Ordering of search results based on language and/or country of the search results

• US 9,183,311 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Vineet, Gomes, Benedict, Lamping, John, McGrath, Mizuki, Singhal, Amitabh K, Tong, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, KHANH B
• Application Number:
  US13/616,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723, 707/724
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A system and method for providing preferred language and/or country ordering of search results is described. A search query describing potentially retrievable information provided in a plurality of search result languages and/or countries is received. A search is executed by evaluating the search query against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository. At least one preferred language and/or country applicable to search results generated is dynamically determined responsive to the executed search. At least some of the search results are ordered in consideration of the at least one preferred language and/or country.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by one or more devices and based on a search query, search results,

each search result, of the search results, being associated with a particular score;

determining, by at least one of the one or more devices, a particular country for the search results by;

analyzing, at a first time, interface characteristics to identify the particular country,

determining, based on analyzing the interface characteristics, that the particular country is not identified, and

analyzing, at a second time based on determining that analyzing the interface characteristics does not identify the particular country, Internet Protocol (IP) characteristics to identify the particular country,

the second time occurring after the first time;

determining, by at least one of the one or more devices and based on determining the particular country for the search results, if respective particular scores for a set of the search results are numerically adjustable;

adjusting, by at least one of the one or more devices and based on determining if the respective particular scores for the set of the search results are numerically adjustable, an ordering of at least one of the search results among other ones of the search results to create a list of search results when the at least one of the search results is associated with the particular country,

a search result, of the set of search results, being ordered based on a shifting factor when the particular score, associated with the search result, is numerically adjustable and being ordered based on a weighting factor when the particular score is not numerically adjustable; and

providing for presentation, by at least one of the one or more devices and based on the adjusted ordering, the list of search results.

2. The method of claim 1, where determining the particular country for the search results further includes:

analyzing user preferences to identify the particular country when the result of analyzing the interface characteristics does not identify the particular country and when a result of analyzing the IP characteristics does not identify the particular country.

3. The method of claim 1, where analyzing the interface characteristics includes:

receiving metadata from the search query and from an interface associated with the interface characteristics; and

analyzing the interface characteristics by analyzing the received metadata.

4. The method of claim 1, where analyzing the IP characteristics includes:

determining country information based on an IP address associated with an interface; and

analyzing the IP characteristics by analyzing the determined country information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a respective value to each of the search results; and

adjusting the respective value of the at least one of the search results that is associated with the particular country.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

increasing the respective value assigned to the at least one of the search results that is associated with the particular country and maintaining the respective value assigned to others of the search results that are associated with a country other than the particular country.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

decreasing the respective value assigned to the at least one of the search results that is associated with the particular country and maintaining the respective value assigned to others of the search results that are associated with a country other than the particular country.

8. One or more devices comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories including a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

identify, based on a search query, search results,

each search result, of the search results, being associated with a particular score;

determine a particular country for the search results by;

analyzing, at a first time, interface characteristics to identify the particular country,

determining, based on analyzing the interface characteristics, that the particular country is not identified,

analyzing, at a second time based on determining that analyzing the interface characteristics does not identify the particular country, Internet Protocol (IP) characteristics to identify the particular country,

the second time occurring after the first time;

determine, based on determining the particular country for the search results, if respective particular scores for a set of the search results are numerically adjustable;

adjust, based on determining if the respective particular scores for the set of the search results are numerically adjustable, an ordering of at least one of the search results among other ones of the search results to create a list of search results when the at least one of the search results is associated with the particular country,

a search result, of the set of search results, being ordered based on a shifting factor when the particular score, associated with the search result, is numerically adjustable and being ordered based on a weighting factor when the particular score is not numerically adjustable; and

provide for presentation, based on the adjusted ordering, the list of search results.

9. The one or more devices of claim 8, where, when determining the particular country for the search results, the one or more processors are further to:

analyze user preferences to identify the particular country when a result of analyzing the interface characteristics does not identify the particular country and when a result of analyzing the IP characteristics does not identify the particular country.

10. The one or more devices of claim 8, where, when analyzing the interface characteristics, the one or more processors are further to:

receive metadata from the search query and from an interface associated with the interface characteristics; and

analyze the interface characteristics by analyzing the received metadata.

11. The one or more devices of claim 8, where, when analyzing the IP characteristics, the one or more processors are further to:

determine country information based on an IP address associated with an interface; and

analyze the IP characteristics by analyzing the determined country information.

12. The one or more devices of claim 8, where the one or more processors are further to:

assign a respective value to each of the search results; and

adjust the respective value of the at least one of the search results that is associated with the particular country.

13. The one or more devices of claim 12, where the one or more processors are further to:

increase the respective value assigned to the at least one of the search results that is associated with the particular country and maintain the respective value assigned to others of the search results that are associated with a country other than the particular country.

14. The one or more devices of claim 12, where the one or more processors are further to:

decrease the respective value assigned to the at least one of the search results that is associated with the particular country and maintain the respective value assigned to others of the search results that are associated with a country other than the particular country.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

one or more instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

identify, based on a search query, search results,

each search result, of the search results, being associated with a particular score;

determine a particular country for the search results by;

analyzing, at a first time, interface characteristics to identify the particular country,

determining, based on analyzing the interface characteristics, that the particular country is not identified,

analyzing, at a second time based on determining that analyzing the interface characteristics does not identify the particular country, Internet Protocol (IP) characteristics to identify the particular country,

the second time occurring after the first time;

determine, based on determining the particular country for the search results, if respective particular scores for a set of the search results are numerically adjustable;

adjust, based on determining if the respective particular scores for the set of the search results are numerically adjustable, an ordering of at least one of the search results among other ones of the search results to create a list of search results when the at least one of the search results is associated with the particular country,

a search result, of the set of search results, being ordered based on a shifting factor when the particular score, associated with the search result, is numerically adjustable and being ordered based on a weighting factor when the particular score is not numerically adjustable; and

provide for presentation, based on the adjusted ordering, the list of search results.

16. The medium of claim 15, where at least one instruction, of the one or more instructions, to cause the at least one processor to determine the particular country for the search results includes:

one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to analyze user preferences to identify the particular country when the result of analyzing the interface characteristics does not identify the particular country and when a result of analyzing the IP characteristics does not identify the particular country.

17. The medium of claim 15, where at least one instruction, of the one or more instructions, to cause the at least one processor to analyze the interface characteristics includes:

one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to receive metadata from the search query and from an interface associated with the interface characteristics; and

one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to analyze the interface characteristics by analyzing the received metadata.

18. The medium of claim 15, where at least one instruction, of the one or more instructions, to cause the at least one processor to analyze the IP characteristics includes:

one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to determine country information based on an IP address associated with an interface; and

one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to analyze the IP characteristics by analyzing the determined country information.

19. The medium of claim 15, further comprising:

one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to assign a respective value to each of the search results; and

one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to adjust the respective value of the at least one of the search results that is associated with the particular country.

20. The medium of claim 19, further comprising:

one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to increase the respective value assigned to the at least one of the search results that is associated with the particular country and maintain the respective value assigned to others of the search results that are associated with a country other than the particular country;

or

one or more instructions to cause the at least one processor to decrease the respective value assigned to the at least one of the search results that is associated with the particular country and maintain the respective value assigned to others of the search results that are associated with a country other than the particular country.