Identifying documents for dissemination by an entity

• US 9,098,502 B1
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Horling, Bryan C., Shirazi, Afsaneh Hajiamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chbouki, Tarek
• Application Number:
  US13/727,865
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for suggesting documents for dissemination. In one aspect, a method includes identifying documents that have each been classified as a document that references a particular entity. An entity score specifying a measure of importance of the particular entity to the document is determined for the documents. A proper subset of the documents is selected, as suggested documents for dissemination by the particular entity based, at least in part, on the entity score. Data that identify one or more of the suggested documents is provided to an online environment maintained by the entity. A dissemination element is provided to the online environment of the particular entity. The dissemination element causes, upon user interaction by the particular entity and with the dissemination element, at least one of the suggested documents to be disseminated to one or more other entities.

Claims

1. A method performed by data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

identifying, by a data processing apparatus, a plurality of documents that have each been classified as documents that reference a particular member of a social network, the identification being independent of a request by the member of the social network;

determining, for each of at least some of the plurality of documents and by the data processing apparatus, an entity score specifying a measure of importance of the particular member to the document, the entity score being determined, based at least in part, on a number of references in the document to the particular member, the references including instances of a name of the particular member;

selecting, as a set of suggested documents for the particular member, a proper subset of the documents from the plurality of documents that have at least a threshold entity score;

identifying an additional document that was not eligible for inclusion in the set of suggested documents based on the entity score for the additional document being less than the threshold entity score, wherein the additional document references the particular member;

determining, by the data processing apparatus, that the additional document has a traffic spike score that meets a threshold traffic spike score, the traffic spike score for the additional document being a value determined based on a variance of user requests for the additional document over one or more specified time periods;

including the additional document in the set of suggested documents based on the determination that the traffic spike score meets the threshold traffic spike score;

providing, by the data processing apparatus, data that identify, in a social network page of the particular member, one or more documents from the set of suggested documents for dissemination, by the particular member, to other members of the social network; and

providing, in the social network page of the particular member, a dissemination element that, upon interaction with the dissemination element, causes at least one of the suggested documents to be disseminated to one or more other members of the social network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an entity score comprises:

for each of one or more of the documents;

determining locations of the references to the particular member in the document; and

determining the entity score based on the number of references and the locations of the references.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the entity score comprises:

for at least one of the documents;

determining a first number of the references to the particular member that are included in the document;

determining a second number of references to other entities that are included in the document; and

determining, for the particular member, the entity score of the document based on a function of the first number and the second number.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second additional document that is not included in the proper subset of documents;

determining that the second additional document is hosted by a website that has been classified as a trusted site based, at least in part, on a quality of documents hosted by the site;

determining, based on the references to the particular member that are included in the second additional document, that the particular member is a primary subject of the second additional document; and

including the second additional document in the proper subset of documents, the inclusion being performed based on the particular member being a primary subject of the second additional document and based on the second additional document being hosted by the trusted site.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second additional document that is not included in the proper subset of documents;

determining that a title of the additional document includes a reference to the particular member; and

including the second additional document in the proper subset of documents, the inclusion being performed based on the determination that the title includes the reference to the particular member.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, for each of one or more of the plurality of documents, an information retrieval score for the document relative to the particular member;

identifying a particular document for which the information retrieval score meets an information retrieval threshold; and

including the particular document in the proper subset of documents, the inclusion being performed based on the information retrieval score meeting the information retrieval threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that two of the documents form the plurality of documents each have a matching document date;

determining, based on the entity scores for the two documents, that each of the two documents are eligible for inclusion in the proper subset; and

including, based on the documents having a matching document date, only one of the two documents in the proper subset of documents.

8. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying a plurality of documents that have each been classified as documents that reference a particular member of a social network, the identification being independent of a request by the member of the social network;

determining, for each of at least some of the plurality of documents, an entity score specifying a measure of importance of the particular member to the document, the entity score being determined, based at least in part, on a number of references in the document to the particular member, the references including instances of a name of the particular member;

selecting, as a set of suggested documents for the particular member, a proper subset of the documents from the plurality of documents that have at least a threshold entity score;

identifying an additional document that was not eligible for inclusion in the set of suggested documents based on the entity score for the additional document being less than the threshold entity score, wherein the additional document references the particular member;

determining that the additional document has a traffic spike score that meets a threshold traffic spike score, the traffic spike score for the additional document being a value determined based on a variance of user requests for the additional document over one or more specified time periods;

including the additional document in the set of suggested documents based on the determination that the traffic spike score meets the threshold traffic spike score;

providing data that identify, in a social network page of the particular member, one or more documents from the set of suggested documents for dissemination, by the particular member, to other members of the social network; and

providing, in the social network page of the particular member, a dissemination element that, upon interaction with the dissemination element, causes at least one of the suggested documents to be disseminated to one or more other members of the social network.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining an entity score comprises:

for each of one or more of the documents;

determining locations of the references to the particular member in the document; and

determining the entity score based on the number of references and the locations of the references.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining the entity score comprises:

for at least one of the documents;

determining a first number of the references to the particular member that are included in the document;

determining a second number of references to other entities that are included in the document; and

determining, for the particular member, the entity score of the document based on a function of the first number and the second number.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying a second additional document that is not included in the proper subset of documents;

determining that the second additional document is hosted by a website that has been classified as a trusted site based, at least in part, on a quality of documents hosted by the site;

determining, based on the references to the particular member that are included in the second additional document, that the particular member is a primary subject of the second additional document; and

including the second additional document in the proper subset of documents, the inclusion being performed based on the particular member being a primary subject of the second additional document and based on the second additional document being hosted by the trusted site.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying a second additional document that is not included in the proper subset of documents;

determining that a title of the additional document includes a reference to the particular member; and

including the second additional document in the proper subset of documents, the inclusion being performed based on the determination that the title includes the reference to the particular member.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

obtaining, for each of one or more of the plurality of documents, an information retrieval score for the document relative to the particular member;

identifying a particular document for which the information retrieval score meets an information retrieval threshold; and

including the particular document in the proper subset of documents, the inclusion being performed based on the information retrieval score meeting the information retrieval threshold.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining that two of the documents form the plurality of documents each have a matching document date;

determining, based on the entity scores for the two documents, that each of the two documents are eligible for inclusion in the proper subset; and

including, based on the documents having a matching document date, only one of the two documents in the proper subset of documents.

15. A system comprising:

a data store storing data referencing a plurality of documents that have each been classified as documents that reference a particular member of a social network classification being independent of a request by the member of the social network;

one or more computers coupled to the data store, the one or more computers including instructions that upon execution cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

determining, for each of at least some of the plurality of documents, an entity score specifying a measure of importance of the particular member to the document, the entity score being determined, based at least in part, on a number of references in the document to the particular member, the references including instances of a name of the particular member;

selecting, as a set of suggested documents for the particular member, a proper subset of the documents from the plurality of documents that have at least a threshold entity score;

identifying an additional document that was not eligible for inclusion in the set of suggested documents based on the entity score for the additional document being less than the threshold entity score, wherein the additional document references the particular member;

determining that the additional document has a traffic spike score that meets a threshold traffic spike score, the traffic spike score for the additional document being a value determined based on a variance of user requests for the additional document over one or more specified time periods;

including the additional document in the set of suggested documents based on the determination that the traffic spike score meets the threshold traffic spike score;

providing data that identify, in a social network page of the particular member, one or more documents from the set of suggested documents for dissemination, by the particular member, to other members of the social network; and

providing, in the social network page of the particular member, a dissemination element that, upon interaction with the dissemination element, causes at least one of the suggested documents to be disseminated to one or more other members of the social network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein determining an entity score comprises:

for each of one or more of the documents;

determining locations of the references to the particular member in the document; and

determining the entity score based on the number of references and the locations of the references.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the entity score comprises:

for at least one of the documents;

determining a first number of the references to the particular member that are included in the document;

determining a second number of references to other entities that are included in the document; and

determining, for the particular member, the entity score of the document based on a function of the first number and the second number.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

identifying a second additional document that is not included in the proper subset of documents;

determining that the second additional document is hosted by a website that has been classified as a trusted site based, at least in part, on a quality of documents hosted by the site;

determining, based on the references to the particular member that are included in the second additional document, that the particular member is a primary subject of the second additional document; and

including the second additional document in the proper subset of documents, the inclusion being performed based on the particular member being a primary subject of the second additional document and based on the second additional document being hosted by the trusted site.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

identifying a second additional document that is not included in the proper subset of documents;

determining that a title of the additional document includes a reference to the particular member; and

including the second additional document in the proper subset of documents, the inclusion being performed based on the determination that the title includes the reference to the particular member.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining, for each of one or more of the plurality of documents, an information retrieval score for the document relative to the particular member;

identifying a particular document for which the information retrieval score meets an information retrieval threshold; and

including the particular document in the proper subset of documents, the inclusion being performed based on the information retrieval score meeting the information retrieval threshold.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

determining that two of the documents form the plurality of documents each have a matching document date;

determining, based on the entity scores for the two documents, that each of the two documents are eligible for inclusion in the proper subset; and

including, based on the documents having a matching document date, only one of the two documents in the proper subset of documents.