Geographic annotation of electronic resources

• US 9,098,589 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mishra, Arunesh, Jain, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Application Number:
  US12/952,341
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 707/743, 707/627, 707/628, 707/632, 707/705, 707/711, 707/723, 707/724, 707/737, 707/748, 707/921, 707/953, 707/918, 707/919, 707/999.104, 707/725, 707/741, 707/713, 707/715, 707/788, 707/722, 707/740
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for geographic annotation of electronic resources. In one aspect, a method includes generating a spatial index for a plurality of resources from a plurality of distinct publishers, including, for each resource of the plurality of resources: receiving a plurality of location data points for the resource, each location data point corresponding to one of a plurality of requests for the resource, and assigning each location data point for the resource to a spatial cluster of a plurality of spatial clusters, each spatial cluster corresponding to a particular geographic region. The spatial index is stored. The spatial index is used to identify a plurality of address locations for resources assigned to a spatial cluster corresponding to a first geographic region in response to a request from a requester to identify resources associated with the first geographic region.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, from an electronic device of a user, a query for a resource;

sending, by one or more processors, to the electronic device of the user, a search result corresponding to the resource;

receiving, by one or more processors, a location data point, wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of a user at or near a time when the user submitted a request for a resource, wherein the request for the resource is received by either;

receiving, by one or more processors, an indication of the user submitting, using the electronic device, the query for the resource, and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user submits the request for the resource, or

receiving, by one or more processors, an indication of the user selecting, using the electronic device, the search result corresponding to the resource and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user selects the search result corresponding to the resource;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a spatial cluster of a spatial index that corresponds to the location data point, the spatial cluster corresponding to a geographic region; and

updating, by the one or more processors, the spatial index to associate the resource with the identified spatial cluster such that the resource is associated with the spatial cluster corresponding to the geographic location of the user at or near the time when the user submitted the request for the resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein submitting a request for the resource comprises the user submitting, using an electronic device, a query for the resource, and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user submits the request for the resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein submitting a request for the resource comprises the user selecting, using an electronic device, a search result corresponding to the resource and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user selects the search result corresponding to the resource.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a requestor, a request to identify resources associated with the geographic region;

identifying spatial clusters of the spatial index that correspond to the geographic region, the identified spatial clusters including the spatial cluster associated with the resource requested by the user;

identifying resources associated with the spatial clusters, the identified resources including the resource requested by the user; and

providing, to the requestor, the resources identified as being associated with the spatial clusters.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a requestor, a request to identify geographic regions associated with the resource requested by the user;

identifying spatial clusters of the spatial index that correspond to the resource requested by the user, the identified spatial clusters including the spatial cluster associated with the resource requested by the user;

identifying geographic regions corresponding to the identified spatial clusters, the identified geographic regions including the geographic region corresponding to the spatial cluster associated with the resource requested by the user; and

providing, to the requestor, the geographic regions identified as corresponding to the identified spatial clusters.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a relevance measure corresponding to user interaction with content corresponding to the requested resource.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the relevance measure corresponds to a length of time the user interacts with the content corresponding to the requested resource.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the relevance measure satisfies a relevance measure threshold; and

in response to determining that the relevance measure satisfies a relevance measure threshold, updating the spatial index to associate the resource with the identified spatial cluster.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second location data point corresponding to a second geographic location of a user at a time when the user submits a request for a second resource;

receiving a relevance measure corresponding to the user'"'"'s interaction with content corresponding to the second resource;

determining that the relevance measure does not satisfy a relevance measure threshold; and

in response to determining that the relevance measure does not satisfy a relevance measure threshold, not updating the spatial index to associate the second resource with a spatial cluster based at least in part on the second location data point.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data point is received from a search server, wherein the search server:

receives a search request from the user;

serves a set search results responsive to the search request;

identifies user selection of a search result of the set of search results; and

determines the geographic location of the user at or near the time the user selects the search result,

wherein the location data point corresponds to the determined geographic location of the user at or near the time the user selects the search result.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data point is received from a content server, wherein the content server:

receives a request for the resource from the user;

determines the geographic location of the user at or near the time of the request; and

serves content corresponding to the resource,

wherein the location data point corresponds to the determined geographic location of the user at or near the time of the request.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors and from a client user device via an electronic communications network, a request for a resource, wherein the request is submitted by a user using the client device,

wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the client device at or near a time when the user submitted the request for the resource using the client device,

such that the resource is associated with the spatial cluster corresponding to the geographic location of the user at or near the time when the user submitted the request for the resource using the client device.

13. A system comprising:

one or more memories storing instructions; and

one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute the instructions stored thereon to perform the following steps;

receiving from an electronic device of a user, a query for a resource;

sending to the electronic device of the user, a search result corresponding to the resource;

receiving a location data point, wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of a user at or near a time when the user submitted a request for a resource, wherein the request for the resource is received by either;

receiving an indication of the user submitting, using the electronic device, the query for the resource, and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user submits the request for the resource, or

receiving an indication of the user selecting, using the electronic device, the search result corresponding to the resource and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user selects the search result corresponding to the resource;

identifying a spatial cluster of a spatial index that corresponds to the location data point, the spatial cluster corresponding to a geographic region; and

updating the spatial index to associate the resource with the identified spatial cluster such that the resource is associated with the spatial cluster corresponding to the geographic location of the user at or near the time when the user submitted the request for the resource.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein submitting a request for the resource comprises the user submitting, using an electronic device, a query for the resource, and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user submits the request for the resource.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein submitting a request for the resource comprises the user selecting, using an electronic device, a search result corresponding to the resource and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user selects the search result corresponding to the resource.

16. The system of claim 13, the steps further comprising:

receiving, from a requestor, a request to identify resources associated with the geographic region;

identifying spatial clusters of the spatial index that correspond to the geographic region, the identified spatial clusters including the spatial cluster associated with the resource requested by the user;

identifying resources associated with the spatial clusters, the identified resources including the resource requested by the user; and

providing, to the requestor, the resources identified as being associated with the spatial clusters.

17. The system of claim 13, the steps further comprising:

receiving, from a requestor, a request to identify geographic regions associated with the resource requested by the user;

identifying spatial clusters of the spatial index that correspond to the resource requested by the user, the identified spatial clusters including the spatial cluster associated with the resource requested by the user;

identifying geographic regions corresponding to the identified spatial clusters, the identified geographic regions including the geographic region corresponding to the spatial cluster associated with the resource requested by the user; and

providing, to the requestor, the geographic regions identified as corresponding to the identified spatial clusters.

18. The system of claim 13, the steps further comprising receiving a relevance measure corresponding to user interaction with content corresponding to the requested resource.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the relevance measure corresponds to a length of time the user interacts with the content corresponding to the requested resource.

20. The system of claim 18, the steps further comprising:

determining that the relevance measure satisfies a relevance measure threshold; and

in response to determining that the relevance measure satisfies a relevance measure threshold, updating the spatial index to associate the resource with the identified spatial cluster.

21. The system of claim 13, the steps further comprising:

receiving a second location data point corresponding to a second geographic location of a user at a time when the user submits a request for a second resource;

receiving a relevance measure corresponding to the user'"'"'s interaction with content corresponding to the second resource;

determining that the relevance measure does not satisfy a relevance measure threshold; and

in response to determining that the relevance measure does not satisfy a relevance measure threshold, not updating the spatial index to associate the second resource with a spatial cluster based at least in part on the second location data point.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the location data point is received from a search server, wherein the search server:

receives a search request from the user;

serves a set search results responsive to the search request;

identifies user selection of a search result of the set of search results; and

determines the geographic location of the user at or near the time the user selects the search result,

wherein the location data point corresponds to the determined geographic location of the user at or near the time the user selects the search result.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the location data point is received from a content server, wherein the content server:

receives a request for the resource from the user;

determines the geographic location of the user at or near the time of the request; and

serves content corresponding to the resource,

wherein the location data point corresponds to the determined geographic location of the user at or near the time of the request.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving, from a client user device via an electronic communications network, a request for a resource, wherein the request is submitted by a user using the client device,

wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the client device at or near a time when the user submitted the request for the resource using the client device,

such that the resource is associated with the spatial cluster corresponding to the geographic location of the user at or near the time when the user submitted the request for the resource using the client device.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to cause the following steps:

receiving from an electronic device of a user, a query for a resource;

sending to the electronic device of the user, a search result corresponding to the resource;

receiving a location data point, wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of a user at or near a time when the user submitted a request for a resource, wherein the request for the resource is received by either;

receiving an indication of the user submitting, using the electronic device, the query for the resource, and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user submits the request for the resource, or

receiving an indication of the user selecting, using the electronic device, the search result corresponding to the resource and wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device at or near the time when the user selects the search result corresponding to the resource;

identifying a spatial cluster of a spatial index that corresponds to the location data point, the spatial cluster corresponding to a geographic region; and

updating the spatial index to associate the resource with the identified spatial cluster such that the resource is associated with the spatial cluster corresponding to the geographic location of the user at or near the time when the user submitted the request for the resource.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving, from a client user device via an electronic communications network, a request for a resource, wherein the request is submitted by a user using the client device,

wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the client device at or near a time when the user submitted the request for the resource using the client device,

such that the resource is associated with the spatial cluster corresponding to the geographic location of the user at or near the time when the user submitted the request for the resource using the client device.

27. A server system communicatively coupled to a client user device via an electronic communications network, wherein the server system comprises:

one or more memories storing instructions; and

one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute the instructions stored thereon to perform the following steps;

receiving, from the client user device, a request for a resource, wherein the request is submitted by a user using the client device;

identifying a location data point, wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of the client device at or near a time when the user submitted the request for the resource using the client device;

identifying a spatial cluster of a spatial index that corresponds to the location data point, wherein the spatial cluster corresponds to a geographic region; and

updating the spatial index to associate the resource with the identified spatial cluster such that the resource is associated with the spatial cluster corresponding to the geographic location of the user at or near the time when the user submitted the request for the resource using the client device.

28. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a location data point, wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of a user at or near a time when the user submitted a request for a resource, wherein the location data point is received from a content server, wherein the content server;

receives a request for the resource from the user;

determines the geographic location of the user at or near the time of the request; and

serves content corresponding to the resource,

wherein the location data point corresponds to the determined geographic location of the user at or near the time of the request;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a spatial cluster of a spatial index that corresponds to the location data point, the spatial cluster corresponding to a geographic region; and

updating, by the one or more processors, the spatial index to associate the resource with the identified spatial cluster such that the resource is associated with the spatial cluster corresponding to the geographic location of the user at or near the time when the user submitted the request for the resource.

29. A system comprising:

one or more memories storing instructions; and

one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories and configured to execute the instructions stored thereon to perform the following steps;

receiving a location data point, wherein the location data point corresponds to a geographic location of a user at or near a time when the user submitted a request for a resource, wherein the location data point is received from a search server, wherein the search server;

receives a search request from the user;

serves a set search results responsive to the search request;

identifies user selection of a search result of the set of search results; and

determines the geographic location of the user at or near the time the user selects the search result,

wherein the location data point corresponds to the determined geographic location of the user at or near the time the user selects the search result;

identifying a spatial cluster of a spatial index that corresponds to the location data point, the spatial cluster corresponding to a geographic region; and

updating the spatial index to associate the resource with the identified spatial cluster such that the resource is associated with the spatial cluster corresponding to the geographic location of the user at or near the time when the user submitted the request for the resource.