Method of and system for ranking elements of a network resource for a user

• US 9,477,716 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Direct Cursus Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Yandex Europe AG (Yandex N.V.)
• Inventors: Vorontcov, Iurii Vitalievich
• Primary Examiner(s): LU, KUEN S
• Application Number:
  US15/021,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20160224563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 707/728
• 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 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Method of and system for ranking elements of a first network resource for a first user, first network resource being hosted by a first server, method comprising, at a second server in communication with first server via a communications network: receiving an indication of elements from first server; receiving an indication of first user; based on at least one received indication, retrieving context information from a first database in communication with second server, context information being at least partially indicative of a relative relevance of elements to first user, context information including information about a past interaction of at least one of first user and a second user with a second network resource, second network resource being distinct from first network resource; and based at least in part on context information, determining at least one of a ranking of elements by relevance to first user and a most relevant element.

Claims

1. A method of ranking elements of a first network resource for a first user, the first network resource being hosted by a first server, the method comprising, at a second server in communication with the first server via a communications network:

(a) receiving an indication of the elements from the first server;

(b) receiving an indication of the first user;

(c) based on at least one of the indication of the elements and the indication of the first user, acquiring information about a past interaction of the first user with a second network resource, the second network resource being distinct from the first network resource;

(d) based on the information about the past interaction, generating a first context information associated with the first user;

(e) based on the first context information associated with the first user, determining a second user, the second user associated with a second context information that matches, at least partially, the first context information;

the second context information containing a relevancy factor that is not contained within the first context information; and

(f) based at least in part on the relevancy factor, determining a ranking of the elements by relevance to the first user and a most relevant one of the elements.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(h) receiving a request from the first server for an indication of the ranking and the most relevant one of the elements; and

(i) sending the indication requested in the request to the first server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein (h) is effected before (f).

4. The method of claim 2, wherein (h) is a consequence of the first server having received a request for the first network resource from the first user.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein (a), (b), and (h) occur concurrently.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein (f) is effected before (h).

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising, before (i), retrieving the indication requested in (h) from the second database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network resource is a website and each one of the elements is an indication of a distinct web page.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network resource is a web page and each one of the elements is an indication of at least one of a displayable element and an audible element of the web page.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending to the first server an indication of a web page customized for the first user based on the ranking of the elements.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network resource is a web page and each one of the elements is an indication of a style applicable to the web page.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each one of the elements includes an indication of a graphical layout.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network resource is a search engine.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the past interaction includes a submission of a search query.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the past interaction includes a selection, by at least one of the first user and the second user, of a first element of the second network resource instead of a second element of the second network resource.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the first element and the second element of the second network resource is a search result.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevancy factor further includes a ranking of the first network resource relative to a third network resource according to a criterion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the criterion is a search engine ranking criterion.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second network resource is a search engine, and further comprising analyzing the ranking of the first network resource relative to the third network resource based on search history statistics.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user is part of a set of users estimated to share a same attribute.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the user is an indication of a client device of the user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the indication of the client device includes an internet protocol (IP) address of a network interface of the client device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the indication of the client device includes an indication of at least one of a manufacturer, model, hardware attribute, and software attribute of the client device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the hardware attribute includes at least one of a size and a resolution of a display of the client device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the software attribute includes at least one of an operating system of the client device, an application installed on the client device, and a user setting of at least one of the operating system and the application.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the user setting includes an indication of at least one of a geographical region and a language.

27. A server for ranking elements of a first network resource for a first user, the first network resource being hosted by a hosting server, the server comprising:

a communication interface structured and configured to communicate with the hosting server via a communications network;

at least one computer processor operationally connected with the communication interface and structured and configured to;

(a) receive an indication of the elements from the hosting server;

(b) receive an indication of the first user;

(c) based on at least one of the indication of the elements and the indication of the first user, acquire information about a past interaction of the first user with a second network resource, the second network resource being distinct from the first network resource;

(d) based on the information about the past interaction, generate a first context information associated with the first user;

(e) based on the first context information associated with the first user, determine a second user, the second user associated with a second context information that matches, at least partially, the first context information;

the second context information containing a relevancy factor that is not contained within the first context information; and

(f) based at least in part on the relevancy factor, determine a ranking of the elements by relevance to the first user and a most relevant one of the elements.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a computer processor of a server in communication via a communications network with a hosting server hosting a first network resource, effect:

(a) receiving an indication of elements of the first network resource from the hosting server;

(b) receiving an indication of a first user in respect of whom the elements are to be ranked;

(c) based on at least one of the indication of the elements and the indication of the first user, acquiring information about a past interaction of the first user with a second network resource, the second network resource being distinct from the first network resource;

(d) based on the information about the past interaction, generating a first context information associated with the first user;

(e) based on the first context information associated with the first user, determining a second user, the second user associated with a second context information that matches, at least partially, the first context information;

the second context information containing a relevancy factor that is not contained within the first context information; and

(f) based at least in part on the context information, determining at least one of a ranking of the elements by relevance to the first user and a most relevant one of the elements.