System and method for providing preferred country biasing of search results

• US 20040254932A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tong, Simon, Singhal, Amit, Lamping, John, Gupta, Vineet, McGrath, Mizuki, Gomes, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A system and method for providing preferred country ordering of search results is described. A search query describing potentially retrievable information provided in a plurality of search result countries is received. A search is executed by evaluating the search query against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository. At least one preferred country applicable to search results generated is dynamically determined responsive to the executed search. At least some of the search results are ordered in consideration of the at least one preferred country.

Claims

1. A system for ordering search results, comprising:

a country selector dynamically determining at least one preferred country applicable to search results generated responsive to a search executed on potentially retrievable information and provided in a plurality of search result countries; and

a search result orderer ordering at least some of the search results in consideration of the at least one preferred country.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an interface characterizer determining the at least one preferred country using interface characteristics.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the interface characteristics comprise at least one country accepted by the user interface.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an IP characterizer determining the at least one preferred country using IP characteristics.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the interface characteristics comprise a network address of a client application from which the search query was submitted.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an indexer ranking the search results; and

the search result orderer ordering at least some of the search results relative to the at least one preferred country.

7. A system according to claim 6, further comprising at least one of:

the search result orderer demoting each such search result in a country other than the at least one preferred country and promoting each such search result in the at least one preferred country by at least one position; and

the search result orderer promoting each such search result in a country other than the at least one preferred country and demoting each such search result in the at least one preferred country by at least one position.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a scorer assigning a numerical score to the search results; and

a search result orderer adjusting the numerical score of at least some of the search results in the at least one preferred country.

9. A system according to claim 8, further comprising at least one of:

the search result orderer increasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the at least one preferred country and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country; and

the search result orderer decreasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the at least one preferred country and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country

10. A system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a country selector including one or more related, alternate and less preferred countries in the at least one preferred country; and

the search result orderer adjusting the numerical score, comprising at least one of increasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the one or more related, alternate and less preferred countries and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country, and decreasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the one or more related, alternate and less preferred countries and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country.

11. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the search result orderer sorting the at least some of the search results with adjusted numerical scores.

12. A method for ordering search results, comprising:

dynamically determining at least one preferred country applicable to search results generated responsive to a search executed on potentially retrievable information and provided in a plurality of search result countries; and

ordering at least some of the search results in consideration of the at least one preferred country.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining the at least one preferred country using interface characteristics.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the interface characteristics comprise at least one country accepted by the user interface.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining the at least one preferred country using IP characteristics.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the interface characteristics comprise a network address of a client application from which the search query was submitted.

17. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

ranking the search results; and

ordering at least some of the search results relative to the at least one preferred country.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising at least one of:

demoting each such search result in a country other than the at least one preferred country and promoting each such search result in the at least one preferred country by at least one position; and

promoting each such search result in a country other than the at least one preferred country and demoting each such search result in the at least one preferred country by at least one position.

19. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

assigning a numerical score to the search results; and

adjusting the numerical score of at least some of the search results in the at least one preferred country.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising at least one of:

increasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the at least one preferred country and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country; and

decreasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the at least one preferred country and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country

21. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

including one or more related, alternate and less preferred countries in the at least one preferred country; and

adjusting the numerical score, comprising at least one of;

increasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the one or more related, alternate and less preferred countries and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country; and

decreasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the one or more related, alternate and less preferred countries and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country.

22. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

sorting the at least some of the search results with adjusted numerical scores.

23. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 12.

24. An apparatus for ordering search results, comprising:

means for dynamically determining at least one preferred country applicable to search results generated responsive to a search executed on potentially retrievable information and provided in a plurality of search result countries; and

means for ordering at least some of the search results in consideration of the at least one preferred country.

25. A system for providing preferred country ordering of search results, comprising:

a parser receiving a search query describing potentially retrievable information provided in a plurality of search result countries;

an indexer executing a search by evaluating the search query against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository; and

a country promoter dynamically determining at least one preferred country applicable to search results generated responsive to the executed search, and ordering at least some of the search results in consideration of the at least one preferred country.

26. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a user interface characterizer determining a country accepted by a user interface; and

a country selector selecting the country as the at least one preferred country.

27. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) characterizer determining a country based on a network address of a client application from which the search query was submitted; and

a country selector selecting the country as the at least one preferred country.

28. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a search result orderer ordering the search results based on a match of a country of such search results to the at least one preferred country.

29. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a search result orderer ordering the search results by degree of match of a country of such search results to the at least one preferred country.

30. A system according to claim 29, further comprising:

the search result orderer demoting the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country by a predefined shifting factor.

31. A system according to claim 30, wherein the predefined factor substantially equals two (2.0).

32. A system according to claim 29, further comprising:

the search result orderer promoting the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country by a predefined shifting factor.

33. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a scorer ordering each of the search results by degree of match to the information characteristics.

34. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a country detector detecting a country associated with at least one search result.

35. A system according to claim 34, further comprising at least one of:

a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) analyzer determining a URL extension for the at least one search result;

a domain registrar examiner examining a domain registrar address for the at least one search result and inferring the country from a business associated therewith;

a country inferrer inferring the country from at least one of the IP address of a Web server from which the search result was obtained, a search result document for the at least one search result, or other Web pages on a same Web site as the at least one search result; and

a hyperlink analyzer examining anchor text of hyperlinks to the search result document, text near the hyperlinks, or countries of the Web pages with hyperlinks to the search result document.

36. A system according to claim 25, wherein the search results are assigned a numerical score, further comprising:

a search result orderer increasing the numerical score assigned to at least some of the search results in the at least one preferred country.

37. A system according to claim 36, wherein the numerical score is adjusted in accordance with the formula:

38. A system according to claim 36, wherein the search results are assigned a numerical score, further comprising:

a search result orderer decreasing the numerical score assigned to at least some of the search results in the at least one preferred country.

39. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a presenter presenting the search results.

40. A system according to claim 39, further comprising:

the presenter performing at least one of controlling enablement of presentation of at least some of the search results for each of the at least one preferred country, grouping together at least some of the search results for each of the at least one preferred country and arranging at least some of the search results for each of the at least one preferred country next to at least some of the search results for at least one country other than the at least one preferred countries prior to presentation to the user.

41. A system according to claim 25, further comprising:

a country selector including one or more related, alternate and less preferred countries in the at least one preferred country.

42. A method for providing preferred country ordering of search results, comprising:

receiving a search query describing potentially retrievable information provided in a plurality of search result countries;

executing a search by evaluating the search query against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository;

dynamically determining at least one preferred country applicable to search results generated responsive to the executed search; and

ordering at least some of the search results in consideration of the at least one preferred country.

43. A method according to claim 42, further comprising:

determining a country accepted by a user interface; and

selecting the country as the at least one preferred country.

44. A method according to claim 42, further comprising:

determining a country based on a network address of a client application from which the search query was submitted; and

selecting the country as the at least one preferred country.

45. A method according to claim 42, further comprising:

ordering the search results based on a match of a country of such search results to the at least one preferred country.

46. A method according to claim 42, further comprising:

ordering the search results by degree of match of a country of such search results to the at least one preferred country.

47. A method according to claim 46, further comprising:

demoting the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country by a predefined shifting factor.

48. A method according to claim 47, wherein the predefined factor substantially equals two (2.0).

49. A method according to claim 46, further comprising:

promoting the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country by a predefined shifting factor.

50. A method according to claim 42, further comprising:

ordering each of the search results by degree of match to the information characteristics.

51. A method according to claim 42, further comprising:

detecting a country associated with at least one search result.

52. A method according to claim 51, further comprising at least one of:

determining a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) extension for the at least one search result;

examining a domain registrar address for the at least one search result and inferring the country from a business associated therewith;

inferring the country from at least one of the IP address of a Web server from which the search result was obtained, a search result document for the at least one search result, or other Web pages on a same Web site as the at least one search result; and

examining anchor text of hyperlinks to the search result document, text near the hyperlinks, or countries of the Web pages with hyperlinks to the search result document.

53. A method according to claim 42, wherein the search results are assigned a numerical score, further comprising:

increasing the numerical score assigned to at least some of the search results in the at least one preferred country.

54. A method according to claim 53, wherein the numerical score is adjusted in accordance with the formula:

55. A method according to claim 53, wherein the search results are assigned a numerical score, further comprising:

decreasing the numerical score assigned to at least some of the search results in the at least one preferred country.

56. A method according to claim 42, further comprising:

presenting the search results.

57. A method according to claim 56, further comprising:

performing at least one of controlling enablement of presentation of at least some of the search results for each of the at least one preferred country, grouping together at least some of the search results for each of the at least one preferred country and arranging at least some of the search results for each of the at least one preferred country next to at least some of the search results for at least one country other than the at least one preferred countries prior to presentation to the user.

58. A method according to claim 42, further comprising:

including one or more related, alternate and less preferred countries in the at least one preferred country.

59. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 42.

60. An apparatus for providing preferred country ordering of search results, comprising:

means for receiving a search query describing potentially retrievable information provided in a plurality of search result countries;

means for executing a search by evaluating the search query against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository;

means for dynamically determining at least one preferred country applicable to search results generated responsive to the executed search; and

means for ordering at least some of the search results in consideration of the at least one preferred country.

61. A system for dynamically determining country preferences and ordering of search results, comprising:

a parser receiving a search query request message and parsing at least one of terms and attributes from the search query request message to identify potentially retrievable Web content provided in a plurality of search result countries;

an indexer executing a search by evaluating the at least one of terms and attributes against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository and generating search results responsive to the executed search;

a country promoter determining at least one preferred country, comprising;

a country determiner evaluating characteristics of at least one of the user interface and the Internet Protocol (IP), and selecting the at least one preferred country based on the evaluated characteristics;

a country orderer ordering at least some of the search results in consideration of the at least one preferred country; and

a presenter presenting the search results as search result response messages.

62. A system according to claim 61, wherein evaluating the user interface further comprises:

a user interface characterizer determining at least one country accepted by the user interface.

63. A system according to claim 61, wherein evaluating the IP characteristics further comprises:

an Internet Protocol (IP) characterizer determining a network address of a client application from which the search query request message was submitted.

64. A system according to claim 61, wherein the search results are generated in a ranked order, further comprising:

a search result order ordering at least some of the search results relative to the at least one preferred country by a predefined shifting factor, comprising at least one of demoting each such search result in a country other than the at least one preferred country by the predefined shifting factor and promoting each such search result in the at least one preferred country by at least one position, and promoting each such search result in a country other than the at least one preferred country by the predefined shifting factor and demoting each such search result in the at least one preferred country by at least one position.

65. A system according to claim 64, further comprising:

the search result orderer adjusting the predefined shifting factor based on available context in the search query request message and the search results.

66. A system according to claim 61, wherein the search results are generated in a ranked order by numerical score, further comprising:

a search result orderer adjusting the numerical score of at least some of the search results by a predetermined weighting factor comprising at least one of increasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the at least one preferred country and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country, and decreasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the at least one preferred country and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country.

67. A system according to claim 66, further comprising:

the search result orderer adjusting the predefined weighting factor based on available context in the search query request message and the search results.

68. A system according to claim 61, wherein the search query request message and each search result response message is HTTP-compliant.

69. A method for dynamically determining country preferences and ordering of search results, comprising:

receiving a search query request message and parsing at least one of terms and attributes from the search query request message to identify potentially retrievable Web content provided in a plurality of search result countries;

executing a search by evaluating the at least one of terms and attributes against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository and generating search results responsive to the executed search;

determining at least one preferred country, comprising;

evaluating characteristics of at least one of the user interface and the Internet Protocol (IP); and

selecting the at least one preferred country based on the evaluated characteristics;

ordering at least some of the search results in consideration of the at least one preferred country; and

presenting the search results as search result response messages.

70. A method according to claim 69, wherein evaluating the user interface further comprises:

determining at least one country accepted by the user interface.

71. A method according to claim 69, wherein evaluating the IP characteristics further comprises:

determining a network address of a client application from which the search query request message was submitted.

72. A method according to claim 69, wherein the search results are generated in a ranked order, further comprising:

ordering at least some of the search results relative to the at least one preferred country by a predefined shifting factor, comprising at least one of;

demoting each such search result in a country other than the at least one preferred country by the predefined shifting factor and promoting each such search result in the at least one preferred country by at least one position; and

promoting each such search result in a country other than the at least one preferred country by the predefined shifting factor and demoting each such search result in the at least one preferred country by at least one position.

73. A method according to claim 72, further comprising:

adjusting the predefined shifting factor based on available context in the search query request message and the search results.

74. A method according to claim 69, wherein the search results are generated in a ranked order by numerical score, further comprising:

adjusting the numerical score of at least some of the search results by a predetermined weighting factor comprising at least one of;

increasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the at least one preferred country and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country; and

decreasing the numerical score assigned to the search results in the at least one preferred country and maintaining the numerical score assigned to the search results in a country other than the at least one preferred country.

75. A method according to claim 74, further comprising:

adjusting the predefined weighting factor based on available context in the search query request message and the search results.

76. A method according to claim 69, wherein the search query request message and each search result response message is HTTP-compliant.

77. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 69.

78. An apparatus for dynamically determining country preferences and ordering of search results, comprising:

means for dynamically determining country preferences and ordering of search results, comprising;

means for receiving a search query request message and parsing at least one of terms and attributes from the search query request message to identify potentially retrievable Web content provided in a plurality of search result countries;

means for executing a search by evaluating the at least one of terms and attributes against information characteristics maintained in a searchable data repository and generating search results responsive to the executed search;

means for determining at least one preferred country, comprising;

means for evaluating characteristics of at least one of the user interface and the Internet Protocol (IP); and

means for selecting the at least one preferred country based on the evaluated characteristics;

means for ordering at least some of the search results in consideration of the at least one preferred country; and

means for presenting the search results as search result response messages.