Techniques for including collection items in search results
First Claim
1. A method performed by a search engine system, the method comprising:
- maintaining one or more search engine indexes, associated with the search engine system, each of which indexes base items and collection items that includes a first collection item;
wherein each of the collection items;
represents a collection of base items, andis treated, within the one or more search engine indexes, as an entity distinct from the base items represented by said each collection item;
storing, in a search engine index, of the one or more search engine indexes, a first index entry for the first collection item;
wherein the first index entry represents the first collection item itself, rather than any individual base items represented by the first collection item;
in response to receiving a search query that is associated with one or more search criteria;
searching the one or more search engine indexes for items that satisfy the one or more search criteria, wherein searching the one or more search engine indexes comprises analyzing the first index entry and determining that the first collection item satisfies the one or more search criteria; and
identifying a set of one or more matching items that includes the first collection item;
responding to the search query by generating, based at least in part on the set of one or more matching items, one or more search results that indicate the first collection item; and
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are provided for including collection items in the ranked set of search results that are returned to a user in response to a search query. Collection scoring techniques are also provided for generating relevance scores for collection items in a different manner than relevance scores are generated for base items that are not collections. The collection scoring techniques may be applied to non-base collection items, base collection items, or both. Items that match the search query, including base items and collection items, are ranked in a unified ranking based on their respective relevance scores, thereby allowing searches to readily determine the relevance ranking of matching collection items relative to matching base items.
23 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method performed by a search engine system, the method comprising:
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maintaining one or more search engine indexes, associated with the search engine system, each of which indexes base items and collection items that includes a first collection item; wherein each of the collection items; represents a collection of base items, and is treated, within the one or more search engine indexes, as an entity distinct from the base items represented by said each collection item; storing, in a search engine index, of the one or more search engine indexes, a first index entry for the first collection item; wherein the first index entry represents the first collection item itself, rather than any individual base items represented by the first collection item; in response to receiving a search query that is associated with one or more search criteria; searching the one or more search engine indexes for items that satisfy the one or more search criteria, wherein searching the one or more search engine indexes comprises analyzing the first index entry and determining that the first collection item satisfies the one or more search criteria; and identifying a set of one or more matching items that includes the first collection item; responding to the search query by generating, based at least in part on the set of one or more matching items, one or more search results that indicate the first collection item; and wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21)
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17. A non-transitory computer-readable volatile or non-volatile storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
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maintaining one or more search engine indexes, associated with a search engine system, each of which indexes base items and collection items that includes a first collection item; wherein each of the collection items; represents a collection of base items, and is treated, within the one or more search engine indexes, as an entity distinct from the base items represented by said each collection item; storing, in a search engine index, of the one or more search engine indexes, a first index entry for the first collection item; wherein the first index entry represents the first collection item itself, rather than any individual base items represented by the first collection item; in response to receiving a search query that is associated with one or more search criteria; searching the one or more search engine indexes for items that satisfy the one or more search criteria, wherein searching the one or more search engine indexes comprises analyzing the first index entry and determining that the first collection item satisfies the one or more search criteria; and identifying a set of one or more matching items that includes the first collection item; responding to the search query by generating, based at least in part on the set of one or more matching items, one or more search results that indicate the first collection item. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 22)
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Specification