Ranking content using location-based query log analysis

• US 9,547,696 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Seth, Rohan, Baluja, Shumeet, Chu, Michael Jesse, Sacks, Joshua J., Marwood, David, Covell, Michele
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCCIO, VINCENT F
• Application Number:
  US14/845,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20150379017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 707/724, 707/725, 707/732, 707/748, 707/750, 707/751, 707/707, 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 16/29 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-readable storage medium, including a method for ranking content using location-based query log analysis. The method comprises: identifying a region defining an area of interest including identifying a plurality of content items that are associated with the region; evaluating query logs associated with users that submitted queries associated with the region to determine a ranking associated with the plurality of content items; receiving a request for content associated with the region; and providing one or more of the content items based at least in part on the ranking.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing ranked content to a user according to a location-based query log analysis, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more processors in a client device via a user interface, a selection of a viewport defining an area of interest corresponding to a region;

receiving, at the one or more processors via the user interface, a geographic search query associated with the region;

determining, by the one or more processors, a plurality of content items in response to the geographic search query and ranking each of the plurality of content items;

truncating, by the one or more processors, at least one of the plurality of content items which is ranked below a predetermined threshold ranking, wherein a number of content items ranked above the predetermined threshold ranking is based on a size of the viewport to reduce an amount of information displayed on the viewport; and

displaying, by the one or more processors on the user interface, the viewport annotated with indications of a smaller number of content items than the plurality of content items in accordance with the predetermined threshold ranking.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a plurality of content items in response to the geographic search query includes:

transmitting, by the one or more processors, the area of interest corresponding to the region and the geographic search query associated with the region to a content management system; and

receiving, at the one or more processors, the plurality of content items from the content management system based on the area of interest and the geographic search query.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ranking associated with each of the content items is determined based on the content management system evaluating query logs associated with users that submitted queries associated with the region, wherein each content item is ranked based on a number of queries in the query logs for which each content item is responsive.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each content item is further ranked based on a time of occurrence of the number of queries, wherein each content item is ranked higher if the number of queries occurred more recently on average than other queries in the query logs and ranked lower if the number of queries occurred less recently on average than other queries in the query logs.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmitted region and geographic search query are associated and stored as an entry in the query logs of the content management system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content items include a predetermined threshold number of content items according to a size of the viewport.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking associated with each of the content items is determined based on a content management system evaluating query logs associated with users that submitted queries associated with the region, and wherein each content item is ranked based on a time of occurrence of a number of queries in the query logs for which each content item is responsive.

8. A user device comprising:

a user interface;

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the user interface;

a non-transitory computer readable memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the user device to;

obtain a selection of a viewport displayed on the user interface, wherein the viewport defines an area of interest corresponding to a region,

obtain, via the user interface, a geographic search query associated with the region,

determine a plurality of content items in response to the geographic search query and rank each of the plurality of content items,

truncate at least one of the plurality of content items which is ranked below a predetermined threshold ranking, wherein a number of content items ranked above the predetermined threshold ranking is based on a size of the viewport to reduce an amount of information displayed on the viewport, and

display, on the user interface, the viewport annotated with indications of a smaller number of content items than the plurality of content items in accordance with the predetermined threshold ranking.

9. The user device of claim 8, wherein to determine a plurality of content items in response to the geographic search query, the instructions cause the user device to:

transmit, via a communication network, the area of interest corresponding to the region and the geographic search query associated with the region to a content management system; and

receive, via the communication network, the plurality of content items from the content management system based on the area of interest and the geographic search query.

10. The user device of claim 9, wherein the ranking associated with each of the content items is determined based on the content management system evaluating query logs associated with users that submitted queries associated with the region, wherein each content item is ranked based on a number of queries in the query logs for which each content item is responsive.

11. The user device of claim 10, wherein each content item is further ranked based on a time of occurrence of the number of queries, wherein each content item is ranked higher if the number of queries occurred more recently on average than other queries in the query logs and ranked lower if the number of queries occurred less recently on average than other queries in the query logs.

12. The user device of claim 9, wherein the transmitted region and geographic search query are associated and stored as an entry in the query logs of the content management system.

13. A computer-implemented method for providing ranked content to a user according to a location-based query log analysis, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more processors in a client device via a user interface, a selection of a viewport defining an area of interest corresponding to a region;

receiving, at the one or more processors via the user interface, a first geographic search query associated with the region;

displaying, by the one or more processors on the user interface, a plurality of first content items in response to the first geographic search query and ranking each of the plurality of first content items;

truncating, by the one or more processors, at least one of the plurality of first content items which is ranked below a predetermined threshold ranking, wherein a number of first content items ranked above the predetermined threshold ranking is based on the size of the viewport to reduce an amount of information displayed on the viewport;

receiving, at the one or more processors via the user interface, a second geographic search query associated with the region; and

displaying, by the one or more processors on the user interface, a plurality of second content items in response to the second geographic search query based on a ranking associated with each of the second content items, wherein each of the plurality of second content items are ranked above the predetermined threshold ranking.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first geographic search query is received at a first time, the second geographic search query is received at a second time, the first and second geographic search queries contain identical query terms;

and

wherein the plurality of second content items include one or more different content items than the plurality of first content items.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying a plurality of first content items in response to the first geographic search query includes:

transmitting, by the one or more processors, the area of interest corresponding to the region and the first geographic search query associated with the region to a content management system; and

receiving, at the one or more processors, the plurality of first content items from the content management system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the ranking associated with each of the first content items is determined based on the content management system evaluating query logs associated with users that submitted queries associated with the region, wherein each first content item is ranked based on a number of queries in the query logs for which each first content item is responsive.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the ranking associated with each of the second content items is determined based on the content management system evaluating updated query logs at the second time.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmitted region and the first geographic search query are associated and stored as an entry in the query logs of the content management system.