Associating documents with classifications and ranking documents based on classification weights

• US 7,028,027 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zha, Hongyuan, Suchter, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US10/262,519
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 6, 707/101, 707/104.1, 707/102, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/355 Class or cluster creation or modification
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for associating documents with classification values and ranking documents based on classification weights is provided. It is determined if a document is associated a classification. If the document is associated with a classification, then it is determined if a classification value, which is associated with the document, is associated with a weight. If the classification value is associated with a weight, then a rank of the document is adjusted based on the weight that is associated with the classification value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for adjusting a rank of document, the method comprising:

generating, in a memory of a computer system, a list of two or more documents that represent results of a computer-executed query, wherein each document within the list of documents is associated with a separate rank;

adjusting a particular rank that is associated with a particular document of the two or more documents; and

storing, in a storage mechanism of the computer system, the list of two or more documents in which the order of the documents in the list has been modified based on the adjustment of the particular rank,

wherein adjusting the particular rank is based on at least one of (a) a first weight that is associated with a language classification value that is associated with the particular document and (b) a second weight that is associated with a region classification value that is associated with the particular document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the particular rank comprises adjusting the particular rank based on only the greater of the first weight and the second weight.

5. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 1.

6. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 2.

3. A computer-implemented method for adjusting a rank of a document, the method comprising:

generating, in a memory of a computer system, a list of two or more documents that represent results of a computer-executed query, wherein each document within the list of documents is associated with a separate rank, and wherein one or more terms of the query were received through one of a first portal and a second portal;

determining a portal through which the one or more terms of the query were received;

if the one or more terms of the query were received through the first portal, then adjusting, based on a first set of weights that is associated with the first portal, a particular rank that is associated with a particular document of the two or more documents;

if the one or more terms of the query were received through the second portal, then adjusting the particular rank based on a second set of weights that is associated with the second portal; and

storing, in a storage mechanism of the computer system, the list of two or more documents in which the order of the documents in the list has been modified based on the adjustment of the particular rank.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first portal is associated with a first geographic region with which the second portal is not associated, and wherein the second portal is associated with a second geographic region with which the first portal is not associated.

7. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 3.

8. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 4.