Dynamic determination of location-identifying search phrases

• US 8,694,528 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Xin, Falola, Dolapo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US13/181,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831
• US Class Current: 707/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes providing location factors for first phrases in a collection of phrases, where each location factor for a first phrase is associated with a likelihood that a second phrase of a search query is associated with a location when the first phrase and the second phrase are used in the search query. A search query is received, where the received search query includes a first phrase from the collection of phrases and a second phrase. Whether the second phrase of the received search query refers to a location is determined based, at least in part, on the location factor for the first phrase of the search query.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors comprising:

receiving a search query, the received search query including a first phrase and a second phrase;

identifying the second phrase as a possible name of a location;

determining that the second phrase of the received search query refers to the location based, at least in part, on a location factor for the first phrase of the search query,

wherein the location factor for the first phrase is determined by analyzing a plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase and previously provided user interactions with the search results provided in response to the plurality of previously received search queries, wherein the analyzing further includes determining a frequency with which the plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase contain a location identified as a standalone location to a frequency with which the plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase contain a location that is not identified as a standalone location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing a plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase and previously provided user interactions with the search results provided in response to the plurality of previously received search queries further comprises:

determining a frequency with which previously provided user interactions are with search results that are associated with a known location relative to a frequency with which previously provided user interactions are with search results that are not associated with a known location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing a plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase and previously provided user interactions with the search results provided in response to the plurality of previously received search queries further comprises:

determining a distribution of the previously provided user interactions with search results as a function of the locations with which those search results are associated; and

determining the location factor as a measure of the width of the distribution.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second phrase refers to a location based, at least in part, on a language associated with the search query.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second phrase refers to a location based, at least in part, on an origin associated with the search query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the origin associated with the search query is based on a location of a device from which the search query originates.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the origin associated with the search query is based on a domain name of a search engine at which the search query is received.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing search results in response to the search query, the search results being ranked to give preference to search results related to the location.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising billing an advertiser for providing a search result that includes information related to the location referred to by the second phrase.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the received search query includes an unstructured text query.

11. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors comprising:

receiving a search query, the received search query including a first phrase and a second phrase;

identifying the second phrase as a possible name of a location;

determining that the second phrase of the received search query refers to the location based, at least in part, on a location factor for the first phrase of the search query, wherein the location factor for the first phrase is determined by analyzing a plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase and previously provided user interactions with the search results provided in response to the plurality of previously received search queries;

providing search results in response to the search query, the search results being ranked to give preference to search results related to the location; and

providing at least some of the search results in a format designed for presenting location-specific search results.

12. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a computer-readable storage medium and including executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive a search query, the received search query including a first phrase and a second phrase;

identify the second phrase as a possible name of a location; and

determine that the second phrase of the received search query refers to the location based, at least in part, on a location factor for the first phrase of the search query,

wherein the location factor for the first phrase is determined by analyzing a plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase and previously provided user interactions with the search results provided in response to the plurality of previously received search queries, wherein the analyzing further includes determining a frequency with which previously provided user interactions are with search results that are associated with a known location relative to a frequency with which previously provided user interactions are with search results that are not associated with a known location.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein analyzing a plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase and previously provided user interactions with the search results provided in response to the plurality of previously received search queries further comprises:

determining a distribution of the previously provided user interactions with search results as a function of the locations with which those search results are associated; and

determining the location factor as a measure of the width of the distribution.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

provide search results in response to the search query, the search results being ranked to give preference to search results related to the location.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

provide at least some of the search results in a format designed for presenting location-specific search results.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

bill an advertiser for providing a search result that includes information related to the location referred to by the second phrase.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the received search query includes an unstructured text query.

18. A system comprising:

one or more storage mediums having computer instructions stored thereon;

one or more processors executing the computer instructions stored in the one or more storage mediums in order to;

receive a search query, the received search query including a first phrase and a second phrase;

identify the second phrase as a possible name of a location;

determine that the second phrase of the received search query refers to the location based, at least in part, on a location factor for the first phrase of the search query,

wherein the location factor for the first phrase is determined by analyzing a plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase and previously provided user interactions with the search results provided in response to the plurality of previously received search queries, wherein the analyzing further includes determining a frequency with which previously provided user interactions are with search results that are associated with a known location relative to a frequency with which previously provided user interactions are with search results that are not associated with a known location.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein analyzing a plurality of previously received search queries containing the first phrase and previously provided user interactions with the search results provided in response to the plurality of previously received search queries further comprises:

determining a distribution of the previously provided user interactions with search results as a function of the locations with which those search results are associated; and

determining the location factor as a measure of the width of the distribution.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

provide search results in response to the search query, the search results being ranked to give preference to search results related to the location.