Associating documents with classifications and ranking documents based on classification weights

• US 7,533,119 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Suchter, Sean, Zha, Hongyuan
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US11/335,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 707100-103 R
• 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 method of associating a particular host with one or more regions, the method comprising:

determining if a top-level domain of the particular host is a regional top-level domain; and

if the top-level domain of the particular host is not a regional top-level domain, then determining one or more regions associated with the host based on which other hosts contain documents that reference documents on said host;

wherein the step of determining one or more regions associated with the host based on which other hosts contain documents that reference documents on said host includes the steps of;

determining a diversity of domains in which there are other hosts that link to the particular host;

determining whether the diversity is greater than a specified threshold; and

if the diversity is greater than the specified threshold, then associating the particular host with a classification value that indicates that the particular host is of equivalent interest to multiple regions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the diversity is not greater than the specified threshold, then performing, for one or more particular regions, the steps of;

determining a signal for a particular region based on a number of other hosts, which are associated with the particular region, that are linked, via inbound or outbound links, with the particular host;

determining if the signal for the particular region is significant; and

if the signal is significant, then associating the particular host with the particular region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the diversity of domains in which there are other hosts that link to the particular host comprises:

determining, for each domain, a relative domain frequency;

determining, for each domain, an intermediate value that is equal to the relative domain frequency of the domain divided by a summation of relative domain frequencies for all domains; and

determining an entropy value for the particular host as the summation of the products, for all domains, of the intermediate values for those domains and a logarithm of the intermediate values for those domains.

4. A computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform particular steps comprising:

determining if a top-level domain of a particular host is a regional top-level domain; and

if the top-level domain of the particular host is not a regional top-level domain, then determining one or more regions associated with the host based on which other hosts contain documents that reference documents on said host;

wherein the step of determining one or more regions associated with the host based on which other hosts contain documents that reference documents on said host includes the steps of;

determining a diversity of domains in which there are other hosts that link to the particular host;

determining whether the diversity is greater than a specified threshold; and

if the diversity is greater than the specified threshold, then associating the particular host with a classification value that indicates that the particular host is of equivalent interest to multiple regions.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the particular steps further comprise:

if the diversity is not greater than the specified threshold, then performing, for one or more particular regions, the steps of;

determining a signal for a particular region based on a number of other hosts, which are associated with the particular region, that are linked, via inbound or outbound links, with the particular host;

determining if the signal for the particular region is significant; and

if the signal is significant, then associating the particular host with the particular region.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein determining the diversity of domains in which there are other hosts that link to the particular host comprises:

determining, for each domain, a relative domain frequency;

determining, for each domain, an intermediate value that is equal to the relative domain frequency of the domain divided by a summation of relative domain frequencies for all domains; and

determining an entropy value for the particular host as the summation of the products, for all domains, of the intermediate values for those domains and a logarithm of the intermediate values for those domains.