Search score for the determination of search quality

• US 8,095,419 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kapur, Shyam
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Brannon W
• Application Number:
  US11/253,056
• Time in Patent Office: 2,276 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/5, 707/E17.108, 707/10, 707/999.005, 707/748, 707/751, 705/14.2
• US Class Current: 705/14.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0218 based on score

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for the generation and presentation of a search score for a given user on the basis of searches that the user performs over a corpus of documents. The method of present invention comprises selecting a given user and a time period over which to calculate the search score. A score function is applied to information regarding past observed queries for the given user over the time period to calculate a search score for the given user. The search score is displayed to the user in a variety of context using a number of software applications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for the generation and presentation of a search score for a given user on the basis of searches that the given user performs over a corpus of documents, the method comprising:

storing in a profile of the given user one or more query attributes, the query attributes comprising a query, information regarding the query, and information regarding the given user'"'"'s use of a result set associated with the query;

assigning one or more weights to the one or more query attributes on a random basis;

selecting a time period over which to calculate the search score for the given user, the time period having a plurality of query sessions, each of the query sessions comprising a plurality of queries each associated with at least one of the one or more query attributes;

applying a score function to each of the plurality of queries in each of the plurality of query sessions associated with the given user over the time period, wherein applying a score function comprises determining a product of a score value for the at least one of the one or more query attributes and the one or more weights associated with the one or more query attributes;

calculating, using a processing device, a session score for each of the plurality of sessions, the session score comprising a sum of the product of the score value for the at least one of the one or more query attributes and the one or more weights for the one or more query attribute for each of the at least one of the one or more query attributes in a given session;

calculating, using a processing device, a search score for the given user, the search score comprising an average of the session scores for the plurality of query sessions;

assigning, using the processing device, the search score to the given user;

displaying the search score to the given user; and

rewarding the given user for an achievement of a particular search score.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising applying a time dissipation factor to the search score.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising selecting an attribute from a set consisting of a query type, a number of queries in a given session, a number of items that the user selects from a result set for a given query, and a category into which a given query falls.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the search score comprises displaying in conjunction with a search results page.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the search score comprises displaying in conjunction with a search query page.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the search score comprises displaying a grade that is derived from the search score.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising:

executing a query by the given user through the use of a search query page provided by a search engine;

storing one or more attributes of the query in a profile for the given user, the profile maintaining one or more attributes of past observed queries for the given user.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising:

retrieving, from the profile for the given user, attributes of past observed queries for the given user;

applying the score function to information regarding past observed queries for the given user to calculate an updated search score for the given user; and

displaying the updated search score to the user.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising exposing the score calculation function to other applications through the use of an API.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising:

interrogating the API by an application to generate a search score; and

transmitting the search score to the application for display.

11. A system for the generation and presentation of a search score for a given user on the basis of searches that the given user performs over a corpus of documents, the system comprising at least one processing device operable to:

store in a profile of the given user one or more query attributes, the query attributes comprising a query, information regarding the query, and information regarding the given user'"'"'s use of a result set associated with the query;

assign one or more weights to the one or more query attributes on a random basis;

select a time period over which to calculate the search score for the given user, the time period having a plurality of query sessions, each of the query sessions comprising a plurality of queries each associated with at least one of the one or more query attributes;

apply a score function to each of the plurality of queries in each of the plurality of query sessions associated with the given user over the time period, wherein applying a score function comprises determining a product of a score value for the at least one of the one or more query attributes and the one or more weights associated with the one or more query attributes;

calculate, using a processing device, a session score for each of the plurality of sessions, the session score comprising a sum of the product of the score value for the at least one of the one or more query attributes and the one or more weights for the one or more query attribute for each of the at least one of the one or more query attributes in a given session;

calculate a search score for the given user, the search score comprising an average of the session scores for the plurality of query sessions;

assigning, using the processing device, the search score to the given user;

displaying the search score to the given user; and

rewarding the given user for an achievement of a particular search score.

12. The system of claim 11, the at least one processing device further operable to apply a time dissipation factor to the search score.

13. The system of claim 11, the at least one processing device further operable to select an attribute from a set consisting of a query type, a number of queries in a given session, a number of items that the user selects from a result set for a given query, and a category into which a given query falls.

14. The system of claim 11, the at least one processing device further operable to display the search score in conjunction with at least one of a search results page and a search query page.

15. The system of claim 11, the at least one processing device further operable to display a grade that is derived from the search score.

16. The system of claim 11, the at least one processing device further operable to:

execute a query by the given user through the use of a search query page provided by a search engine; and

store one or more attributes of the query in a profile for the given user, the profile maintaining one or more attributes of past observed queries for the given user.

17. The system of claim 16, the at least one processing device further operable to:

retrieve, from the profile for the given user, attributes of past observed queries for the given user;

apply the score function to information regarding past observed queries for the given user to calculate an updated search score for the given user; and

display the updated search score to the user.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having executable code stored thereon that when executed causes a processing device to perform a method for the generation and presentation of a search score for a given user on the basis of searches that the given user performs over a corpus of documents, the method comprising:

storing in a profile of the given user one or more query attributes, the query attributes comprising a query, information regarding the query, and information regarding the given user'"'"'s use of a result set associated with the query;

assigning one or more weights to the one or more query attributes on a random basis;

selecting a time period over which to calculate the search score for the given user, the time period having a plurality of query sessions, each of the query sessions comprising a plurality of queries each associated with at least one of the one or more query attributes;

applying a score function to each of the plurality of queries in each of the plurality of query sessions associated with the given user over the time period, wherein applying a score function comprises determining a product of a score value for the at least one of the one or more query attributes and the one or more weights associated with the one or more query attributes;

calculating a session score for each of the plurality of sessions, the session score comprising a sum of the product of the score value for the at least one of the one or more query attributes and the one or more weights for the one or more query attribute for each of the at least one of the one or more query attributes in a given session;

calculating a search score for the given user, the search score comprising an average of the session scores for the plurality of query sessions;

assigning the search score to the given user;

displaying the search score to the given user; and

rewarding the given user for an achievement of a particular search score.

19. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 18, the method comprising:

executing a query by the given user through the use of a search query page provided by a search engine;

storing one or more attributes of the query in a profile for the given user, the profile maintaining one or more attributes of past observed queries for the given user.

20. The non-transitory computer readable of claim 19, the method comprising:

retrieving, from the profile for the given user, attributes of past observed queries for the given user;

applying the score function to information regarding past observed queries for the given user to calculate an updated search score for the given user; and

displaying the updated search score to the user.