Methods and systems for eliminating duplicate events

• US 8,161,053 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Khan, Omar Habib, Lawrence, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang, Phuong
• Application Number:
  US10/814,317
• Time in Patent Office: 2,939 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318, 707 2- 5, 707/1, 707/10, 707/104
• US Class Current: 707/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/334 Query execution G06F16/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Systems and methods for eliminating duplicate events are described. In one embodiment, an event is captured, wherein the event comprises a user interaction with an article on a client device and it is determined whether the event is a duplicate of a stored event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

capturing an event with a search engine locally installed on a client device, wherein the event comprises a user interaction with an article stored in association with the client device;

determining an amount of elapsed time between the event and a stored event, wherein the amount of elapsed time is greater than zero;

determining a level of similarity between the event and the stored event;

modifying a threshold level of similarity used to identify the event as a duplicate based on the amount of elapsed time;

determining with the search engine if the event is a duplicate of the stored event based at least in part on the level of similarity between the event and the stored event, the amount of elapsed time between the event and the stored event and the threshold level of similarity, wherein the level of similarity; and

indexing the event on the client device with the search engine dependent on the determination of whether or not the event is a duplicate of the stored event.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the event is indexed if the event is determined not to be a duplicate of a stored event.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising partially indexing the event with the search engine if the event is determined to be a duplicate of a stored event.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein partially indexing the event comprises indexing a portion of event data associated with the event.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising partially storing the event with the search engine if the event is determined to be a duplicate event.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing the event with the search engine if the event is determined not to be a duplicate of a stored event.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising updating, with the search engine, access information for the article associated with the event, if the event is determined to be a duplicate of a stored event.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the event is a duplicate comprises comparing indexable text associated with the event with indexable text associated with stored events.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the event is a duplicate comprises attempting to match an article title associated with the event with article titles associated with stored events.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the event is a duplicate comprises computing a first duplicate value based at least in part on event data of the captured event and comparing the first duplicate value to stored duplicate values computed for stored events.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first duplicate value comprises a first hash computed on the event data of the captured event and wherein the stored duplicate values comprise stored hash values computed on the stored events.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the event is a duplicate comprises determining a client application in focus at the time associated with the event.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein indexing the event comprises determining indexable terms associated with the event, assigning an event ID to the event, and associating the event ID with the indexable terms in an index.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises a real-time event or a historical event.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein indexing the event on the client device with the search engine dependent on the determination of whether or not the event is a duplicate of the stored event comprises:

responsive to determining that the captured event is a duplicate, not indexing the captured event.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a policy for indexing the captured event based on the determination of whether the event is a duplicate of a stored event.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a level of similarity between the event and the stored event comprises comparing a storage location of the article associated with the event to a storage location of an article associated with the stored event.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the event is a duplicate of the stored event comprises determining that the event is a duplicate event if the event and the stored event are within a predetermined time amount of elapsed time.

19. A computer-readable storage medium containing program code, comprising:

program code for capturing an event with a search engine locally installed on a client device, wherein the event comprises a user interaction with an article stored in association with the client device;

program code for determining an amount of elapsed time between the event and a stored event, wherein the amount of elapsed time is greater than zero;

program code for determining a level of similarity between the event and the stored event;

program code for modifying a threshold level of similarity used to identify the event as a duplicate based on the amount of elapsed time;

program code for determining with the search engine if the event is a duplicate of the stored event based at least in part on the level of similarity between the event and the stored event, the amount of elapsed time between the event and the stored event and the threshold level of similarity; and

program code for indexing the event on the client device with the search engine dependent on the determination of whether or not the event is a duplicate of the stored event.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the event is indexed if the event is determined not to be a duplicate of a stored event.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising program code for partially indexing the event with the search engine if the event is determined to be a duplicate of a stored event.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein partially indexing the event comprises indexing a portion of event data associated with the event.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising program code for partially storing the event with the search engine if the event is determined to be a duplicate event.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising program code for storing the event with the search engine if the event is determined not to be a duplicate of a stored event.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising program code for updating, with the search engine, access information for the article associated with the event, if the event is determined to be a duplicate of a stored event.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the event is a duplicate comprises program code for attempting to match indexable text associated with the event with indexable text associated with stored events.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the event is a duplicate comprises program code for attempting to match an article title associated with the event with article titles associated with stored events.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the event is a duplicate comprises program code for computing a first duplicate value based at least in part on event data of the captured event and program code for comparing the first duplicate value to stored duplicate values computed for stored events.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the first duplicate value comprises a first hash computed on the event data of the captured event and wherein the stored duplicate values comprise stored hash values computed on the stored events.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the event is a duplicate comprises program code for determining a client application in focus at the time associated with the event.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein indexing the event comprises program code for determining indexable terms associated with the event, program code for assigning an event ID to the event, and program code for associating the event ID with the indexable terms in an index.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the event comprises a real-time event or a historical event.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein

program code for indexing the event on the client device with the search engine dependent on the determination comprises:

program code for not indexing the captured event responsive to determining that the captured event is a duplicate.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

program code for determining a policy for indexing the captured event based on the determination of whether the event is a duplicate of a stored event.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein determining a level of similarity between the event and the stored event comprises comparing a storage location of the article associated with the event to a storage location of an article associated with the stored event.

36. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein determining if the event is a duplicate of the stored event comprises determining that the event is a duplicate event if the event and the stored event are within a predetermined amount of elapsed time.

37. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

capturing an event with a search engine locally installed on a client device, wherein the event comprises a user interaction with an article stored in association with the client device;

determining an amount of elapsed time between the event and a stored event from a database of stored events, wherein the amount of elapsed time is greater than zero;

modifying a threshold level of similarity used to identify the event as a duplicate based on the amount of elapsed time;

comparing indexable text associated with the captured event with indexable text associated with the stored event from the database of stored events to determine if the threshold level of similarity is met;

determining if the captured event occurred within a predetermined time period after the stored event, wherein the predetermined time period is greater than zero;

determining that the captured event is a duplicate of the stored event if the threshold level of similarity between the captured event and the stored event is met and the captured event occurred within the predetermined time period after the stored event;

indexing the captured event with the search engine if the captured event is determined not to be a duplicate of a stored event;

updating, with the search engine, access information for the article associated with the captured event, if the event is determined to be a duplicate of a stored event; and

storing the captured event with the search engine if the captured event is determined not to be a duplicate of a stored event.

38. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

capturing an event, wherein the event comprises a user interaction with a stored article;

determining an amount of elapsed time between the event and a stored event wherein the event and the stored event are associated with different times;

determining a level of similarity between the event and the stored event;

modifying a threshold level of similarity used to identify the event as a duplicate based on the amount of elapsed time; and

determining if the event is a duplicate of the stored event based at least in part on the modified threshold level of similarity.