System, method and service for ranking search results using a modular scoring system

• US 7,257,577 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sivakumar, Dandapani, Tomlin, John Anthony, Fagin, Ronald, McCurley, Kevin Snow, Novak, Jasmine, Williamson, David Paul, Ravikumar, Shanmugasundram
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Jessica N.
• Application Number:
  US10/841,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707 5- 7, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• 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 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A modular scoring system using rank aggregation merges search results into an ordered list of results using many different features of documents. The ranking functions of the present system can easily be customized to the needs of a particular corpus or collection of users such as an intranet. Rank aggregation is independent of the underlying score distributions between the different factors, and can be applied to merge any set of ranking functions. Rank aggregation holds the advantage of combining the influence of many different heuristic factors in a robust way to produce high-quality results for queries. The modular scoring system combines factors such as indegree, page ranking, URL length, proximity to the root server of an intranet, etc, to form a single ordering on web pages that closely obeys the individual orderings, but also mediates between the collective wisdom of individual heuristics.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for ranking search results, comprising:

a plurality of indices for grading a set of pages to generate a graded set of pages;

a plurality of selectable scoring modules that are selected by selection modules for selectively ranking the graded set of pages to generate a plurality of ranked sets of pages, according to an aggregated customizable ranking comprising a plurality of different scoring techniques;

wherein the plurality of selectable scoring modules include a plurality of scoring modules selected by the selection modules and a plurality of scoring modules that have not been selected by the selection modules;

a duplication module for duplicating the ranked sets of pages;

the scoring modules selected by the selection modules independently scoring corresponding duplicates of the ranked sets of pages;

wherein the plurality of scoring modules selected by the selection modules include;

a first set of scoring modules for providing a first set of scores based on static orderings that are independent of a query and user defined criteria; and

a second set of scoring modules for providing a second set of scores based on dynamic rankings that depend on the query and the user defined criteria;

wherein each selectable scoring module scores one of the duplicates of the ranked set of pages according to one of the scoring techniques by generating the first and second sets of scores;

a rank aggregation processor for merging the scored corresponding duplicate sets of pages into a single scored set of pages; and

wherein the rank aggregation processor further ranks pages in the single scored set of pages.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the single scored set of pages is scored as a function of relevance to a query.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the single scored set of pages is scored as a function of authoritativeness.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of pages is obtained by means of a query.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein an input to the rank aggregation processor comprises the query.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein an input to the rank aggregation processor comprises the graded set of pages.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein an input to at least some of the indices comprises the query.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein an input to at least some of the scoring modules comprises the query.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary information module for customizing the system for a specific application.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a selection module for deselecting at least one of the scoring modules for customizing the system for a specific application.

11. A computer program product having a set of executable instruction codes stored on a computer readable medium, for ranking search results using, comprising:

a first set of instruction codes for grading a set of pages to generate a graded set of pages;

a second set of selectable instruction codes that are selected by selection modules for selectively ranking the graded set of pages to generate a plurality of ranked sets of pages, according to an aggregated customizable ranking comprising a plurality of different scoring techniques;

wherein the plurality of selectable instruction codes include a plurality of scoring modules selected by the selection modules and a plurality of scoring modules that have not been selected by the selection modules;

a third set of instruction codes for duplicating the ranked sets of pages;

a fourth set of instruction codes selected by the selection modules for independently scoring corresponding duplicates of the ranked sets of pages;

wherein the plurality of scoring modules selected by the selection modules include;

a first set of scoring modules for providing a first set of scores based on static orderings that are independent of a query and user defined criteria; and

a second set of scoring modules for providing a second set of scores based on dynamic rankings that depend on the query and the user defined criteria;

wherein each selectable scoring module scores one of the duplicates of the ranked set of pages according to one of the scoring techniques by generating the first and second sets of scores;

a fifth set of instruction codes for merging the scored corresponding duplicate sets of pages into a single scored set of pages; and

a sixth set of instruction codes for ranking pages in the single scored set of pages.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the single scored set of pages is scored as a function of relevance to a query.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the single scored set of pages is scored as a function of authoritativeness.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the set of pages is obtained by means of a query.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the fifth set of instruction codes comprises the query.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the fifth set of instruction codes comprises the graded set of pages.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the first set of instruction codes comprises the query.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the second set of instruction codes comprises the query.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising a seventh set of instruction codes for customizing computer program product for a specific application.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising an eight set of instruction codes for deselecting at least one of the scoring modules for customizing the computer program product for a specific application.

21. A computer-implemented method for ranking search results using, comprising:

grading a set of pages to generate a graded set of pages;

a plurality of selectable scoring modules that are selected by selection modules selectively ranking the graded set of pages to generate a plurality of ranked sets of pages, according to an aggregated customizable ranking comprising a plurality of different scoring techniques;

wherein the plurality of selectable scoring modules include a plurality of scoring modules selected by the selection modules and a plurality of scoring modules that have not been selected by the selection modules;

duplicating the ranked sets of pages;

the scoring modules selected by the selection modules independently scoring corresponding duplicates of the ranked sets of pages;

wherein the plurality of scoring modules selected by the selection modules include;

a first set of scoring modules for providing a first set of scores based on static orderings that are independent of a query and user defined criteria; and

a second set of scoring modules for providing a second set of scores based on dynamic rankings that depend on the query and the user defined criteria;

wherein each selectable scoring module scores one of the duplicates of the ranked set of pages according to one of the scoring techniques by generating the first and second sets of scores;

merging the scored corresponding duplicate sets of pages into a single scored set of pages; and

ranking pages in the single scored set of pages.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the single scored set of pages is scored as a function of relevance to a query.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the single scored set of pages is scored as a function of authoritativeness.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the set of pages is obtained by means of a query.