Ranking documents through contextual shortcuts

• US 9,135,328 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Irmak, Utku, Kraft, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamillapalli, Pavan
• Application Number:
  US12/112,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20090276399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,694 Days
• Field of Search: 707/726, 707/723, 707/722, 707/705, 707/758, 707/999.003, 707/999.001
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to ranking and/or indexing of documents based at least in part on user interaction with contextual shortcuts. In one or more implementations, data may be collected regarding user interaction with one or more contextual shortcuts and a query may be received from a user based at least in part on an activation of a given contextual shortcut. A search result may be transmitted to the user via a contextual search interface based at least in part on the collected data regarding user interaction with one or more contextual shortcuts.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

recording user interactions from a plurality of users with one or more contextual shortcuts, said one or more contextual shortcuts comprising one or more user-selectable keyword anchors;

updating an index based, at least in part, on said user interactions from said plurality of users, said updating comprising adding at least one previously non-indexed electronic document to said index at least partially in response to receiving one or more user interactions with said one or more contextual shortcuts contained within said at least one previously non-indexed electronic document, wherein said index is searchable by said plurality of users;

receiving a search query from a user based, at least in part, on a user selection of a given user-selectable keyword anchor associated with a contextual shortcut; and

performing a search query on one or more electronic documents of said index based, at least in part, on said user selection of said given user-selectable keyword anchor in an electronic document to determine a ranked list of electronic documents associated with said search query, wherein said ranked list is determined based at least in part on the recorded said user interactions from the plurality of users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more contextual shortcuts are associated with one or more web pages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said contextual shortcut comprises said user-selectable keyword anchor, contextual content representing at least a portion of content of an electronic document associated with said keyword anchor, and a user interface element to link to a contextual search interface, and wherein said user interface element is co-located with said keyword anchor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said user interactions comprise at least one of a click interaction or a hover interaction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indexing said recorded user interactions; and

transmitting said ranked list of electronic documents to said user via said contextual search interface based at least in part on said indexed recorded user interactions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting said ranked list of said electronic documents to said user via a contextual search interface based at least in part on a given contextual content associated with said given user-selectable keyword associated with said contextual shortcut.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a search result to said user via a contextual search interface based, at least in part, on said recorded user interactions with said one or more contextual shortcuts, wherein said search result comprises said ranked list of said one or more electronic documents associated with said search query.

8. A method, comprising:

retrieving a first set of electronic documents;

recording user interactions with contextual shortcuts in a second set of electronic documents, wherein said contextual shortcuts comprise associated keyword anchors and user-selectable links relating to said keyword anchors, said keyword anchors being associated with a context vector representing at least a portion of content of a given electronic document of said second set of electronic documents;

updating an index of said second set of electronic documents based, at least in part, on said user interactions from said plurality of users, said updating comprising adding at least one previously non-indexed electronic document to said index at least partially in response to receiving one or more user interactions with said one or more contextual shortcuts contained within said at least one previously non-indexed electronic document, wherein said index is searchable by said plurality of users;

determining a score for said given electronic document based, at least in part, on user selections of said user-selectable links of said contextual shortcuts within said given electronic document; and

updating said index based, at least in part, on said first set of electronic documents and said score; and

updating a ranking of individual ones of the first set of electronic documents is determined based, at least in part, on the recorded said user interactions from said plurality of users.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first and second set of electronic documents share at least one common electronic document.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said second set of electronic documents comprises at least one electronic document not found in said first set of electronic documents.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said given electronic document comprises a web page.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said keyword anchor comprises one or more words describing at least one of an entity or a concept.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said user interactions comprise at least one of a click interaction or a hover interaction.

14. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, are executable by a computing platform to;

record user interactions from a plurality of users with one or more contextual shortcuts, said one or more contextual shortcuts to comprise one or more user-selectable keyword anchors;

update an index to be based, at least in part, on said user interactions from said plurality of users, said update to at least add at least one previously non-indexed electronic document to said index at least partially in response to receipt of one or more user interactions with said one or more contextual shortcuts to be contained within said at least one previously non-indexed electronic document, wherein said index is to be searchable by said plurality of users;

process a search query from a user to be based, at least in part, on a user selection of a given user-selectable keyword anchor to be associated with a contextual shortcut; and

perform a search query on said indexed one or more electronic documents based, at least in part, on said user selection of said given user-selectable keyword anchor in an electronic document to determine a ranked list of said one or more electronic documents to be associated with sad search query, wherein said ranked list is determined based at least in part on the recorded said user interactions from the plurality of users.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein said machine-readable instructions which are further executable by the computing platform to:

index said user interactions to be recorded; and

transmit said ranked list of the one or more electronic documents to said user via said contextual search interface to be based, at least in part, on said user interactions to be indexed.

16. The article of claim 14, wherein said machine-readable instructions which are further executable by the computing platform to initiate transmission of said ranked list of the one or more electronic documents to said user via a contextual search interface to be based, at least in part, on a given contextual content to be associated with said given contextual shortcut.

17. An apparatus comprising;

a computing platform, said computing platform to;

retrieve a first set of electronic documents;

record user interactions with contextual shortcuts in a second set of electronic documents, said contextual shortcuts to comprise associated keyword anchors and user-selectable links to be related to said keyword anchors, said keyword anchors to be associated with a context vector to represent at least a portion of content of a given electronic document;

update an index in said second set of electronic documents to be based, at least in part, on said user interactions from a plurality of users, said update to comprise to at least one previously non-indexed electronic document to be added to said index at least partially in response to receipt of one or more user interactions to be received with said one or more contextual shortcuts to be contained within said at least one previously non-indexed electronic document, wherein said index is to be searchable by said plurality of users;

determine a score for said given electronic document to be based, at least in part, on user selections of said user-selectable links of said contextual shortcuts to be within said given electronic document;

update an index to be based, at least in part, on said first set of electronic documents and said score; and

updating a ranking of individual ones of the first set of electronic documents is determined based, at least in part, on the recorded said user interactions from said plurality of users.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said first and second set of electronic documents are to share at least one common electronic document.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said second set of electronic documents to comprise at least one electronic document not found in said first set of electronic documents.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, said computing platform to:

update said index based, at least in part, on said data to be collected regarding user interaction to be associated with said keyword anchors;

said second set of electronic documents to comprise at least one electronic document not in said first set of electronic documents;

said electronic document to comprise a web page;

said keyword anchor to comprise one or more words to describe an entity or a concept; and

said interaction to comprise at least one of a click interaction or a hover interaction.