be associated with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), wherein subjects include entities representing authors on social media services including one or more of the following:

blogs, Twitter, or reviews on Internet web sites, wherein links are citations of objects from subjects including one or more of the following;

Tweets, blog posts, or reviews of objects on Internet web sites, and wherein the quality score provides a measure of whether or not the object includes trustworthy content.

37. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the quality score is stored as a Boolean value, and wherein the quality score resolves to a True Boolean value if the sum of the first count and the second count exceeds the first threshold and the ratio of the first count and the second count exceeds the second threshold.

38. The method recited in claim 34, wherein the quality score is stored as a Boolean value, wherein the quality score resolves to a True Boolean value if the sum of the first count and the second count exceeds the first threshold and the ratio of the first count and the second count exceeds the second threshold, and wherein the quality score provides a measure of whether or not the object includes trustworthy content.

39. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine whether a first entity is a subject or an object;

determine whether a second entity is a subject or an object; and

generate a graph, wherein a subset of the graph is a subject graph of subject nodes that includes at least one or more subjects linked to one or more other subjects, and wherein the graph includes one or more objects each linked to one or more subjects in the subject graph; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

40. The system recited in claim 39, wherein the graph includes one or more objects linked to one or more objects.

41. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

determining whether a first entity is a subject or an object;

determining whether a second entity is a subject or an object; and

generating a graph, wherein a subset of the graph is a subject graph of subject nodes that includes at least one or more subjects linked to one or more other subjects, and wherein the graph includes one or more objects each linked to one or more subjects in the subject graph.

42. The computer program product recited in claim 41, wherein the graph includes one or more objects linked to one or more objects.