Ordering of search results based on language and/or country of the search results

• US 8,306,972 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Vineet, Gomes, Benedict, Lamping, John, McGrath, Mizuki, Tong, Simon, Singhal, Amitabh K
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, KHANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/255,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 707722-724, 707732-734
• US Class Current: 707/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A system and method for providing preferred language and/or country ordering of search results is described. A search query describing potentially retrievable information provided in a plurality of search result languages and/or countries is received. A search is executed by evaluating the search query against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository. At least one preferred language and/or country applicable to search results generated is dynamically determined responsive to the executed search. At least some of the search results are ordered in consideration of the at least one preferred language and/or country.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a search query;

performing, by the processor, a search based on the search query to identify search results in a plurality of search result languages;

identifying, by the processor, a particular language for the search results based on weighing characteristics of the search query, weighing characteristics of a user interface via which the search query is received, and weighing characteristics of the search results;

ordering, by the processor, the search results to create an ordered list of search results;

determining, by the processor, whether the search results, in the ordered list of search results, are in the particular language;

adjusting, by the processor, the ordering of one of the search results among other ones of the search results to create an adjusted list of search results when the one of the search results is in the particular language; and

providing for presentation, by the processor, the adjusted list of search results.

2. The method of claim 1, where identifying the particular language includes:

determining the particular language based on the search query by evaluating at least one of a language used in the search query or a character encoding used in the search query.

3. The method of claim 1, where identifying the particular language includes:

determining the particular language using the characteristics of the user interface when the particular language cannot be determined based on the search query.

4. The method of claim 3, where determining the particular language using the characteristics of the user interface includes:

evaluating, to identify the particular language, at least one of;

a first language specified as a stored preference independent of the search query,

a second language specified by the user interface,

a character encoding specified by the user interface, or

a network address of a client application from which the search query was submitted.

5. The method of claim 1, where identifying the particular language includes:

determining the particular language using at least some of the search results when the characteristics of the user interface identify the particular language as corresponding to a predetermined language.

6. The method of claim 5, where identifying the particular language further includes:

evaluating a language used in a majority of the search results to identify the particular language.

7. The method of claim 1, where adjusting the ordering of the one of the search results includes one of:

demoting each of the search results, that is in a language other than the particular language, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results, and promoting each of the search results, that is in the particular language, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results;

or

promoting each of the search results, that is in a language other than the particular language, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results, and demoting each of the search results, that is in the particular language, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second language that is different than the particular language;

determining whether the search results, in the ordered list of search results, are in the second language; and

adjusting the ordering of a particular search result, of the search results, among other ones of the search results, when the particular search result is in the second language.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a search query;

performing, by a processor, a search based on the search query to identify search results from a plurality of search result countries;

identifying, by a processor, a particular country for the search results based on weighing interface characteristics and weighing Internet protocol (IP) characteristics,

where the interface characteristics include information from the search query and information from a user interface via which the search query is received, and

where the IP characteristics include information associated with a location from which the search query was sent;

ordering, by a processor, the search results to create an ordered list of search results;

determining, by a processor, whether the search results in the ordered list of search results are from the particular country;

adjusting, by a processor, the order of one of the search results among other ones of the search results to create an adjusted list of search results when the one of the search results is from the particular country; and

providing for presentation, by a processor, the adjusted list of search results.

10. The method of claim 9, where adjusting the order of the one of the search results includes one of:

demoting each of the search results, from a country other than the particular country, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results, and promoting each of the search results, from the particular country, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results;

or

promoting each of the search results, from a country other than the particular country, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results, and demoting each of the search results, from the particular country, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

assigning a numerical score to each of the search results; and

adjusting the numerical score of at least one of the search results from the particular country.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising one of:

increasing the numerical scores assigned to the search results from the particular country, and maintaining the numerical scores assigned to the search results from a country other than the particular country;

or

decreasing the numerical scores assigned to the search results from the particular country, and maintaining the numerical scores assigned to the search results from a country other than the particular country.

13. The method of claim 11, where adjusting the order of the at least one of the search results includes:

sorting the search results based on the adjusted numerical score of the at least one of the search results.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying a second country that is different than the particular country;

determining whether the search results, in the ordered list of search results, are from the second country; and

adjusting the ordering of a particular search result, of the search results, among other ones of the search results, when the particular search result is from the second country.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive a search query;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a search based on the search query to identify search results in a plurality of search result languages;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to identify a particular language for the search results based on weighing characteristics of the search query, weighing characteristics of a user interface via which the search query is received, and weighing characteristics of the search results;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine whether the search results are in the particular language;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to order the search results to create an ordered list of search results, where a position of one of the search results, within the ordered list of search results, is based on whether the one of the search results is in the particular language; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide, for presentation, the ordered list of search results.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions to assign a numerical score to each of the search results; and

one or more instructions to adjust the numerical score of at least one of the search results that is in the particular language.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising one of:

one or more instructions to increase the numerical scores assigned to the search results that are in the particular language, and maintain the numerical scores assigned to the search results that are in a language other than the particular language;

or

one or more instructions to decrease the numerical scores assigned to the search results that are in the particular language, and maintain the numerical scores assigned to the search results in a language other than the particular language.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, where the one or more instructions to order the search results include:

one or more instructions to sort the at least one of the search results based on the adjusted numerical score.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, where the numerical score is adjusted in accordance with the formula:

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

one or more instructions to determine a second language that is different from the particular language; and

one or more instructions to increase the numerical score assigned to at least one of the search results that is in the second language.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

one or more instructions to determine a second language that is different from the particular language; and

one or more instructions to decrease the numerical score assigned to at least one of the search results that is in the second language.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive a search query;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a search based on the search query to identify search results from a plurality of search result countries;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to identify a particular country for the search results based on weighing interface characteristics and weighing Internet protocol (IP) characteristics,

where the interface characteristics include information from the search query and information from a user interface via which the search query is received, and

where the IP characteristics include information associated with a location from which the search query was sent;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine whether the search results are from the particular country;

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to order the search results to create an ordered list of search results, where a position of one of the search results, within the ordered list of search results, is based on whether the one of the search results is from the particular country; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide, for presentation, the ordered list of search results.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, where the one or more instructions to order the search results include:

one or more instructions to order at least some of the search results, from the particular country, by one of;

demoting each of the search results, from a country other than the particular country, by a predefined shifting factor, and promoting each of the search results, from the particular country, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results;

or

promoting each of the search results, from a country other than the particular country, by a predefined shifting factor, and demoting each of the search results, from the particular country, by at least one position within the ordered list of search results.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, further comprising:

one or more instructions to identify a second country that is different than the particular country;

one or more instructions to determine whether the search results in the ordered list of search results are from the second country; and

one or more instructions to adjust the ordering of a particular search result, of the search results, among other ones of the search results when the particular search result is from the second country.

25. A device, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

receive a search query,

perform a search based on the search query to identify search results in a plurality of search result languages and from a plurality of search result countries,

identify a particular language for the search results based on weighing characteristics of the search query, weighing characteristics of a user interface via which the search query is received, and weighing characteristics of the search results,

identify a particular country for the search results based on interface characteristics and Internet protocol (IP) characteristics,

order the search results to create an ordered list of search results, where a position of one of the search results, within the ordered list of search results, is based on whether the one of the search results is in the particular language or from the particular country, and

provide, for presentation, the ordered list of search results.

26. The device of claim 25, where, when ordering the search results, the processor is to:

assign a numerical score to each of the search results, and

one of;

increase the numerical scores assigned to the search results that are in the particular language, and maintain the numerical scores assigned to the search results that are in a language other than the particular language, or

decrease the numerical scores assigned to the search results that are in the particular language, and maintain the numerical scores assigned to the search results in a language other than the particular language.

27. The device of claim 25, where, when ordering the search results, the processor is to:

assign a numerical score to each of the search results, and

one of;

increase the numerical scores assigned to the search results that are from the particular country, and maintain the numerical scores assigned to the search results that are from a country other than the particular country, or

decrease the numerical scores assigned to the search results that are from the particular country, and maintain the numerical scores assigned to the search results from a country other than the particular country.