Search method and system

• US 9,870,408 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhang, Li, Li, Jinhui, Guo, Ruijie
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Debbie
• Application Number:
  US15/246,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20160364393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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

Abstract

A search method is disclosed. The method obtains a plurality of search results for a query based on first relevance scores, and classifies the plurality of search results into a plurality of classifications. Based on respective rankings of the plurality of search results in corresponding classifications of the plurality of classifications, second relevance scores for the plurality of search results are generated, and the plurality of search results are ranked based on the first relevance scores and the second relevance scores. The technique achieves lower consumption of system resources, faster computation speed and more flexibility in diversification of search results.

Claims

1. A method implemented by one or more computers, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of search results for a query based on first relevance scores;

classifying the plurality of search results into a plurality of classifications;

generating second relevance scores for the plurality of search results based on respective rankings of the plurality of search results in corresponding classifications of the plurality of classifications; and

ranking the plurality of search results based on the first relevance scores and the second relevance scores.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising extracting a preset number of search results from the plurality of search results.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the preset number of search results comprises at least one search result from each classification of the plurality of classifications.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the query is received from a client, and the method further comprises providing the preset number of search results to the client for display.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the query, the preset number of search results, and a corresponding relationship between the query and the preset number of search results into a database.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the preset number is determined based on a number of the plurality of classification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of classifications comprise a plurality of attribute categories or a plurality of geographical locations.

8. One or more storage devices storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, instruct the one or more computers to perform acts comprising:

obtaining a plurality of search results for a query based on first relevance scores;

classifying the plurality of search results into a plurality of classifications;

generating second relevance scores for the plurality of search results based on respective rankings of the plurality of search results in corresponding classifications of the plurality of classifications; and

ranking the plurality of search results based on the first relevance scores and the second relevance scores.

9. The one or more storage devices of claim 8, the acts further comprising extracting a preset number of search results from the plurality of search results.

10. The one or more storage devices of claim 9, wherein the preset number of search results comprises at least one search result from each classification of the plurality of classifications.

11. The one or more storage devices of claim 9, wherein the query is received from a client, and the method further comprises providing the preset number of search results to the client for display.

12. The one or more storage devices of claim 9, further comprising storing the query, the preset number of search results, and a corresponding relationship between the query and the preset number of search results into a database.

13. The one or more storage devices of claim 9, wherein the preset number is determined based on a number of the plurality of classification.

14. The one or more storage devices of claim 8, wherein the plurality of classifications comprise a plurality of attribute categories or a plurality of geographical locations.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

storage media storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

obtaining a plurality of search results for a query based on first relevance scores;

classifying the plurality of search results into a plurality of classifications;

generating second relevance scores for the plurality of search results based on respective rankings of the plurality of search results in corresponding classifications of the plurality of classifications; and

ranking the plurality of search results based on the first relevance scores and the second relevance scores.

16. The system of claim 15, the acts further comprising extracting a preset number of search results from the plurality of search results.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the preset number of search results comprises at least one search result from each classification of the plurality of classifications.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the query is received from a client, and the method further comprises providing the preset number of search results to the client for display.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising storing the query, the preset number of search results, and a corresponding relationship between the query and the preset number of search results into a database.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of classifications comprise a plurality of attribute categories or a plurality of geographical locations.