Method and system to identify a preferred domain of a plurality of domains

• US 8,688,623 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Shah, Seema, Nash, Adam, Gupta, Raghav, Arora, Aditya, Foster, Benjamin David, Subramaniam, Srikanth, Ansari, Suhail, Stonestreet, Xavier, Raman, Vijay, Leon, Jean-Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US13/152,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3331 Query processing

Abstract

There is provided methods and systems to identify a preferred domain of a plurality of domains corresponding to a query. First, the system receives the query. Second, the system accesses demand information corresponding to the query, the demand information including navigation information associated with the query. Third, the system accesses supply information corresponding to the query, the supply information including a count of data items in each of the plurality of domains that match the query. Fourth, the system identifies the preferred domain based on the demand information and the supply information.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a preferred domain of a plurality of domains corresponding to a query, the method comprising:

receiving the query;

accessing demand information corresponding to the query, the demand information including navigation information associated with the query;

accessing supply information corresponding to the query, the supply information including a plurality of data item counts corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of domains that match the query; and

identifying the preferred domain based on the demand information and the supply information, the identifying being performed by a processor of a machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the query includes a constraint, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request to view a requested domain; and

incrementing a view data item count corresponding to the constraint and the requested domain.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the incrementing is based on detecting that a user viewed the requested domain over a view data item duration, the view data item duration being a period of time over which the view data item count corresponding to the requested domain is recorded.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, based on a view data item rate, updating a total view data item rate corresponding to one of a product work area, an aisle work area, and a department work area, the view data item rate representing the view data item count divided by the view data item duration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the query includes a constraint;

the preferred domain is one of a plurality of domains;

the navigation information includes a plurality of view data item counts corresponding to the constraint and the plurality of domains, each of the plurality of view data item counts representing a number of times a plurality of users, subsequent to entering a query having an additional constraint, viewed a data item in one of the plurality of domains over a view data item duration, the additional constraint corresponding to the constraint; and

the identifying of the preferred domain is based on a view data item count corresponding to the preferred domain being greater than a view data item count corresponding to another one of the plurality of domains.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a data item matching the query corresponds to each of a plurality of domains organized into a hierarchy; and

based on the determining, incrementing a plurality of view data item counts, each of the plurality of view data item counts corresponding to one of the plurality of domains.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the demand information is weighted relative to the supply information.

8. A system of identifying a preferred domain of a plurality of domains corresponding to a query, the system comprising:

a demand data engine to receive the query;

the demand data engine to access demand information corresponding to the query, the demand information including, navigation information associated with the query;

a search index engine to access supply information corresponding to the query, the supply information including a plurality of data item counts corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of domains that match the query; and

a processor configured by a coverage module to identify the preferred domain based on the demand information and the supply information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the query includes a constraint, and wherein the method further comprises:

the demand data engine to receive a request to view a requested domain; and

the demand data engine to increment a view data item count corresponding to the constraint and the requested domain.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the incrementing is based on the demand data engine detecting that a user viewed the requested domain over a view data item duration, the view data item duration being a period of time over which the view data item count corresponding to the requested domain is recorded.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the demand data engine updates, based on a view data item rate, a total view data item rate corresponding to one of a product work area, an aisle work area, and a department work area, the view data item rate representing the view data item count divided by the view data item duration.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the query includes a constraint;

the preferred domain is one of a plurality of domains;

the navigation information includes a plurality of view data item counts corresponding to the constraint and the plurality of domains, each of the plurality of view data item counts representing a number of times a plurality of users, subsequent to entering a query having an additional constraint, viewed a data item in one of the plurality of domains over a view data item duration, the additional constraint corresponding to the constraint; and

the coverage module identifies the preferred domain based on a view data item count corresponding to the preferred domain being greater than a view data item count corresponding to another one of the plurality of domains.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the demand information is weighted relative to the supply information.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving the query;

accessing demand information corresponding to the query, the demand information including navigation information associated with the query;

accessing supply information corresponding to the query, the supply information including a plurality of data item counts corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of domains that match the query; and

identifying the preferred domain based on the demand information and the supply information.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

receiving a request to view a requested domain; and

incrementing a view data item count corresponding to the constraint and the requested domain.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the incrementing is based on detecting that a user viewed the requested domain over a view data item duration, the view data item duration being a period of time over which the view data item count corresponding to the requested domain is recorded.

17. The non transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, the operations further comprising, based on a view data item rate, updating a total view data item rate corresponding to one of a product work area, an aisle work area, and a department work area, the view data item rate representing the view data item count divided by the view data item duration.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein:

the query includes a constraint;

the preferred domain is one of a plurality of domains;

the navigation information includes a plurality of view data item counts corresponding to the constraint and the plurality of domains, each of the plurality of view data item counts representing a number of times a plurality of users, subsequent to entering a query having an additional constraint, viewed a data its in one of the plurality of domains over a view data item duration, the additional constraint corresponding to the constraint; and

the identifying of the preferred domain is based on a view data item count corresponding to the preferred domain being greater than a view data item count corresponding to another one of the plurality of domains.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

determining that a data item matching the query corresponds to each of a plurality of domains organized into a hierarchy; and

based on the determining, incrementing, a plurality of view data item counts, each of the plurality of view data item counts corresponding to one of the plurality of domains.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the demand information is weighted relative to the supply information.