Method and system for associating keywords with online content sources

• US 7,831,582 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scofield, Christopher L., Pope, Elmore Eugene, Marshall, Brad E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil; Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chbouki; Tarek
• Application Number:
  US11/321,697
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/6
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A method and system for associating keywords with online content sources. According to one embodiment, a method may include identifying a result set including one or more of a plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the included one or more online content sources satisfies a keyword query including one or more keywords. The method may further include, for a given one of the online content sources included in the result set, identifying one or more aggregate paths including the given online content source, wherein a given one of the one or more aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among the plurality of online content sources, and in response to detecting a selection of a particular online content source from one of the identified aggregate paths, associating the one or more keywords included in the keyword query with the particular online content source.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying a result set including one or more of a plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the included one or more online content sources satisfies a keyword query including one or more keywords;

for a given one of the online content sources included in said result set, identifying and generating corresponding representations of one or more aggregate paths including said given online content source, wherein each of the one or more aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the one or more navigation paths is indicative of an access request by one or more users that originates from a corresponding originating one of said online content sources to access a corresponding destination one of said online content sources, wherein each such access request indicated by a navigation path occurs prior to generating representations of said one or more aggregate paths, wherein a representation of a given one of said one or more aggregate paths is indicative of multiple ones of said online content sources;

detecting a selection of a particular online content source from one of said identified aggregate paths, wherein prior to said detecting, said particular online content source does not satisfy said keyword query; and

in response to detecting said selection of said particular online content source, associating said one or more keywords included in said keyword query with said particular online content source, such that after said associating, said particular online content source satisfies said keyword query;

wherein each of said identifying a result set, said identifying and generating corresponding representations, said detecting a selection, and said associating said one or more keywords is performed by one or more computer systems, each comprising at least a memory and a processor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said given online content source included in said result set satisfies said keyword query if said given online content source is associated with each keyword included in said keyword query.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each keyword associated with said particular online content source includes a respective keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source, wherein said respective keyword weight indicates a strength of association of a corresponding keyword to said particular online content source.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

in response to detecting said selection of said particular online content source, adjusting those respective keyword weights of said particular online content source that correspond to said keywords included in said keyword query.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein following said adjusting, the adjusted keyword weights indicate an increased strength of association of said keywords included in said keyword query to said particular online content source.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising updating each keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source according to a time-based decay model.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein following said updating, the updated keyword weights indicate a decreased strength of association of corresponding keywords to said particular online content source.

8. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

for each online content source included in said given aggregate path, determining a respective content source search rank weight as a function of those keyword weights associated with said included online content source that correspond to respective keywords included in said keyword query.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising determining a respective aggregate path search rank weight for said given aggregate path as a function of said respective content source search rank weights of those online content sources included in said given aggregate path.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising ordering said one or more aggregate paths according to respective aggregate path search rank weights.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising presenting said one or more aggregate paths to a user according to said ordering.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said given online content source includes a web page.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said given online content source satisfies said keyword query if said web page includes said one or more keywords of said keyword query.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a given one of said one or more navigation paths corresponds to a user traversal from a first one of said plurality of online content sources to a second one of said plurality of online content sources.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said keyword query is specified by a user.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said keyword query is extracted from a content source with which a user is interacting.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a topology of said navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources differs from a topology of explicit navigation links included among said plurality of online content sources.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a topology of said navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources differs from a topology of communication paths among systems configured to implement said plurality of online content sources.

19. A computer-accessible storage medium storing instructions, wherein the instructions are computer-executable to:

identify a result set including one or more of a plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the included one or more online content sources satisfies a keyword query including one or more keywords;

for a given one of the online content sources included in said result set, identify and generate corresponding representations of one or more aggregate paths including said given online content source, wherein each of the one or more aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the one or more navigation paths is indicative of an access request by one or more users that originates from a corresponding originating one of said online content sources to access a corresponding destination one of said online content sources, wherein each such access request indicated by a navigation path occurs prior to generation of representations of said one or more aggregate paths, wherein a representation of a given one of said one or more aggregate paths is indicative of multiple ones of said online content sources;

detect a selection of a particular online content source from one of said identified aggregate paths, wherein prior to said detecting, said particular online content source does not satisfy said keyword query; and

in response to detecting said selection of said particular online content source, associate said one or more keywords included in said keyword query with said particular online content source, such that after said one or more keywords are associated with said particular online content source, said particular online content source satisfies said keyword query.

20. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said given online content source included in said result set satisfies said keyword query if said given online content source is associated with each keyword included in said keyword query.

21. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 19, wherein each keyword associated with said particular online content source includes a respective keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source, wherein said respective keyword weight indicates a strength of association of a corresponding keyword to said particular online content source.

22. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 21, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

in response to detecting said selection of said particular online content source, adjust those respective keyword weights of said particular online content source that correspond to said keywords included in said keyword query.

23. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 22, wherein following said adjusting, the adjusted keyword weights indicate an increased strength of association of said keywords included in said keyword query to said particular online content source.

24. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 21, wherein the instructions are further executable to update each keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source according to a time-based decay model.

25. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 24, wherein following said updating, the updated keyword weights indicate a decreased strength of association of corresponding keywords to said particular online content source.

26. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 21, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

for each online content source included in said given aggregate path, determine a respective content source search rank weight as a function of those keyword weights associated with said included online content source that correspond to respective keywords included in said keyword query.

27. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the instructions are further executable to determine a respective aggregate path search rank weight for said given aggregate path as a function of said respective content source search rank weights of those online content sources included in said given aggregate path.

28. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the instructions are further executable to order said one or more aggregate paths according to respective aggregate path search rank weights.

29. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 28, wherein the instructions are further executable to present said one or more aggregate paths to a user according to said ordering.

30. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said given online content source includes a web page.

31. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 30, wherein said given online content source satisfies said keyword query if said web page includes said one or more keywords of said keyword query.

32. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 19, wherein a given one of said one or more navigation paths corresponds to a user traversal from a first one of said plurality of online content sources to a second one of said plurality of online content sources.

33. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said keyword query is specified by a user.

34. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said keyword query is extracted from a content source with which a user is interacting.

35. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 19, wherein a topology of said navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources differs from a topology of explicit navigation links included among said plurality of online content sources.

36. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 19, wherein a topology of said navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources differs from a topology of communication paths among systems configured to implement said plurality of online content sources.

37. A system, comprising:

one or more computer systems, each comprising at least a memory configured to store program instructions and a processor configured to execute program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more computer systems to implement;

a web services interface configured to receive, according to a web services protocol, indications of navigation traffic directed to respective ones of a plurality of online content sources;

a traffic analysis engine configured to receive said indications from said web services interface; and

a search engine configured to identify a result set including one or more of said plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the included one or more online content sources satisfies a keyword query including one or more keywords;

wherein said traffic analysis engine is further configured, for a given one of the online content sources included in said result set, to identify and generate corresponding representations of one or more aggregate paths including said given online content source, wherein each of the one or more aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources as reflected by said indications of navigation traffic, wherein each of the one or more navigation paths is indicative of an access request by one or more users that originates from a corresponding originating one of said online content sources to access a corresponding destination one of said online content sources, wherein each such access request indicated by a navigation path occurs prior to generation of representations of said one or more aggregate paths, wherein a representation of a given one of said one or more aggregate paths is indicative of multiple ones of said online content sources; and

wherein said search engine is further configured to detect a selection of a particular online content source from one of said identified aggregate paths, wherein prior to said detecting, said particular online content source does not satisfy said keyword query; and

wherein in response to detecting said selection of said particular online content source, said search engine is further configured to associate said one or more keywords included in said keyword query with said particular online content source, such that after said one or more keywords are associated with said particular online content source, said particular online content source satisfies said keyword query.

38. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein said given online content source included in said result set satisfies said keyword query if said given online content source is associated with each keyword included in said keyword query.

39. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein each keyword associated with said particular online content source includes a respective keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source, wherein said respective keyword weight indicates a strength of association of a corresponding keyword to said particular online content source.

40. The system as recited in claim 39, wherein said search engine is further configured to:

in response to detecting said selection of said particular online content source, cause those respective keyword weights of said particular online content source that correspond to said keywords included in said keyword query to be adjusted.

41. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein to cause those respective keyword weights of said particular online content source that correspond to said keywords included in said keyword query to be adjusted, said search engine is further configured to cause the adjusted keyword weights to indicate an increased strength of association of said keywords included in said keyword query to said particular online content source.

42. The system as recited in claim 39, wherein said traffic analysis engine is further configured to update each keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source according to a time-based decay model.

43. The system as recited in claim 42, wherein to update each keyword weight, said traffic analysis engine is further configured to said the updated keyword weights to indicate a decreased strength of association of corresponding keywords to said particular online content source.

44. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein said given online content source includes a web page.

45. The system as recited in claim 44, wherein said given online content source satisfies said keyword query if said web page includes said one or more keywords of said keyword query.

46. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein a given one of said one or more navigation paths corresponds to a user traversal from a first one of said plurality of online content sources to a second one of said plurality of online content sources.

47. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein said keyword query is specified by a user.

48. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein said keyword query is extracted from a content source with which a user is interacting.

49. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying a result set including one or more of a plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the included one or more online content sources satisfies a search query;

for a given one of the online content sources included in said result set, identifying and generating corresponding representations of one or more aggregate paths including said given online content source, wherein each of the one or more aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the one or more navigation paths is indicative of an access request by one or more users that originates from a corresponding originating one of said online content sources to access a corresponding destination one of said online content sources, wherein each such access request indicated by a navigation path occurs prior to generating representations of said one or more aggregate paths, wherein a representation of a given one of said one or more aggregate paths is indicative of multiple ones of said online content source; and

displaying representations of said one or more aggregate paths within search results corresponding to said search query;

wherein each of said identifying a result set, said identifying and generating corresponding representations, and said displaying representations is performed by one or more computer systems, each comprising at least a memory and a processor.

50. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

identifying a result set including one or more of a plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the included one or more online content sources satisfies a search query;

for each given one of the online content sources included in said result set, identifying and generating a corresponding representation of a respective aggregate path, wherein each of said aggregate paths includes a respectively corresponding one of said online content sources, wherein each of said respective aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the one or more navigation paths is indicative of an access request by one or more users that originates from a corresponding originating one of said online content sources to access a corresponding destination one of said online content sources, wherein each such access request indicated by a navigation path occurs prior to generating representations of said one or more aggregate paths, wherein a representation of a given one of said one or more aggregate paths is indicative of multiple ones of said online content sources;

determining an aggregate path weight associated with each of said respective aggregate paths, wherein for a given one of said respective aggregate paths, said aggregate path weight is dependent upon an indication of navigation traffic among online content sources included in said given respective aggregate path; and

ordering said result set according to said aggregate path weights associated with each of the one or more online content sources included in said result set;

wherein each of said identifying a result set, said identifying and generating corresponding representations, and said determining an aggregate path weight is performed by one or more computer systems, each comprising at least a memory and a processor.

51. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

in response to a keyword query, determining a result set including one or more of a plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the included one or more online content sources satisfies one or more keywords of the keyword query;

for a given one of the online content sources included in said result set, displaying corresponding representations of one or more aggregate paths including said given online content source, wherein each of the one or more aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the one or more navigation paths is indicative of an access request by one or more users that originates from a corresponding originating one of said online content sources to access a corresponding destination one of said online content sources, wherein each such access request indicated by a navigation path occurs prior to generating representations of said one or more aggregate paths, wherein a representation of a given one of said one or more aggregate paths is indicative of multiple ones of said online content sources;

wherein each of said determining a result set and said displaying corresponding representations is performed by one or more computer systems, each comprising at least a memory and a processor.

52. The method as recited in claim 51, wherein said given one of the one or more aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among one or more of the plurality of online content sources that do not satisfy any keywords of the keyword query.

53. The method as recited in claim 51, wherein said displaying one or more aggregate paths comprises displaying a plurality of aggregate paths each including at least one online content source from said result set.

54. The method as recited in claim 51, further comprising:

in response to detecting a selection of a particular online content source from one of said one or more aggregate paths, associating one or more keywords included in said keyword query with said particular online content source.

55. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein each keyword associated with said particular online content source includes a respective keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source, wherein said respective keyword weight indicates a strength of association of a corresponding keyword to said particular online content source.

56. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising:

in response to detecting said selection of said particular online content source, adjusting those respective keyword weights of said particular online content source that correspond to said keywords included in said keyword query, wherein following said adjusting, the adjusted keyword weights indicate an increased strength of association of said keywords included in said keyword query to said particular online content source.

57. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising updating each keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source according to a time-based decay model, wherein following said updating, the updated keyword weights indicate a decreased strength of association of corresponding keywords to said particular online content source.

58. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising:

for each online content source included in said given aggregate path, determining a respective content source search rank weight as a function of those keyword weights associated with said included online content source that correspond to respective keywords included in said keyword query.

59. The method as recited in claim 58, further comprising determining a respective aggregate path search rank weight for said given aggregate path as a function of said respective content source search rank weights of those online content sources included in said given aggregate path.

60. The method as recited in claim 59, wherein said displaying one or more aggregate paths comprises displaying a plurality of aggregate paths in an order according to respective aggregate path search rank weights.

61. A system, comprising:

one or more computer systems, each comprising at least a memory configured to store program instructions and a processor configured to execute program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more computer systems to implement;

a web services interface configured to receive, according to a web services protocol, indications of navigation traffic directed to respective ones of a plurality of online content sources;

a traffic analysis engine configured to receive said indications from said web services interface; and

a search engine configured to, in response to a keyword query, determine a result set including one or more of said plurality of online content sources, wherein each of the included one or more online content sources satisfies one or more keywords of the keyword query;

wherein said traffic analysis engine is and further configured, for a given one of the online content sources included in said result set, to identify and generate corresponding representations of one or more aggregate paths including said given online content source, wherein each of the one or more aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among said plurality of online content sources as reflected by said indications of navigation traffic, wherein each of the one or more navigation paths is indicative of an access request by one or more users that originates from a corresponding originating one of said online content sources to access a corresponding destination one of said online content sources, wherein each such access request indicated by a navigation path occurs prior to generating representations of said one or more aggregate paths, wherein a representation of a given one of said one or more aggregate paths is indicative of multiple ones of said online content sources; and

wherein for said given online content source, said search engine is further configured to cause representations of one or more aggregate paths including said given online content source to be displayed.

62. The system as recited in claim 61, wherein said given one of the one or more aggregate paths includes one or more navigation paths among one or more of the plurality of online content sources that do not satisfy any keywords of the keyword query.

63. The system as recited in claim 61, wherein to cause said one or more aggregate paths to be displayed, said search engine is further configured to cause a plurality of aggregate paths each including at least one online content source from said result set to be displayed.

64. The system as recited in claim 61, wherein in response to detecting a selection of a particular online content source from one of said one or more aggregate paths, said search engine is further configured to associate one or more keywords included in said keyword query with said particular online content source.

65. The system as recited in claim 64, wherein each keyword associated with said particular online content source includes a respective keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source, wherein said respective keyword weight indicates a strength of association of a corresponding keyword to said particular online content source.

66. The system as recited in claim 65, wherein in response to detecting said selection of said particular online content source, said search engine is further configured to adjust those respective keyword weights of said particular online content source that correspond to said keywords included in said keyword query, such that the adjusted keyword weights indicate an increased strength of association of said keywords included in said keyword query to said particular online content source.

67. The system as recited in claim 66, wherein said search engine is further configured to update each keyword weight corresponding to said particular online content source according to a time-based decay model, such that the updated keyword weights indicate a decreased strength of association of corresponding keywords to said particular online content source.

68. The system as recited in claim 65, wherein for each online content source included in said given aggregate path, said search engine is further configured to determine a respective content source search rank weight as a function of those keyword weights associated with said included online content source that correspond to respective keywords included in said keyword query.

69. The system as recited in claim 68, wherein said search engine is further configured to determine a respective aggregate path search rank weight for said given aggregate path as a function of said respective content source search rank weights of those online content sources included in said given aggregate path.

70. The system as recited in claim 69, wherein to cause said one or more aggregate paths to be displayed, said search engine is further configured to cause a plurality of aggregate paths to be displayed in an order according to respective aggregate path search rank weights.