# US 8,788,436 B2 · Utilization of features extracted from structured documents to improve search relevance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,436 B2 - Document ID: US8788436B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/191,486 - Filed: 2011-07-27 - Published: 2013-01-31 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-27 - Assignees: Microsoft Corporation - Applicants: Rupesh Rasiklal Mehta; Sree Hari Nagaralu; Anjana Das; Bhaskar Mitra - Inventors: Rupesh Rasiklal Mehta; Sree Hari Nagaralu; Anjana Das; Bhaskar Mitra - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788436B2 ## CPC - G06F 16/81: Indexing, e.g. XML tags; Data structures therefor; Storage structures - G06F 16/313: {Selection or weighting of terms for indexing} - G06F 16/80: of semi-structured data, e.g. markup language structured data such as SGML, XML or HTML (content-based retrieval of web data G06F16/95) - G06F 16/951: Indexing; Web crawling techniques - G06F 16/953: Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines - G06V 20/62: Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract Features automatically extracted from semi-structured web pages are utilized by a search engine to rank documents that include semi-structured web pages. These features include, but are not limited to, a number of reviews, a number of positive reviews, and/or a number of negative reviews from a web page that includes user reviews. These features also include a number of views of a video that is viewable by way of a semi-structured web page. The features also include a number of subscribers to broadcasts of an individual from a social networking web page and a number of contacts of an individual listed on a social networking web page. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method that facilitates ranking documents with respect to a received query, the method comprising: at a general purpose search engine, receiving the query, the query configured to retrieve at least one document that is indexed by the general purpose search engine; and causing a processor to output a ranked list of documents based at least in part upon the query, the ranked list of documents comprising a semi-structured web page, a position of the semi-structured web page in the ranked list of documents based at least in part upon a value of a feature that is extracted from the semi-structured web page at a learned location in the semi-structured web page that is known to include the feature, wherein the position of the semi-structured web page in the ranked list of documents is independent of any correlation between text of the query and the value of the feature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the semi-structured web page is a retailer page that describes a product, and wherein the feature is at least one of total number of reviews posted on the semi-structured web page by purchasers of the product, total number of positive reviews posted on the semi-structured web page by purchasers of the product, or total number of negative reviews posted on the semi-structured web page by purchasers of the product. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the semi-structured web page is a web page that includes a video, and wherein the feature is a number of views of the video by viewers of the video on the web page. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the semi-structured web page is a profile page of an entity on a social networking site, and wherein the feature is a number of contacts of the entity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the semi-structured web page is a profile page of an entity on a social network site, and wherein the feature is a number of individuals that subscribe to broadcasts generated by the entity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein content of the semi-structured web page fails to conform to structure of a relational database but comprises a pattern that is consistent across a plurality of other semi-structured web pages. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically extracting features from a plurality of semi-structured web pages, wherein the feature is automatically extracted from the semi-structured web page at the learned location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein wrapper induction is employed to learn a wrapper that automatically or semi-automatically extracts the features from the plurality of semi-structured web pages. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: learning a function that assigns scores to the features, wherein a ranker of the general purpose search engine is trained based at least in part upon scores output by the function. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the ranker comprises at least one decision tree. ### Claim 11 A system that facilitates outputting a ranked list of search results responsive to receipt of a query, the system comprising: a receiver component that receives the query; and a ranker component that outputs a ranked list of documents responsive to receipt of the query, the ranked list of documents comprising a semi-structured web page at a position amongst the ranked list of documents, the position amongst the ranked list of documents based at least in part upon a value of a feature that is at a learned location in the semi-structured web page, the position of the semi-structured web page amongst the ranked list of documents being independent of any correlation between the query and the value of the feature. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11 comprised by a general purpose search engine. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, the ranker component comprising a computer-executable decision tree. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the semi-structured web page is a web page that is configured for sale of a product, and wherein the feature is one of a number of reviews posted on the web page by purchasers of the product, a number of positive reviews posted on the web page by purchasers of the product, or a number of negative reviews posted on the web page by purchasers of the product. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the semi-structured web page is a web page that is configured for sale of a product, and wherein the feature is one of a number of terms labeled as positive in reviews of the product posted on the web page by purchasers of the product or a number of terms labeled as negative in reviews of the product posted on the web page by purchasers of the product. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the semi-structured web page is a web page that is configured to present a video to a user, and wherein the feature is a number of views of the video by way of the web page. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the semi-structured web page is a web page that includes a profile of a particular individual, and wherein the feature is a number of contacts of the individual in a social networking web site. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the semi-structured web page is a web page that includes a profile of a particular entity, and wherein the feature is a number of other individuals that have subscribed to receive broadcasts generated by the particular entity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising a learner component that learns a wrapper by way of wrapper induction, wherein the wrapper automatically extracts features from semi-structured web pages. ### Claim 20 A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising: receiving a query; extracting a value of a feature from a semi-structured web page independent of content of the query, the feature being one of: a number of reviews posted on the semi-structured web page by purchasers of a product that is displayed on the web page; a number of positive reviews posted on the semi-structured web page by purchasers of the product that is displayed on the web page; a number of negative reviews posted on the semi-structured web page by purchasers of the product that is displayed on the web page; a number of views of a video that is embedded on the web page; a number of contacts of an entity whose profile is included on the web page; or a number of subscribers of an entity that broadcasts messages that are displayed on the web page; responsive to receiving the query, providing a ranked list of search results, the ranked list of search results comprising a plurality of documents displayed in a particular order, the plurality of documents comprising the semi-structured web page that is at a certain position in the particular order, wherein the certain position in the particular order is based at least in part upon the value of the feature extracted from the semi-structured web page, and wherein the certain position in the particular order is independent of any correlation between the value of the feature and the query.