Location extraction

• US 20060149734A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Egnor, Daniel, Greenfield, Lawrence Elias
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system receives a search query that includes a set of search terms, determines whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area, and determines whether the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area when at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of the geographic area. The system performs a local search, based on one or more of the search terms, to identify documents associated with the geographic area when the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a search query that includes a plurality of search terms;

determining whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to a name of a geographic area;

determining whether the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area when at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of the geographic area; and

performing a local search, based on one or more of the search terms, to identify documents associated with the geographic area when the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a search query includes:

providing a single search box, and

receiving the plurality of search terms via the single search box.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a web search based on the plurality of search terms when none of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area includes:

analyzing the plurality of search terms against a set of templates to determine whether the search query includes the name of a geographic area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area includes:

determining whether the search query includes two or more interpretations of names of geographic areas, and

selecting a longer one of the interpretations when the search query includes two or more interpretations of names of geographic areas.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area includes:

determining whether the search query includes two or more interpretations of names of geographic areas,

determining whether the search query includes multiple geographical components, and

selecting one of the interpretations that is more consistent with the geographical components.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area includes:

determining whether the plurality of search terms are associated with no geographic reference other than the name of the geographic area.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a web search based on the plurality of search terms when the geographic area does not correspond to an unambiguous geographic area.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the name of the geographic area together with one or more of the search terms are included on a blacklist; and

wherein the local search is performed when the name of the geographic area together with one or more of the search terms are not included on the blacklist.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the name of the geographic area together with one or more of the search terms are included on a blacklist; and

performing a web search based on the plurality of search terms when the name of the geographic area together with one or more of the search terms are included on the blacklist.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a local advertisement that is associated with a business located in or near the geographic area when the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the name of the geographic area corresponds to a common name of multiple cities located in a single state; and

selecting one of the cities based on populations of the cities.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the name of the geographic area corresponds to a common name of multiple cities located in a single state; and

selecting one of the cities based on a location of a user who provided the search query.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the name of the geographic area corresponds to a common name of multiple cities located in multiple countries; and

selecting one of the cities based on a location of a user who provided the search query.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

suggesting a local search based on one or more of the search terms to identify documents associated with the geographic area when the geographic area does not correspond to an unambiguous geographic area.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a list of search results based on the local search; and

providing the list of search results, where at least one of the search results includes at least one of;

address information for a business associated with the search result,

a telephone number for the business,

a snippet from a document mentioning the business,

a link to directions to the business, or

a link to one or more documents that refer to the business.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a list of search results based on the local search;

providing the list of search results;

providing a map of the geographic area; and

identifying a location associated with at least one of the search results on the map.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a list of search results based on the local search;

providing the list of search results; and

providing an advertisement associated with a business located in or near the geographic area.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic area corresponds to a city;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

processing a list of cities to identify whether ones of the cities correspond to unambiguous cities; and

storing the list of cities and corresponding indications of whether the cities correspond to unambiguous cities in a database.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area includes:

analyzing the database to identify the corresponding city in the list of cities.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining whether the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area further includes:

determining whether the corresponding indication indicates that the city corresponds to an unambiguous city.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein processing a list of cities includes:

performing a first web search based on the name of one of the cities in the list of cities to identify a first set of search results,

counting a number of the first set of search results,

performing a second web search based on the name of the one city and the name of a state in which the one city is located to identify a second set of search results,

counting a number of the second set of search results, and

identifying the one city as an unambiguous city when the number of the second set of search results is at least X % of the number of the first set of search results, where X is a number greater than zero.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein processing a list of cities includes:

performing a web search based on the name of one of the cities in the list of cities to identify a set of search results,

counting a number of the set of search results,

counting a number of documents in the set of search results that include postal codes associated with the one city, and

identifying the one city as an unambiguous city when the number of documents in the set of search results that include postal codes associated with the one city is at least X % of the number of the set of search results, where X is a number greater than zero.

24. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a search query;

means for determining whether the search query includes the name of a city;

means for determining whether the city corresponds to an unambiguous city when the search query includes the name of the city; and

means for performing a local search to identify documents associated with businesses in or near a geographic area associated with the city when the city corresponds to an unambiguous city.

25. A system, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions in the memory to;

receive a search query that includes one or more search terms and a geographic reference,

determine whether the geographic reference corresponds to a city,

determine whether the city corresponds to an unambiguous city when the geographic reference corresponds to a city, and

perform a search, based on the one or more search terms, for documents relating to businesses located near or within a geographic area associated with the city when the city corresponds to an unambiguous city.

26. A computer-readable medium that stores computer-executed instructions, comprising:

instructions for receiving a search query that includes a plurality of search terms via a single search box;

instructions for analyzing the search query to determine whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of the geographic area;

instructions for determining whether the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area when at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area; and

instructions for performing a local search, based on one or more of the search terms, to identify documents associated with the geographic area when the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area.

27. A method, comprising:

receiving a search query that includes a plurality of search terms;

determining whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area;

determining whether the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area when at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of the geographic area; and

presenting an advertisement associated with a business located near or within the geographic area when the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein receiving a search query includes:

providing a single search box, and

receiving the plurality of search terms via the single search box.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein determining whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area includes:

determining whether the plurality of search terms are associated with no geographic reference other than the name of the geographic area.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein determining whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area includes:

determining whether the search query includes two or more interpretations of names of geographic areas, and

selecting a longer one of the interpretations when the search query includes two or more interpretations of names of geographic areas.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein determining whether at least one of the search terms corresponds to the name of a geographic area includes:

determining whether the search query includes two or more interpretations of names of geographic areas,

determining whether the search query includes multiple geographical components, and

selecting one of the interpretations that is more consistent with the geographical components.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining whether the name of the geographic area together with one or more of the search terms are included on a blacklist; and

wherein the advertisement is presented when the name of the geographic area together with one or more of the search terms are not included on the blacklist.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining whether the name of the geographic area corresponds to a common name of multiple cities located in a single state; and

selecting one of the cities based on populations of the cities.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining whether the name of the geographic area corresponds to a common name of multiple cities located in a single state; and

selecting one of the cities based on a location of a user who provided the search query.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining whether the name of the geographic area corresponds to a common name of multiple cities located in multiple countries; and

selecting one of the cities based on a location of a user who provided the search query.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the geographic area corresponds to a city;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

processing a list of cities to identify whether ones of the cities correspond to unambiguous cities; and

storing the list of cities and corresponding indications of whether the cities correspond to unambiguous cities in a database.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein determining whether the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area includes:

analyzing the database to identify the corresponding city in the list of cities.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein determining whether the geographic area corresponds to an unambiguous geographic area further includes:

determining whether the corresponding indication indicates that the city corresponds to an unambiguous city.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein processing a list of cities includes:

performing a first web search based on the name of one of the cities in the list of cities to identify a first set of search results,

counting a number of the first set of search results,

performing a second web search based on the name of the one city and the name of a state in which the one city is located to identify a second set of search results,

counting a number of the second set of search results, and

identifying the one city as an unambiguous city when the number of the second set of search results is at least X % of the number of the first set of search results, where X is a number greater than zero.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein processing a list of cities includes:

performing a web search based on the name of one of the cities in the list of cities to identify a set of search results,

counting a number of the set of search results,

counting a number of documents in the set of search results that include postal codes associated with the one city, and

identifying the one city as an unambiguous city when the number of documents in the set of search results that include postal codes associated with the one city is at least X % of the number of the set of search results, where X is a number greater than zero.

41. The method of claim 27, wherein presenting an advertisement includes:

determining a location associated with a user who provided the search query, and

determining whether the location is within a predetermined distance of the geographic area, and

providing an advertisement associated with a business located near or within the geographic area when the location is within a predetermined distance of the geographic area.

42. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a search query;

means for determining whether the search query includes the name of a city;

means for determining whether the city corresponds to an unambiguous city when the search query includes the name of the city; and

means for providing an advertisement associated with a business located in or near a geographic area associated with the city when the city corresponds to an unambiguous city.

43. A system, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions in the memory to;

receive a search query that includes one or more search terms and a geographic reference,

determine whether the geographic reference corresponds to a city,

determine whether the city corresponds to an unambiguous city when the geographic reference corresponds to the city, and

provide an advertisement relating to a business located near or within a geographic area associated with the city when the city corresponds to an unambiguous city.

44. A computer-readable medium that stores computer-executed instructions, comprising:

instructions for performing a first web search based on the name of a city in a list of cities to identify a first set of search results;

instructions for counting a number of the first set of search results;

instructions for performing a second web search based on the name of the city and the name of a state in which the city is located to identify a second set of search results;

instructions for counting a number of the second set of search results; and

instructions for identifying the city as an unambiguous city when the number of the second set of search results is at least X % of the number of the first set of search results, where X is a number greater than zero.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, further comprising:

instructions for performing a search for documents associated with businesses located in or near the city when the city is identified as an unambiguous city and the name of the city is included in a search query.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 44, further comprising:

instructions for identifying the city as a semi-unambiguous city when the number of the second set of search results is less than X % but greater than Y % of the number of the first set of search results, where Y is a number less than X; and

instructions for suggesting a search for documents associated with businesses located in or near the city when the city is identified as a semi-unambiguous city and the name of the city is included in a search query.

47. A computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions, comprising:

instructions for performing a web search based on the name of a city in a list of cities to identify a set of search results;

instructions for counting a number of the set of search results;

instructions for counting a number of documents in the set of search results that include postal codes associated with the city; and

instructions for identifying the city as an unambiguous city when the number of documents in the set of search results that include postal codes associated with the city is at least X % of the number of the set of search results, where X is a number greater than zero.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, further comprising:

instructions for performing a search for documents associated with businesses located in or near the city when the city is identified as an unambiguous city and the name of the city is included in a search query.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, further comprising:

instructions for identifying the city as a semi-unambiguous city when the number of documents in the set of search results that include postal codes associated with the city is less than X % but greater than Y % of the number of the set of search results, where Y is a number less than X; and

instructions for suggesting a search for documents associated with businesses located in or near the city when the city is identified as a semi-unambiguous city and the name of the city is included in a search query.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the instructions for counting a number of documents includes:

assigning weights to the documents based on a ranking associated with the documents, and

determining the number of documents that include postal codes associated with the city based on the weights assigned to the documents.