Dynamic reranking of search results based upon source authority

• US 8,775,437 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Weitz, Stefan David, Gounares, Alexander George, Kinsel, Patrick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Uddin, Mohammed R
• Application Number:
  US12/752,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723, 707/748, 707/737, 707/741, 707/999.003
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for dynamically reranking search results based upon source authority. A search query is received and analyzed. One or more topics are identified in the search query. An authority index is searched to identify authoritative sources for content relating to the identified topic(s). Promoted results corresponding to content generated by the authoritative sources relating to the identified topics are obtained. The promoted results can be presented to an entity requesting the search, or injected into search results. Contribution dimensions associated with the promoted results can be determined, and filters based upon the contribution dimensions can be generated and used by an entity to dynamically manipulate the search results.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically reranking search results based upon source authority, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

analyzing a received search query to determine a query topic associated with the search query;

searching an authority index to identify authoritative sources relating to the query topic, the authority index comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each entry defines an authoritative source for content relating to the query topic, wherein identifying the authoritative sources comprises;

accessing an authority index;

searching the authority index for entries associated with the query topic;

identifying a plurality of entries associated with the query topic, each of the plurality of entries being associated with a source having a corresponding authority value and corresponding to one of the promoted results, and

defining the authoritative sources as the sources that authored the promoted results;

obtaining, from the authority index, promoted results identifying the content relating to the query topic;

computing at least one contribution dimension for the sources associated with the promoted results;

generating a contribution dimension filter for filtering the promoted results and the search result based upon the contribution dimension; and

dynamically reranking the promoted results and the search result based upon the contribution dimension in response to receiving input indicating a command to apply the contribution dimension filter to the promoted results and the search result; and

outputting the reranked promoted results with the search result.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing at least one contribution dimension for the sources associated with the promoted results.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the contribution dimension filter is configured to manipulate the promoted results and the search result based upon the contribution dimension.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the contribution dimension comprises source data identifying the source,

point of view data identifying a point of view associated with the sources and the query topic, and

authority data identifying authority values associated with the sources, the query topic, and the point of view associated with the promoted results.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the contribution dimension comprises source data identifying the sources,

time data comprising a time associated with the promoted results, and

authority data identifying authority values associated with the sources, the query topic, and the time data.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the contribution dimension comprises source data identifying the sources,

location data comprising locations associated with the promoted results, and

authority data identifying authority values associated with the sources, the query topic, and the location data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the authoritative sources associated with query topic comprises:

accessing an authority index comprising entries, each of the entries comprising source data indicating a source, topic data indicating a topic, and authority data indicating an authority associated with the source and the topic;

searching the authority index for entries associated with the query topic, each of the entries comprising one of the promoted results;

obtaining a plurality of promoted results; and

ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result based upon a contribution dimension associated with the promoted results.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the entries further comprises time data indicating a time associated with the entry, and wherein ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result comprises ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result based upon the time data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the entries further comprises location data indicating a geographic location associated with the entry, and wherein ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result comprises ranking the plurality of promoted results and the search result based upon the location data.

10. A computer-implemented method for dynamically reranking search results based upon source authority, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

analyzing a received search query to determine a query topic associated with the search query;

performing a search on an authority index utilizing the search query and generating search results to identify authoritative sources relating to the query topic, the authority index comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each entry defines an authoritative source for content relating to the query topic, wherein identifying the authoritative sources comprises,

accessing the authority index comprising a plurality of entries, each entry defining an authoritative source that created for content relating to a plurality of query topics,

searching the authority index to identify authoritative sources for content related to the query topic, each authoritative source associated with a promoted result relating to the query topic,

identifying a plurality of entries associated with the query topic, each of the plurality of entries being associated with a source have a corresponding authority value and corresponding to one of the promoted results, and

defining the authoritative sources as the sources that authored the promoted results;

obtaining the promoted results in response to the searching;

computing at least one contribution dimension for the sources associated with the promoted results;

generating a contribution dimension filter for filtering the promoted results and the search result based upon the contribution dimension; and

dynamically reranking the promoted results and the search result based upon the contribution dimension in response to receiving input indicating a command to apply the contribution dimension filter to the promoted results and the search result; and

outputting the reranked promoted results with the search result.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the contribution dimension filters is configured to manipulate the promoted results and the search results based upon a one of the contribution dimensions.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the contribution dimension filters comprise

source data identifying sources associated with the promoted results,

point of view data identifying points of view associated with the promoted results, and authority data identifying authority values associated with the promoted results.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein outputting the reranked promoted results and the search results further comprises outputting data corresponding to a link for content associated with the promoted results.

14. An optical disk, a magnetic disk storage device, or a solid state storage device having computer-readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

analyze a search query to determine a query topic associated with the search query;

perform a search on an authority index to generate search results to identify authoritative sources relating to the query topic, the authority index comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each entry defines an authoritative source for content relating to the query topic, wherein identifying the authoritative sources comprises,

access the authority index comprising a plurality of entries, each entry defining an authoritative source that created for content relating to a plurality of query topics,

search the authority index to identify authoritative sources for content related to the query topic, each authoritative source associated with a promoted result relationg to the query topic, and

identify a plurality of entries associated with the query topic, each of the plurality of entries being associated with a source have a corresponding authority value and corresponding to one of the promoted results, and

obtain from the authority index, the promoted results identifying the content relating to the query topic in response to the searching;

compute contribution dimensions for the authoritative sources associated with the promoted results;

generate contribution dimension filter for filtering the promoted results and the search result;

dynamically rerank the promoted results and the search result based upon the contribution dimension in response to receiving input indicating a command to apply the contribution dimension filter to the promoted results and the search result;

outputting the reranked promoted results and the search result;

receive input indicating selection of a one of the contribution dimension tilters;

rerank the search results and the promoted results based upon the selected contribution dimension filter; and

receive feedback data relating to how the search results or the promoted results are used, consumed, or filtered.

15. The optical disk, a magnetic disk storage device, or a solid state storage device of claim 14, wherein the authority index comprises an authority table including the entries, wherein the authority table includes a pseudoURL describing the content, and wherein the authority table links a source that authored the content described by the pseudoURL, an authority value associated with the source, and a point of view of the source.