Federated search results scoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016357755-A1
Application number	US-201514871947-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and apparatus of a device that ranks a plurality of query results from a plurality of search domains is described. In this embodiment, the device receives a query from a client. In addition, the device applies the query to the plurality of search domains and a broad-base search domain. Furthermore, the device receives the plurality of query results from the plurality of search domains and a set of broad-base query results from the broad-base search domain. The device additionally ranks the plurality of query results using the set of broad-base query results and returns a ranked plurality of query results to the client.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause one or more processing units to perform a method to rank a plurality of query results from a plurality of search domains, the method comprising:
receiving a search query from a client; applying the search query to the plurality of search domains and a broad-base search domain; receiving the plurality of query results from the plurality of search domains and a set of broad-base query results from the broad-base search domain; ranking the plurality of query results using the set of broad-base query results; and returning a rank plurality of query results to the client.

2 . The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising:
characterizing the set of broad-base query results.

3 . The machine-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the characterizing comprises:
receiving a set of ranking scores from the broad-base search domain for the set of broad-base query results; and determining a broad-base type for each of the set of broad-base query results, wherein each of the types corresponds to a type of one of the plurality of search domains; and ranking the broad-base types using the set of ranking scores.

4 . The machine-readable medium of claim 3 , wherein the ranking comprises:
ranking the plurality of query results using the ranked broad-base types.

5 . The machine-readable medium of claim 3 , wherein the ranking comprises:
increasing a ranking score of one of the plurality of query results from one of the plurality of search domains that corresponds to a higher ranked broad-base type.

6 . The machine-readable medium of claim 3 , wherein the ranking comprises:
decreasing a ranking score of one of the plurality of query results from one of the plurality of search domains that corresponds to a lower ranked broad-base type.

7 . The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the each of the plurality of search domains is selected from the group consisting of maps search domain, media store search domain, online encyclopedia search domain, and sites search domain.

8 . A method to rank a plurality of query results from a plurality of search domains, the method comprising:
receiving a search query from a client; applying the search query to the plurality of search domains and a broad-base search domain; receiving the plurality of query results from the plurality of search domains and a set of broad-base query results from the broad-base search domain; ranking the plurality of query results using the set of broad-base query results; and returning a rank plurality of query results to the client.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
characterizing the set of broad-base query results.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the characterizing comprises:
receiving a set of ranking scores from the broad-base search domain for the set of broad-base query results; and determining a broad-base type for each of the set of broad-base query results, wherein each of the types corresponds to a type of one of the plurality of search domains; and ranking the broad-base types using the set of ranking scores.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the ranking comprises:
ranking the plurality of query results using the ranked broad-base types.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the ranking comprises:
increasing a ranking score of one of the plurality of query results from one of the plurality of search domains that corresponds to a higher ranked broad-base type.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the ranking comprises:
decreasing a ranking score of one of the plurality of query results from one of the plurality of search domains that corresponds to a lower ranked broad-base type.

14 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the each of the plurality of search domains is selected from the group consisting of maps search domain, media store search domain, online encyclopedia search domain, and sites search domain.

15 . A device to rank a plurality of query results from a plurality of search domains, the device comprising:
a processor; a memory coupled to the processor though a bus; and a process executed from the memory by the processor causes the processor to receive a search query from a client, apply the search query to the plurality of search domains and a broad-base search domain, receive the plurality of query results from the plurality of search domains and a set of broad-base query results from the broad-base search domain, rank the plurality of query results using the set of broad-base query results, and return a rank plurality of query results to the client.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the process further causes the processor to characterize the set of broad-base query results.

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the process further causes the processor to characterize by:
receiving a set of ranking scores from the broad-base search domain for the set of broad-base query results; and determining a broad-base type for each of the set of broad-base query results, wherein each of the types corresponds to a type of one of the plurality of search domains; and ranking the broad-base types using the set of ranking scores.

18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein the process further causes the processor to rank by:
ranking the plurality of query results using the ranked broad-base types.

19 . The device of claim 17 , wherein the process further causes the processor to rank by:
increasing a ranking score of one of the plurality of query results from one of the plurality of search domains that corresponds to a higher ranked broad-base type.

20 . The device of claim 17 , wherein the process further causes the processor to rank by:
decreasing a ranking score of one of the plurality of query results from one of the plurality of search domains that corresponds to a lower ranked broad-base type.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Douglas Jason
• Prakash Vipul Ved

Classifications

• G06F16/9535 Primary

  Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation · CPC title

• G06F16/9538

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• G06F16/951 Primary

  Indexing; Web crawling techniques · CPC title

• G06F17/30867

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/3053 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic