Determination of a desired repository

• US 8,266,133 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Angelo, Michael, Braginsky, David, Ginsberg, Jeremy, Tong, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Jalil, Neveen Abel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Buckingham, Kellye
• Application Number:
  US12/510,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• 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

Abstract

A system receives a search query from a user and searches a group of repositories, based on the search query, to identify, for each of the repositories, a set of search results. The system also identifies one of the repositories based on a likelihood that the user desires information from the identified repository and presents the set of search results associated with the identified repository.

Claims

1. A method performed by one of more processors associated with one or more server devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a search query from a user via a client device;

searching, by one or more processors and based on the search query, a plurality of repositories to identify, for each of the plurality of repositories, a set of search results, the plurality of repositories including different types of documents;

calculating, for each of the plurality of repositories, a score associated with a likelihood that a corresponding repository, of the plurality of repositories, includes information responsive to the search query, the score being calculated based on;

a comparison of information about the search query and information about a plurality of other search queries associated with a plurality of users, the information about the plurality of other search queries including;

information regarding a user that provided a search query,

information regarding the search query, and

information regarding a repository from which search results were provided in response to the search query,

a comparison of information, associated with the user, and information about the plurality of users, and

selections, by the plurality of users and based on the plurality of search queries, from the corresponding repository;

ranking, by one or more processors, the plurality of repositories based on the respective scores;

selecting, by one or more processors, at least one of the plurality of repositories based on the rankings; and

generating, by one or more processors, a search result document based on the set of search results associated with the selected at least one of the plurality of repositories.

2. The method of claim 1, where the score is based on a model that determines whether to search the particular repository, of the plurality of repositories, based on information about the previous search queries and the plurality of users, and

where calculating the score includes:

generating rules for the model.

3. The method of claim 2, where generating the rules for the model includes:

storing log data associated with the plurality of prior searches, and

using the log data to train the model.

4. The method of claim 3, where generating the rules for the model further includes:

representing the log data as triples of data (u, q, r), where;

u refers to the information regarding the user that provided the search query,

q refers to the information regarding the search query, and

r refers to the information regarding the repository from which the search results were provided in response to the search query.

5. The method of claim 4, where generating the rules for the model further includes:

determining a label for each of the triples of data (u, q, r), where the label includes information regarding whether the repository r includes information that satisfies the search query q provided by the user u; and

training the model based on the triples of data (u, q, r) and the associated labels.

6. The method of claim 1, where selecting the at least one of the plurality of repositories includes:

selecting, as the at least one of the plurality of repositories, a highest ranking at least one of the plurality of repositories.

7. The method of claim 1, where generating the search result document includes:

selecting sets of search results, associated with at least two of the plurality of repositories, to include in the search result document, based on the rankings for the at least two of the plurality of repositories.

8. The method of claim 7, where selecting the sets of search results associated with the at least two of the plurality of repositories based on the rankings includes:

arranging the sets of search results within the search result document based on the rankings associated with the at least two of the plurality of repositories, and

presenting the search result document to the user.

9. The method of claim 8, where arranging the sets of search results within the search result document based on the rankings associated with the at least two of the plurality of repositories includes:

placing the set of search results, associated with a first one of the at least two of the plurality of repositories, in a more prominent location within the search result document than the set of search results associated with a second one of the at least two of the plurality of repositories, when the ranking associated with the first one of the at least two of the plurality of repositories is higher than the ranking associated with the second one of the at least two of the plurality of repositories.

10. The method of claim 8, where arranging the sets of search results within the search result document based on the rankings associated with the at least two of the plurality of repositories includes:

providing, within the search result document, a link to the set of search results associated with the at least one of the plurality of repositories.

11. A system, comprising:

one or more computer devices to;

receive a search query from a user;

perform a search, based on the search query, on a plurality of repositories to identify, for each of the plurality of repositories, a set of search results, the plurality of repositories including respective different types of documents;

calculate a score, for each of the plurality of repositories, the score, for each respective repository, of the plurality of repositories, identifying a likelihood that the respective repository includes information that satisfies the search query based on the search query and information regarding the user, the one or more computer devices calculating the score based on;

a comparison of information about the search query and information about a plurality of other search queries, the information about the plurality of other search queries including;

information regarding a user that provided a search query,

information regarding the search query, and

information regarding a repository from which search results were provided in response to the search query,

a comparison of information about the user and information about a plurality of users associated with the plurality of other searches, and

selections, by the plurality of users and based on the plurality of search queries, from the corresponding repository;

rank the plurality of repositories based on the scores;

select at least one of the plurality of repositories based on the ranking; and

generate one or more search result documents based on the set of search results associated with the at least one of the plurality of repositories.

12. The system of claim 11, where the one or more computer devices, when selecting the at least one of the plurality of repositories, are further to:

generate a model that determines the score.

13. The system of claim 11, where the information about the user includes one or more of:

an Internet Protocol address associated with the user,

cookie information associated with the user,

information regarding a language associated with the user,

geographical information associated with the user,

information regarding prior queries provided by the user, or

information regarding a period of time that the user provided a query; and

where the information about the plurality of other searches includes at least one of;

one or more query terms included in a particular search query, of the plurality of prior searches;

or

information regarding a repository interface used for one of the plurality of other searches,

information regarding documents that were presented for the one of the other search queries and the repositories from which the documents were obtained, or

information regarding documents that were selected for the one of the plurality of other search queries.

14. One or more computer devices, comprising:

one or more memory devices to store log data associated with a plurality of searches of repositories based on search queries provided by a plurality of users, the plurality of search repositories including respective different types of documents, the log data including;

information regarding a user that provided a certain search query,

information regarding the certain search query, and

information regarding a repository from which search results were provided in response to the certain search query;

a search engine system to;

receive a search query from a user,

calculate a score, for each of a plurality of repositories with respect to the search query from the user based on the log data, the score for each of the plurality of repositories reflecting a likelihood that each of the plurality of repositories includes information that satisfies the search query from the user,

the search engine system, when calculating of the score, being further to;

compare information regarding the search query and information, from the log data, regarding other search queries associated with the plurality of users;

compare information regarding the user and the plurality of users; and

information about respective selections, related to the other search queries, from each of the plurality of searches of repositories,

rank the plurality of repositories based on the respective scores,

compare the respective scores, for the ranked plurality of repositories, to a threshold value,

perform a search on one or more of the plurality of repositories, based on the search query and based on the comparison, to identify, for each of the one or more of the plurality of repositories, a set of search results, and

provide one or more of the sets of search results based on the scores.

15. The one or more computer devices of claim 14, where, when performing the search on one or more of the plurality of repositories, the search engine system is further to:

identify a group of repositories, of the plurality of repositories, to search based on the scores, where the group of repositories includes fewer than all of the plurality of repositories, and

search the group of repositories to identify, for each repository in the group of repositories, a set of search results.

16. The one or more computer devices of claim 14, further comprising:

a model generation system to;

generate, based on the log data, rules for a model,

the search engine system to generate the scores based on the model.

17. The one or more computer devices of claim 16, where, when generating the rules for the model, the model generation system is further to:

store the log data as triples of data (u, q, r), where;

u represents the information regarding the user that provided a certain search query,

q represents the information regarding the certain search query, and

r represents the information regarding the repository from which the search results were provided in response to the certain search query.

18. The one or more computer devices of claim 17, where, when generating the rules for the model, the model generation system is to:

determine a label for each of the triples of data (u, q, r), where the label includes information regarding whether the repository r includes information that satisfies the search query q provided by the user u, and

train the model based on the triples of data (u, q, r) and the associated labels.

19. The one or more computer devices of claim 14, where, when providing the one or more of the sets of search results, the search engine system is to:

select one of the plurality of repositories with a highest score among the scores associated with the plurality of repositories, and

present only the set of search results associated with the selected one of the plurality of repositories.

20. The one or more computer devices of claim 14, where, when providing the one or more of the sets of search results, the search engine system is to:

arrange the one or more sets of search results within a search result document based on the scores associated with the one or more of the plurality repositories, and

present the arranged search result document to the user.

21. The one or more computer devices of claim 20, where, when arranging the one or more sets of search results within the search result document, the search engine system is to:

cause the set of search results, associated with a first one of the one or more of the plurality of repositories, to be more prominently located within the search result document than the set of search results, associated with a second one of the one or more of the plurality repositories, when the score associated with the first one of the one or more of the plurality of repositories is higher than the score associated with the second one of the one or more of the plurality repositories.

22. The one or more computer devices of claim 20, where, when arranging the one or more sets of search results within the search result document, the search engine system is to:

provide a link, in the search result document, to the set of search results associated with at least one of the one or more of the plurality of repositories.

23. A computer-readable memory device to store data and computer-executable instructions, comprising:

instructions to store log data associated with a plurality of searches of repositories based on search queries provided by users, each repository including at least one document;

instructions to store the log data as triples of data (u, q, r), where;

u refers to information regarding a user, of the users, that provided a particular search query, of the search queries,

q refers to information regarding the particular search query, and

r refers to information regarding a repository, of the repositories, from which search results were provided in response to the particular search query;

instructions to determine a label for each of the triples of data (u, q, r), the label including information regarding whether the repository r includes information responsive to the search query q provided by the user u;

instructions to receive a particular search query from a particular user;

instructions to generate based on the triples of data (u, q, r) and the associated labels, scores for repositories, each of the generated scored being indicative of whether a particular repository, of the repositories, associated with the generated score, includes information responsive to the particular search query provided by the particular user, the scores being generated based on;

a comparison of information about the particular search query and information about the search queries provided by the users,

a comparison of information associated with the particular user and information about the plurality of users, and

selections, based on the search queries, from the repositories;

instructions to search the repositories, based on the particular search query, to identify, for each of the repositories, at least one set of search results;

instructions to rank the repositories based on the scores;

instructions to select at least one of the repositories based on the rankings; and

instructions to generate a search result document based on the set of search results associated with the selected at least one of the two or more of the plurality of repositories.

24. The computer-readable memory device of claim 23, further comprising:

instructions to arrange the at least one set of search results within a search result document based on the rankings associated with the at least one of the plurality of repositories, and

instructions to present the search result document to the user.

25. The computer-readable memory device of claim 23, where the information the particular user includes one or more of:

an Internet Protocol address associated with the particular user,

cookie information associated with the user, a language associated with the particular user,

geographical information associated with the user, prior queries provided by the particular user, or

a period of time that the particular user provided the particular search query; and

where the information regarding the particular search query includes one or more query terms included in the search query.