Ranking a search result document based on data usage to load the search result document

• US 9,201,929 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Seo, Minkoo
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUNG D
• Application Number:
  US13/963,427
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for ranking one or more documents that are responsive to a search query. A document that is responsive to the search query may be ranked based on a data measure of the document that is indicative of an amount of data usage required to load the document. In some implementations, the data measure of the document may be a measured value based on actual data usage during retrieval of the document. In some implementations, the ranking of two or more documents may be based on comparison of the data measures of the two or more documents.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving a search query;

determining that the search query is likely issued via a limited data plan;

identifying a plurality of documents that are responsive to the search query;

determining a first data measure for a first document of one or more of the documents;

wherein the first data measure of the first document is based on an amount of data usage in a prior retrieval of the first document; and

ranking the first document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the first data measure and based at least in part on determining that the search query is likely issued via the limited data plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a second document is similar to the first document;

determining a second data measure for the second document, the second data measure of the second document indicative of an amount of data usage required to load the second document; and

ranking the second document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the second data measure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein ranking the first document relative to the other of the documents includes:

ranking the first document relative to the second document based on comparison of the first data measure to the second data measure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein ranking the first document relative to the second document based on comparison of the first data measure to the second data measure includes:

determining the first data measure is indicative of less data usage than the second data measure; and

ranking the first document more prominently than the second document when the first data measure is indicative of less data usage than the second data measure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the search query is non-navigational, wherein ranking the first document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the first data measure occurs only when the search query is determined to be non-navigational.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the first document relative to the other of the documents includes:

determining an initial ranking of the first document, the initial ranking being independent of the first data measure; and

modifying the initial ranking based on the first data measure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the initial ranking of the first document is an initial relevance score of the first document.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first data measure is proportional to the amount of data usage required to load the first document, and wherein modifying the initial ranking based on the first data measure is based on multiplying the initial relevance score by the reciprocal of the first data measure.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the search query is non-navigational; and

determining a weighting of the first data measure based on the search query being determined to be non-navigational, the weighting of the first data measure used in ranking the first document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the first data measure.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second search query;

determining that the second search query is navigational; and

preventing determination of rankings of documents responsive to the second search query that are based on data measures of the documents.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a search result for display that is based on the first document and the ranking of the first document.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the first document based at least in part on the first data measure and based at least in part on determining that the search query is likely issued via the limited data plan comprises ranking the first document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the first data measure only when the search query is determined to be likely issued via the limited data plan.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the first document based at least in part on the first data measure and based at least in part on determining that the search query is likely issued via the limited data comprises determining a likelihood that the search query is issued via the limited data plan, and weighting the first data measure in ranking the first document relative to other of the documents based on the likelihood that the search query is issued via the limited data plan.

14. A system including memory and one or more processors operable to execute instructions stored in the memory, comprising instructions to:

receive a search query issued via a computing device;

determine that the search query is likely issued via a limited data plan;

identify a plurality of documents that are responsive to the search query;

determine a first data measure for a first document of one or more of the documents;

wherein the first data measure of the first document is based on an amount of data usage in a prior retrieval of the first document; and

rank the first document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the first data measure and based at least in part on determining that the search query is likely issued via the limited data plan.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further includes instructions to:

determine that a second document is similar to the first document;

determine a second data measure for the second document, the second data measure of the second document indicative of an amount of data usage required to load the second document; and

rank the second document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the second data measure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions to rank the first document relative to the other of the documents include instructions to:

rank the first document relative to the second document based on comparison of the first data measure to the second data measure.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions to rank the first document relative to the second document based on comparison of the first data measure to the second data measure include instructions to:

determine the first data measure is indicative of less data usage than the second data measure; and

rank the first document more prominently than the second document when the first data measure is indicative of less data usage than the second data measure.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further includes instructions to determine that the search query is non-navigational, wherein the instructions to rank the first document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the first data measure are executed only when the search query is determined to be non-navigational.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions to rank the first document relative to the other of the documents include instructions to:

determine an initial ranking of the first document, the initial ranking being independent of the first data measure; and

modify the initial ranking based on the first data measure.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further includes instructions to:

determine that the search query is non-navigational; and

determine the weighting of the first data measure based on the search query being determined to be non-navigational, the weighting of the first data measure used to rank the first document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the first data measure.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further includes instructions to provide a search result to the computing device for display that is based on the first document and the ranking of the first document.

22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a search query;

determining that the search query is likely issued via a limited data plan;

identifying a plurality of documents that are responsive to the search query;

determining a first data measure for a first document of one or more of the documents;

wherein the first data measure of the first document is based on an amount of data usage in a prior retrieval of the first document; and

ranking the first document relative to other of the documents based at least in part on the first data measure and based at least in part on determining that the search query is likely issued via the limited data plan.