US 2020/0050646 A1 · System and Method for Personalized Search While Maintaining Searcher Privacy

Abstract

Personalization of Internet search is effected through the use of ResultRank and searcher selected profile attributes and searcher selected query context attributes. These attributes are also referred to as hats (worn by the searcher). Searcher privacy is maintained by allowing limited use of a searcher's profile by the search engine. Query language interpretation is improved by capture and use of searcher behavior and hat selection, in past search sessions, without storage of individual profile or context information. ResultRank is maintained and adjusted, on a per hat basis such that future, similarly hatted searchers benefit from these past sessions. An average of ResultRank, across searcher selected hats, is utilized for improved SERP ranking Recognition of QLP's is improved by use of the hats. Custom support of public and private language community circles is incorporated. The technique is applied to organic as well as sponsored results. Steps are taken to minimize the impact of any attempt to artificially adjust ResultRank.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A method for personalized search while maintaining searcher privacy comprising the steps of:

using a search engine to crawl computer networks to scrape and index established network content;
using the search engine to select a set of matching search results based on relevance to a received search query;
using a local computing device to allow a user to select a set of self-profiling and contextual hats, storing the set for repeated use by the search engine;
using the search engine to rank the set of relevant organic and sponsored results based on an overall ranking algorithm which incorporates ResultRank with hats;
using a local computing device to accept search queries from the user;
using a local computing device to communicate the search queries to the search engine;
using the local computing device to communicate search engine result presentations (SERPs) to users;
using a local computing device to allow the user to select individual search result abstracts within the SERPs, and to study and review the SERPs;
using a local computing device to allow the search engine to monitor searcher interaction with the SERPs;
and
using a combination of the user's personal identifier and a unique result identifier and a time period stamp is used to generate a one-way hash which is stored in a database.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and Method for Personalized Search While Maintaining Searcher Privacy

Life of this patent

System and Method for Personalized Search While Maintaining Searcher Privacy

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims5