Systems and methods for promoting personalized search results based on personal information

• US 9,116,963 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brukman, Michael Y., Horling, Bryan C., Zamir, Oren E.
• Primary Examiner(s): BURKE, JEFF A
• Application Number:
  US14/099,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 707/727, 707/732, 707/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A method is performed at a server system having one or more processors and memory. The server receives a search query from a user and identifies a list of search results associated with the search query. Each search result has an initial position in the list. The server identifies a set of user-preferred search results that comprises search results in a search history of the user. Each of the user-preferred search results has been previously selected by the user for at least a predefined minimum number of times. The server identifies in the list of search results, one or more search results that are associated with at least one of the user-preferred search results and reorders the list of search results by moving each of the identified search results from its initial position by a non-zero offset. The server then provides the reordered list of search results to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed at a server system having one or more processors and memory, the method comprising:

receiving a search query from a user;

identifying a list of search results associated with the search query, wherein each search result has an initial position in the list;

identifying a set of user-preferred search results that comprises search results in a search history of the user, wherein each of the user-preferred search results has been previously selected by the user for at least a predefined minimum number of times;

identifying in the list of search results, one or more search results, each of which is associated with a respective user-preferred search result;

reordering the list of search results by moving each of the identified search results from its initial position by a non-zero offset, wherein the offset is a variable that is a function of a popularity metric associated with each of the identified search results and wherein the popularity metric is a function of one or more parameters including at least one parameter that is a time span period from the user'"'"'s most remote selection of the respective user-preferred search result to the user'"'"'s most recent selection of the respective user-preferred search result; and

providing the reordered list of search results to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the user-preferred search results has been selected by the user for at least the predefined minimum number of times spanning a time period having at least a predefined minimum duration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined minimum number of times is a positive integer greater than 1.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein previous selection of a search result by the user comprises clicking on the search result and staying on a corresponding document for at least a predefined minimum duration.

5. A computer system for producing personalized search results, comprising:

memory;

one or more processors;

one or more programs stored in the memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including;

instructions for receiving a search query from a user;

instructions for identifying a list of search results associated with the search query, wherein each search result has an initial position in the list;

instructions for identifying a set of user-preferred search results that comprises search results in a search history of the user, wherein each of the user-preferred search results has been previously selected by the user for at least a predefined minimum number of times;

instructions for identifying in the list of search results, one or more search results, each of which is associated with a respective user-preferred search result;

instructions for reordering the list of search results by moving each of the identified search results from its initial position by a non-zero offset, wherein the offset is a variable that is a function of a popularity metric associated with each of the identified search results and wherein the popularity metric is a function of one or more parameters including at least one parameter that is a time span period from the user'"'"'s most remote selection of the respective user-preferred search result to the user'"'"'s most recent selection of the respective user-preferred search result; and

instructions for providing the reordered list of search results to the user.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein each of the user-preferred search results has been selected by the user for at least the predefined minimum number of times spanning a time period having at least a predefined minimum duration.

7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the predefined minimum number of times is a positive integer greater than 1.

8. The computer system of claim 5, wherein previous selection of a search result by the user comprises clicking on the search result and staying on a corresponding document for at least a predefined minimum duration.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs to be executed by a computer system, the one or more programs comprising:

instructions for receiving a search query from a user;

instructions for identifying a list of search results associated with the search query, wherein each search result has an initial position in the list;

instructions for identifying a set of user-preferred search results that comprises search results in a search history of the user, wherein each of the user-preferred search results has been previously selected by the user for at least a predefined minimum number of times;

instructions for identifying in the list of search results, one or more search results, each of which is associated with a respective user-preferred search result;

instructions for reordering the list of search results by moving each of the identified search results from its initial position by a non-zero offset, wherein the offset is a variable that is a function of a popularity metric associated with each of the identified search results and wherein the popularity metric is a function of one or more parameters including at least one parameter that is a time span period from the user'"'"'s most remote selection of the respective user-preferred search result to the user'"'"'s most recent selection of the respective user-preferred search result; and

instructions for providing the reordered list of search results to the user.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein each of the user-preferred search results has been selected by the user for at least the predefined minimum number of times spanning a time period having at least a predefined minimum duration.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the predefined minimum number of times is a positive integer greater than 1.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein previous selection of a search result by the user comprises clicking on the search result and staying on a corresponding document for at least a predefined minimum duration.