Refining search results

• US 9,697,259 B1
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Grushetskyy, Oleksandr, Lopatenko, Andrei, Kim, Hyung-Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US13/953,162
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for processing query information includes receiving data representative of a search query from a user search session. The method also includes identifying a plurality of search results based upon the search query. Each search result is associated with a plurality of user characteristics and data that represents requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries associated with the respective search result. The method also includes ordering the plurality of user characteristics based upon the data that represents requestor behavior relative to previously submitted queries and the respective search result. The method also includes adjusting the ordered plurality of user characteristics based upon at least one predefined compatibility associated with the user characteristics. The method also includes ranking the search results based upon the adjusted plurality of user characteristics.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing query information, comprising:

receiving data representative of a search query from a user located at a geographic location;

determining whether multiple countries have a characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located;

selecting, as a proper subset of the multiple countries, a plurality of countries that are each determined to have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located;

identifying a plurality of search results responsive to the search query, wherein each search result refers to a respective particular document;

accessing, for each particular search result of a plurality of the search results, a plurality of different country-specific click measures that correspond to different, single countries and correspond to a single document, wherein each country-specific click measure is a measure of behavior of users associated with a respective particular country in regards to the particular document when the particular document was referred to in a previously provided search result;

for each particular search result of the plurality of the search results, generating a combined click measure,

wherein each combined click measure is generated by combining the respective country-specific click measures that are (i) correspond to the particular document referred to by the search result and (ii) measures of behavior of users associated with the selected countries that are determined to have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located, and

wherein each combined click measure excludes country-specific click measures for countries that are not determined to have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located; and

ranking the search results based upon, at least, the combined click measures determined from the measures of behavior of users associated with the selected countries that are determined to have a characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the respective click measures comprises applying a weight to the combined respective click measures.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location of the user is a country where the user is located.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein combining the respective click measures comprises summing the respective click measures.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein combining the respective click measures comprises calculating a ratio of a sum of the respective click measures and a sum of click counts for the search query.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the respective click measure is a ratio of a number of instances that the particular document was selected for the respective country and a number of instances that the particular document was selected for all of the plurality of countries.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the multiple countries have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located comprises determining whether the multiple countries each have a common climate with the geographic location where the user is located;

and

wherein selecting the plurality of countries comprises selecting countries determined to have a common climate with the geographic location where the user is located.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the multiple countries have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located comprises determining whether the multiple countries each have a common culture with the geographic location where the user is located;

and

wherein selecting the plurality of countries comprises selecting countries determined to have a common culture with the geographic location where the user is located.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the multiple countries have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located comprises determining whether the multiple countries each share a border with a country where the user is located;

and

wherein selecting the plurality of countries comprises selecting countries determined to share a border with the country where the user is located.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the search query from the user includes one or more terms;

wherein the method further comprises determining, for each search result in the identified plurality of search results, click measures that are each indicate a measure of behavior of users associated with a respective country in regards to the particular document referred to in the search result when the particular document was referred to in a search result previously provided in response to the search query having the same one or more terms as the search query from the user; and

wherein combining the respective click measures that are associated with the particular document and that are measures of behavior of users associated with countries in the selected plurality of countries comprises combining the respective click measures that are measures of user behavior in regards to the particular document when the particular document was referred to in a search result previously provided in response to the search query having the same one or more terms as the search query from the user.

11. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving data representative of a search query from a user located at a geographic location;

determining whether multiple countries have a characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located;

selecting, as a proper subset of the multiple countries, a plurality of countries that are each determined to have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located;

identifying a plurality of search results responsive to the search query, wherein each search result refers to a respective particular document;

accessing, for each particular search result of a plurality of the search results, a plurality of different country-specific click measures that correspond to different, single countries and correspond to a single document, wherein each country-specific click measure is a measure of behavior of users associated with a respective particular country in regards to the particular document when the particular document was referred to in a previously provided search result;

for each particular search result of the plurality of the search results, generating a combined click measure,

wherein each combined click measure is generated by combining the respective country-specific click measures that are (i) correspond to the particular document referred to by the search result and (ii) measures of behavior of users associated with the selected countries that are determined to have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located, and

wherein each combined click measure excludes country-specific click measures for countries that are not determined to have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located; and

ranking the search results based upon, at least, the combined click measures determined from the measures of behavior of users associated with the selected countries that are determined to have a characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein combining the respective click measures comprises applying a weight to the combined respective click measures.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the geographic location of the user is a country where the user is located.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein combining the respective click measures comprises summing the respective click measures.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein combining the respective click measures comprises calculating a ratio of a sum of the respective click measures and a sum of click counts for the search query.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the respective click measure is a ratio of a number of instances that the particular document was selected for the respective country and a number of instances that the particular document was selected for all of the plurality of countries.

17. A non-transitory storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by data processing apparatus, causes the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving data representative of a search query from a user located at a geographic location;

determining whether multiple countries have a characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located;

selecting, as a proper subset of the multiple countries, a plurality of countries that are each determined to have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located;

identifying a plurality of search results responsive to the search query, wherein each search result refers to a respective particular document;

accessing, for each particular search result of a plurality of the search results, a plurality of different country-specific click measures that correspond to different, single countries and correspond to a single document, wherein each country-specific click measure is a measure of behavior of users associated with a respective particular country in regards to the particular document when the particular document was referred to in a previously provided search result;

for each particular search result of the plurality of the search results, generating a combined click measure,

wherein each combined click measure is generated by combining the respective country-specific click measures that are (i) correspond to the particular document referred to by the search result and (ii) measures of behavior of users associated with the selected countries that are determined to have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located, and

wherein each combined click measure excludes country-specific click measures for countries that are not determined to have the characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located; and

ranking the search results based upon, at least, the combined click measures determined from the measures of behavior of users associated with the selected countries that are determined to have a characteristic in common with the geographic location where the user is located.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17, wherein combining the respective click measures comprises applying a weight to the combined respective click measures.

19. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17, wherein the geographic location of the user is a country where the user is located.

20. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17 wherein combining the respective click measures comprises summing the respective click measures.

21. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17 wherein combining the respective click measures comprises calculating a ratio of a sum of the respective click measures and a sum of click counts for the search query.

22. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17 wherein the respective click measure is a ratio of a number of instances that the particular document was selected for the respective country and a number of instances that the particular document was selected for all of the plurality of countries.