ADAPTIVE USER INTERFACE FOR REAL-TIME SEARCH RELEVANCE FEEDBACK

• US 20150081691A1
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Surf Canyon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Surf Canyon Incorporated
• Inventors: Cramer, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• 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: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting the user interface of a search engine in order to effectively communicate the improved relevancy achieved through real-time implicit re-ranking of search results is described. Real-time implicit re-ranking occurs without delay after every user action as the search is being conducted, so finding methods of immediately altering the search page without disrupting the user experience is important. Graphical icons next to search results are employed to enable generating and removing re-ranked results, referred to as “recommended” search results. Clusters based on the real-time user model are also displayed to facilitate query reformulations. Sponsored links are selected using the real-time user model along with a combination of RPC and CTR information and are displayed in a manner similar to the organic results, or used to replace the initial sponsored links altogether.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage media having computer readable code thereon for dynamically modifying search results, comprising code for:

receiving user input for use as search terms from a user;

providing a set of search result objects;

displaying a first portion of the set of search result objects to the user;

monitoring whether any of said objects is selected by said user;

compiling information to infer user intent based on analyzing the content of at least one object the user selects or skips;

before display of objects beyond said first portion of the search result objects, re-ranking a second portion of the set of objects based on said user inferred intent, the second portion being objects not previously displayed to the user;

wherein the first portion of the set of search result objects previously displayed to the user is not displayed as re-ranked;

compiling said re-ranked second portion of the set of search result objects; and

displaying to said user the second portion of re-ranked objects.

21. The computer readable media of claim 20 wherein said user requesting a display of objects beyond said first portion of the search result objects comprises the user selecting “

next”

or “

more results.”

22. The computer readable media of claim 20, wherein objects not selected by the user in said first portion displayed before display of objects beyond said first portion are assigned a negative weight;

and

compiling information to infer user intent based on analyzing the content of objects the user skips.

23. The computer readable media of claim 20 wherein said second portion of the set of search result objects are a subsequent page of search result objects.

24. The computer readable media of claim 20 further comprising code for:

monitoring which objects said user skips; and

compiling information to infer user intent based on the content of any objects the user clicks on and said objects said user skips.

25. The computer readable media of claim 20 further comprising:

code for using terms from the title and display text corresponding to a selected object as subordinate keywords for generating said re-ranking of said second portion of said set of search result objects.

26. The computer readable media of claim 20 further comprising:

code for using terms from the title and display text corresponding to objects skipped by a user as negative subordinate keywords; and

code for reducing the ranking of search results objects containing said negative subordinate keywords.

27. The computer readable media of claim 20 further comprising:

code for cumulatively using analysis of user intent to re-rank said set of search result objects based on subsequent objects said user clicks on and skips.

28. A method for dynamically modifying search results, comprising:

receiving user input for use as search terms from a user;

providing a set of search result objects;

displaying a first portion of the set of search result objects to the user;

monitoring whether any of said objects is selected by said user;

compiling information to infer user intent based on analyzing the content of at least one object the user selects or skips;

before display of objects beyond said first portion of the search result objects, re-ranking a second portion of the set of objects based on said user inferred intent, the second portion being objects not previously displayed to the user;

wherein the first portion of the set of search result objects previously displayed to the user is not displayed as re-ranked;

compiling said re-ranked second portion of the set of search result objects; and

displaying to said user the second portion of re-ranked objects.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said user requesting a display of objects beyond said first portion of the search result objects comprises the user selecting “

next”

or “

more results.”

30. The method of claim 28, wherein objects not selected by the user in said first portion displayed before display of objects beyond said first portion are assigned a negative weight;

and

compiling information to infer user intent based on analyzing the content of objects the user skips.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said second portion of the set of search result objects are a subsequent page of search result objects.

32. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

monitoring which objects said user skips; and

compiling information to infer user intent based on the content of any objects the user clicks on and said objects said user skips.

33. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

using terms from the title and display text corresponding to a selected object as subordinate keywords for generating said re-ranking of said second portion of said set of search result objects.

34. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

using terms from the title and display text corresponding to objects skipped by a user as negative subordinate keywords; and

reducing the ranking of search results objects containing said negative subordinate keywords.

35. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

cumulatively using analysis of user intent to re-rank said set of search result objects based on subsequent documents said user clicks on and skips.