Method and system for determining an order of presentation of search results

• US 9,779,166 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Sun, Ken, Ghatare, Sanjay Pundlkrao, Dumon, Oliver G., Netzloff, Julie Lavee, Rehman, Muhammad Faisal, McDonald, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US14/313,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20140310119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A method and system for determining an order of presentation of the search results is provided. An example system comprises a search request detector, a search engine, and an intermingler. The search request detector may be configured to receive a search request, and the search engine may be configured to determine search results based on the search request. The search results may comprise a first set of items of a first type and a second set of items of a second type. The number of items in the first set and the number of items in the second may reflect a predetermined target ratio. The intermingler may be configured to determine an order of presentation of the search results in a list of search results based on the target ratio.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a search request detector, implemented using one or more processors, to receive a search request;

a search engine, implemented using one or more processors, to determine search results based on the search request, the search results comprising a first set of items of a first type and a second set of items of a second type, a number of items in the first set and a number of items in the second set reflecting a target ratio; and

an intermingler, implemented using one or more processors, to determine an order of presentation of the search results in a presentation list of search results based on the target ratio, wherein the intermingler is to;

select an item from the first set and position it in the presentation list of search results,

determine a first new ratio between items from the first set in the list and items from the second set in a first candidate list, the first candidate list is the presentation list of search results with a first additional item appended at the end, the first additional item is from the first set,

determine a second new ratio between items from the first set in the list and items from the second set in a second candidate list, the second candidate list is the presentation list of search results with a second additional item appended at the end, the second additional item is from the second set,

compare a first difference between the first new ratio and the target ratio with a second difference between the second new ratio and the target ratio, and

select a next item for positioning in the list from the first set or from the second set, based on a result of the comparing; and

a user interface generated using at least one processor to display the presentation list of search results in the determined order.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the intermingler is to:

determine that the first difference is less than the second difference; and

select the next item from the first set of items in the first format and position it in the list as the next item.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the search request is related to an on-line trading platform.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first format is associated with auction items available via the on-line trading platform.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first format is associated with fixed-price items available via the on-line trading platform.

6. The system of claim 3, comprising an adjusting module to update the target ratio based on revenue associated with items in the first format and items in the second format.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the adjusting module is to:

monitor revenue associated with items in the first format and revenue associated with items in the second format;

determine that the monitored revenue associated with items in the first format is greater than monitored revenue associated with items in the second format; and

adjust the target ratio to increase exposure of items in the first format.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the search request is related to searching for information on the World Wide Web.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

using one or more processors to perform operations of;

receiving a search request;

determining search results based on the search request, the search results comprising a first set of items of a first type and a second set of items of a second type, a number of items in the first set and a number of items in the second set reflecting a target ratio; and

determining an order of presentation of the search results in a presentation list of search results based on the target ratio, wherein the determining of the order of presentation comprises;

selecting an item from the first set and position it in the presentation list of search results,

determining a first new ratio between items from the first set in the list and items from the second set in a first candidate list, the first candidate list is the presentation list of search results with a first additional item appended at the end, the first additional item is from the first set,

determining a second new ratio between items from the first set in the list and items from the second set in a second candidate list, the second candidate list is the presentation list of search results with a second additional item appended at the end, the second additional item is from the second set,

comparing a first difference between the first new ratio and the target ratio with a second difference between the second new ratio and the target ratio, and

selecting a next item for positioning in the list from the first set or from the second set, based on a result of the comparing; and

generating a user interface to display the presentation list of search results in the determined order.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting of the next item for presentation comprises:

determining that the first difference is less than the second difference; and

selecting the next item from the first set of items in the first format and positioning it in the list as the next item.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the search request is related to an on-line trading platform.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first format is associated with auction items available via the on-line trading platform.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising updating the target ratio based on revenue associated with items in the first format and items in the second format.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the updating of the target ratio comprises:

monitoring revenue associated with items in the first format and revenue associated with items in the second format;

determining that the monitored revenue associated with items in the first format is greater than the monitored revenue associated with items in the second format; and

adjusting the target ratio to increase exposure of items in the first format.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the search request is related to searching for information on the World Wide Web.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instruction data executable by a machine to cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a search request;

determining search results based on the search request, the search results comprising a first set of items of a first type and a second set of items of a second type, a number of items in the first set and a number of items in the second set reflecting a target ratio; and

determining an order of presentation of the search results in a presentation list of search results based on the target ratio, wherein the determining of the order of presentation comprises;

selecting an item from the first set and position it in the presentation list of search results,

determining a first new ratio between items from the first set in the list and items from the second set in a first candidate list, the first candidate list is the presentation list of search results with a first additional item appended at the end, the first additional item is from the first set,

determining a second new ratio between items from the first set in the list and items from the second set in a second candidate list, the second candidate list is the presentation list of search results with a second additional item appended at the end, the second additional item is from the second set

comparing a first difference between the first new ratio and the target ratio with a second difference between the second new ratio and the target ratio, and

selecting a next item for positioning in the list from the first set or from the second set, based on a result of the comparing; and

generating a user interface to display the presentation list of search results in the determined order.