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US 7,606,798 B2Granted
Methods and systems for improving a search ranking using location awareness
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsXianping Ge, Abhishek Parmar, Amit Singhal, Adam Smith, Daniel Egnor, Elizabeth Hamon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods improve search rankings for a search query by using location data associated with queries and documents related to the search query. In one aspect, a search query is received, a location score is determined, a topical score is determined, and an ordering of documents related to the search query is determined based, at least in part, on the location score and the topical score.
Claims25
A method performed by a server device, comprising:
- receiving, by a processor of the server device, a query;
- determining, by the processor, a geographic location associated with the query;
- determining, by the processor, a topic corresponding to the query;
- determining, by the processor, a distance adjustment factor associated with the topic;
- identifying, by the processor, a set of documents based, at least in part, on the query;
- determining, by the processor, for each document in the set of documents, a topical score based, at least in part, on the query;
- determining, by the processor, for each document in the set of documents, a measure of distance between a geographic location associated with the document and the geographic location associated with the query;
- generating, by the processor, for each document in the set of documents, a distance score based, at least in part, on the measure of distance and the distance adjustment factor, where the distance adjustment factor controls an amount that the distance score changes as a function of the measure of distance;
- and
- ordering, by the processor, the set of documents as a function of both the topical scores for the set of documents and the distance scores for the set of documents.
7 more elements
A system, comprising:
- one or more devices comprising:
- means for determining a geographic location associated with a query;
- means for determining a topic associated with the query;
- means for determining a distance adjustment factor associated with the topic;
- means for determining a distance score for each document of a plurality of documents based, at least in part, on the distance adjustment factor and a measure of distance between a geographic location, to which the document is geographically relevant, and the geographic location associated with the query, where the distance adjustment factor controls a rate at which the distance score changes as a function of the measure of distance;
- means for determining a topical score for each document of the plurality of documents based, at least in part, on the query;
- and
- means for ranking the plurality of documents based, at least in part, on the distance scores and the topical scores.
5 more elements
A server, comprising:
- one or more devices comprising:
- a document locator configured to:
- receive a search query, and
- identify a set of documents based, at least in part, on the search query;
- a location component configured to:
- determine a geographic location associated with the search query,
- determine a topic associated with the search query, and
- determine a distance adjustment factor associated with the topic;
- and
- a ranking component configured to:
- determine topical scores for the set of documents based, at least in part, on the search query,
- determine distance scores for the set of documents based, at least in part, on the distance adjustment factor and measures of distance between geographic locations associated with the set of documents and the geographic location associated with the search query, where the distance adjustment factor controls a rate at which the distance scores change as a function of the measures of distance, and
- rank the set of documents based, at least in part, on the topical scores for the set of documents and the distance scores for the set of documents.
10 more elements
A storage device containing instructions executable by at least one processor to perform a method that comprises:
- receiving a search query;
- identifying a geographic location associated with the search query;
- identifying a topic relating to the search query;
- determining a distance adjustment factor relating to the identified topic;
- identifying a set of documents based, at least in part, on the search query;
- determining a geographic location associated with at least one document in the set of documents;
- calculating a distance score based, at least in part, on the distance adjustment factor and a measure of distance between the geographic location associated with the search query and the geographic location associated with the at least one document, where the distance adjustment factor controls an amount that the distance score changes as a function of the measure of distance;
- determining a topical score for the at least one document based, at least in part, on the search query;
- and
- ranking the at least one document in the set of document based, at least in part, on the distance score and the topical score.
7 more elements
A storage device containing instructions executable by at least one processor to perform a method that comprises:
- receiving a search query;
- identifying a geographic location associated with the search query;
- identifying a set of documents based, at least in part, on the search query;
- determining, for each document in the set of documents, a topical score based, at least in part, on a relevance of the document to the search query;
- determining, for each document in the set of documents, a distance score based, at least in part, on a measure of distance between a geographic location associated with the document and the geographic location associated with the search query;
- determining a distance weight based, at least in part, on a topic or keyword associated with the search query;
- applying the distance weight to the distance score to generate a weighted distance score;
- generating, for each document in the set of documents, a total score based, at least in part, on the topical score and the weighted distance score;
- ordering the set of documents based, at least in part, on the total scores;
- generating a search result document that includes information regarding the ordered set of documents;
- and
- presenting the search result document.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.