Hidden text detection for search result scoring

• US 8,639,680 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ciccolo, Peter, Flaster, Michael Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US13/465,235
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 707705-710, 707722- 23, 707769-770, 709/201, 709/203, 709/213, 709/217
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• 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: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

A method for creating a hidden text data index for ranking computerized query search results that includes generating a render tree based on a document object model (DOM) tree for a web page. The render tree includes nodes that correspond to text that will be visually displayed by a client device when executed. The method includes comparing nodes corresponding to text of the DOM tree with the nodes corresponding to text of the render tree to identify the nodes in the DOM tree that will not be visually displayed when executed by the client device. The method also includes creating a hidden text data index for the nodes corresponding to text of the DOM tree not in the render tree. The hidden text data index identifies nodes corresponding to text of the DOM tree as hidden that will not be visually displayed when executed by the client device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a system of one or more computers, a first data structure based on a web page,

where the first data structure includes nodes corresponding to text that will be visually displayed from the web page and nodes corresponding to text that will not be visually displayed from the web page when the web page is rendered for display by a client device;

generating, by the system of one or more computers, a second data structure for the web page based on the first data structure,

the second data structure including nodes that correspond to text that will be visually displayed when the web page is rendered for display by the client device;

comparing, by the system of one or more computers, nodes corresponding to text of the first data structure with nodes corresponding to text of the second data structure to identify the nodes corresponding to text that will not be visually displayed from the web page when the web page is rendered for display by the client device; and

generating, by the system of one or more computers, weighting factors for the nodes corresponding to text that will not be visually displayed from the web page when the web page is rendered for display by the client device based on the nodes corresponding to text that will not be visually displayed from the web page.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the system of one or more computers, a hidden text data index for the web page based on the first data structure and the second data structure,

the hidden text data index identifying nodes that correspond to text of the first data structure as hidden text that will not be visually displayed when the web page is rendered for display by the client device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the system of one or more computers, a search query from the client device,

the search query including one or more query terms;

identifying, by the system of one or more computers, multiple candidates of text responsive to the one or more query terms of the search query,

where the multiple candidates of text includes text that will be visually displayed from the web page and text that will not be visually displayed from the web page; and

selecting, by the system of one or more computers, text that is responsive to the one or more query terms of the search query from the multiple candidates of text based on the weighting factors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the weighting factors are generated based on an amount of hidden text in the web page.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the system of one or more computers, a set of text responsive to a search query based on the weighting factors.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing, for display, a list of search results, including the set of text that is responsive to the search query, in a rank order based on the weighting factors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data structure is associated with text to be rendered for display by the client device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the text that will not be visually displayed when the web page is rendered for display includes text that is one or more of:

designated to be displayed using a font size below a particular font size threshold,

designated to be displayed using a font color that matches a designated background display color, or

text included in the first data structure and not included in the second data structure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data structure includes nodes that correspond only to text that will be visually displayed when the web page is rendered for display by the client device.

10. A system comprising:

a processor, and

a memory, the memory including instructions that when executed cause the processor to;

generate a first data structure based on a web page,

where the first data structure includes nodes corresponding to text that will be visually displayed from the web page and text that will not be visually displayed from the web page when the web page is rendered for display by a client device;

generate a second data structure for the web page based on the first data structure,

the second data structure including nodes that correspond to text that will be visually displayed when the web page is rendered for display by the client device;

generate a hidden text data index for the web page based on the first data structure and the second data structure,

the hidden text data index identifying nodes that correspond to text of the first data structure as hidden that will not be visually displayed when the web page is rendered for display by the client device; and

generate weighting factors for the nodes corresponding to text that will not be visually displayed from the web page when the web page is rendered for display by the client device based on the nodes corresponding to text that will not be visually displayed from the web page.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive a search query from the client device,

the search query including one or more query terms;

identify multiple candidates of text responsive to the one or more query terms of the search query,

where the multiple candidates of text includes text that will be visually displayed from the web page and text that will not be visually displayed from the web page; and

select text, that is responsive to the one or more query terms of the search query, from the multiple candidates of text based on the weighting factors.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to generate the weighting factor based on an amount of hidden text in the web page.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to provide, for display, a list of search results, including the text that is responsive to the one or more query terms of the search query, in a rank order based on the weighting factors.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the second data structure is associated with text to be rendered for display by the client device.

15. A method comprising:

generating, by a system of one or more computers, a document object model (DOM) tree for a first web page,

where the DOM tree includes nodes corresponding to text that will be visually displayed and nodes corresponding to text that will not be visually displayed when the first web page is rendered for display by a client device;

generating, by the system of one or more computers, a render tree based on the DOM tree,

the render tree including nodes that correspond to text that will be visually displayed by the client device when the first web page is rendered for display by the client device;

comparing, by the system of one or more computers, nodes corresponding to text of the DOM tree with nodes corresponding to text of the render tree to identify the nodes corresponding to text of the DOM tree that will not be visually displayed when the first web page rendered for display by the client device; and

creating, by the system of one or more computers, a hidden text data index based on the DOM tree and the render tree, the hidden text data index identifying nodes corresponding to text of the DOM tree as hidden that will not be visually displayed when the first web page is rendered for display by the client device and including a weighting factor associated with the identified nodes.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating, by the system of one or more computers, a second document object model (DOM) tree for a second web page,

where the second DOM tree includes nodes corresponding to text that will be visually displayed and nodes corresponding to text that will not be visually displayed when the second web page is rendered for display by the client device;

generating, by the system of one or more computers, a second render tree based on the second DOM tree,

the second render tree including nodes that correspond to text that will be visually displayed by the client device when the second web page is rendered for display by the client device;

comparing, by the system of one or more computers, nodes corresponding to text of the second DOM tree with nodes corresponding to text of the second render tree to identify the nodes corresponding to text in the second DOM tree that will not be visually displayed when the second web page is rendered for display by the client device; and

updating, by the system of one or more computers, the hidden text data index based on the second DOM tree and the second render tree,

the hidden text data index identifying nodes corresponding to text of the second DOM tree as hidden that will not be visually displayed when the second web page is rendered for display by the client device and including a weighting factor associated with the identified nodes corresponding to the text of the second DOM tree.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the render tree is associated with text to be rendered for display by the client device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein text that will not be visually displayed when the second web page is rendered for display includes text that is one or more of:

designated to be displayed using a font size below a particular font size threshold,

designated to be displayed using a font color that matches a designated background display color, or

text included in the DOM tree and not in the render tree.

19. The method of claim 15, where the weighting factor is based on an amount of hidden text in the first web page.

20. The method of claim 16, where the weighting, factor associated with the identified nodes corresponding to the text of the second DOM tree, is based on an amount of hidden text in the second web page.