US 7,406,465 B2Granted

System and methods for ranking the relative value of terms in a multi-term search query using deletion prediction

AssigneeYahoo! Inc.

InventorsRosemary Jones, Daniel C. Fain

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Abstract

The likely relevance of each term of a search-engine query of two or more terms is determined by their deletion probability scores. If the deletion probability scores are significantly different, the deletion probability score can be used to return targeted ads related to the more relevant term or terms along with the search results. Deletion probability scores are determined by first gathering historical records of search queries of two or more terms in which a subsequent query was submitted by the same user after one or more of the terms had been deleted. The deletion probability score for a particular term of a search query is calculated as the ratio of the number of times that particular term was itself deleted prior to a subsequent search by the same user divided by the number of times there were subsequent search queries by the same user in which any term or terms including that given term was deleted by the same user prior to the subsequent search. Terms are not limited to individual alphabetic words.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method for identifying a relevant term in a subsequent multi-term search query, the method comprising:

tracking a number of deletions of each particular term in a plurality of multi-term search queries, wherein each of the plurality of multi-term search queries includes each particular term;
tracking a total number of deletions in the plurality of multi-term search queries;
determining deletion probabilities of each particular term from the number of deletions of each particular term and the total number of deletions;
determining a relevance value of the subsequent multi-term search query based upon the deletion probabilities of each particular term of the subsequent multi-term search query;
determining whether the relevance value exceeds a threshold value;
upon determining that the relevance value exceeds the threshold value, identifying the relevant term in the subsequent multi-term search query, the relevant term having a deletion probability less than deletion probabilities of remaining terms from the subsequent multi-term search query;
utilizing the relevant term to retrieve, from a recommended content store, a plurality of recommended content related to the relevant term, wherein the plurality of recommended content comprises at least one of an advertising link and a search result;
and
displaying the plurality of recommended content to a user in a predetermined area on a client browser.

6 more elements

A computer-implemented system for identifying a relevant term in a subsequent multi-term search query, the system comprising:

a recommended content store for storing content related to keywords;
a deletion predictor configured to track a number of deletions of each particular term in a plurality of multi-term search queries, wherein each of the plurality of multi-term search queries includes each particular term, and to track a total number of deletions in the plurality of multi-term search queries, and to determine deletion probabilities of each particular term from the number of deletions of each particular term and the total number of deletions;
a relevance identifier configured to determine a relevance value of the subsequent multi-term search query based upon the deletion probabilities of each particular term of the subsequent multi-term search query, determine whether the relevance value exceeds a threshold value;
and upon determining that the relevance value exceeds the threshold value, to identify the relevant term in the subsequent multi-term search query, the relevant term having a deletion probability less than deletion probabilities of remaining terms from the subsequent multi-term search query;
and
a content server for receiving the relevant term and selecting a plurality of recommended content from the recommended content store, the selecting performed based on the relevant term and the plurality of recommended content being related to the relevant term, wherein the plurality of recommended content comprises at least one of an advertising link and a search result;
and a display for displaying the plurality of recommended content to a user in a predetermined area on a client browser.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/013,298Filed 14 Dec 2004
Published: US 2006/0129534 A115 Jun 2006
Granted: 29 Jul 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G06Q 30/02
Commerce: marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
G06F 16/9535
Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines: search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
Y10S 707/99933
Database or file accessing: query processing, i.e. searching
Y10S 707/99935
Query processing, i.e. searching: query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access