Enhanced popularity ranking

• US 7,565,367 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barrett, Michael E., Levin, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US10/047,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20030135490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,744 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/10, 707100-102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: 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

Abstract

A method of organizing information in which the search activities of previous users is monitored and such activity is used to organize information for future users. The user activities are monitored from a time and use based perspective to insure more relevant results can be provided in response to a user'"'"'s search for information.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

creating an enhanced popularity score for a piece of information based on inflation and rank adjustment factors applied to clicks of the piece of information, wherein the inflation factors weigh more recent clicks of the piece of information more heavily than older clicks of the piece of information based on timestamps of the recent and older clicks and the inflation factors contribute a positive value to the enhanced popularity score for each of the clicks, and wherein the rank adjustment factor increases the enhanced popularity score for lower enhanced popularity scores;

ranking the piece of information among other pieces of information based on the enhanced popularity score; and

generating a search report comprising the piece of information using the ranking.

2. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to search a collection of information;

determining a result of the search consisting of ranking the result based on an enhanced popularity score, wherein the enhanced popularity score for a piece of information weighs more heavily a newer click for the piece of information that an older click for the piece of information based on timestamps of the newer and older clicks, wherein the enhanced popularity score for lower rank pieces of information is increased using rank adjustment factors, and each piece of information contributes a positive value to the enhanced popularity score; and

sending the result to the user.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein said enhanced popularity score is created using adaptive inflation scoring.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein said enhanced popularity score is created using blended inflation scoring.

5. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to search a collection of information;

collecting a time history of clicks for a piece of information;

modifying the time history of clicks by applying a time decay rate to each click in said time history of clicks, wherein the time decay rate produces a value greater for a newer click of the piece of information that an older click of the piece of information based on timestamps of the newer and older clicks and each value is a positive value;

generating the enhanced popularity score for the piece of information based on the modified time history of clicks;

determining an expected click rate for said piece of information;

adjusting the enhanced popularity score based on assessing actual click rate of said piece of information against the expected click rate;

determining the result of the search consisting of ranking the piece of information based on the enhanced popularity score; and

sending the result to the user.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein said time decay rate is modified based on the time history of clicks of the piece of information.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein said historical click is stored as a static value, wherein said static value may be adjusted periodically.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein said time history of click is reassessed dynamically.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein said time decay rate is modified dynamically based on the rate of click of said information.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to search a collection of information;

assigning at least a high click time decay rate and a low click time decay rate to a piece of information;

tracking a click history of said piece of information;

generating at least two hypothetical enhanced popularity scores for the piece of information based on said click history and said high and low click time decay rates, wherein the time decay rates produce a value greater for a newer click of said piece of information that an older click of said piece of information based on timestamps of the newer and older clicks and each value is a positive value, wherein the high click time decay rate is for a highly trafficked site associated with said piece of information and the low click time decay rate is for a lower trafficked site associated with said piece of information;

generating an enhanced popularity score for said piece of information by applying a weighting factor to said hypothetical scores;

determining the result of the search consisting of ranking the piece of information based on the enhanced popularity score; and

sending the result to the user.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said weighting factor is based on the actual rate of click of the piece of information.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said enhanced popularity score is adjusted based on assessing actual click rate of said piece of information against and expected click rate.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said piece of information is a website and said rate of click is the traffic to said website.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said traffic to said website is an estimated value.

15. A method consisting of:

receiving a request from a user to search a collection of information;

placing a Lime and date code for a piece of information in a call to a tracking website, the time and date code used track the time difference between when the user requested the piece of information and when the user was redirected to that piece of information;

reviewing the time and date code at the tracking website to determine whether to account for the website call in an enhanced popularity score, wherein the enhanced popularity score weighs more heavily a newer click of a piece of information that an older click of the piece of information based on timestamps of the newer and older clicks and each piece of information contributes a positive value to the enhanced popularity score;

determining the result of the search based on the enhanced popularity score; and

sending the result to the user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of determining whether to account for the website call comprises determining the time elapsed from the time said time and date code was generated.