Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining the Internet search popularity of an entity are provided. Embodiments of the present invention include receiving a group of Internet search records and assigning a popularity ranking based on the number of times an entity descriptor associated with an entity occurs within the group of Internet search records created over a designated time period. An entity descriptor is one or more terms commonly used to identify an entity. The trend in an entity's popularity rank may also be calculated. An entity's popularity rank and trend in popularity rank may be presented in a graph or in a list.

Abstract: Tools and techniques for converging terms within a collaborative tagging environment are described herein. Methods for converging divergent contributions to the collaborative tagging environment may include receiving respective contributions from users within the environment. The methods may identify at least some of the contributions as divergent, and enable the users to converge the divergent contributions.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that automatically generates synonyms for words from documents. During operation, this system determines co-occurrence frequencies for pairs of words in the documents. The system also determines closeness scores for pairs of words in the documents, wherein a closeness score indicates whether a pair of words are located so close to each other that the words are likely to occur in the same sentence or phrase. Finally, the system determines whether pairs of words are synonyms based on the determined co-occurrence frequencies and the determined closeness scores. While making this determination, the system can additionally consider correlations between words in a title or an anchor of a document and words in the document as well as word-form scores for pairs of words in the documents.

Abstract: A method includes generating search results in response to a user query, where at least one of the search results includes a group of links. The group of links may represent links to web pages within a same web site and may be identified based on at least one factor associated with the links. The method may also include providing the search results to the user.

Abstract: Provides is an apparatus for question answering based on answer trustworthiness including: an answer indexer that indexes documents of which document trustworthiness satisfying a threshold value among documents included in a document collection and stores it in a knowledge Bases; an answer candidate extractor that extracts answer candidate documents for a user's question from the knowledge Bases; an answer source trustworthiness measurement unit; an answer extraction strategy trustworthiness measurement unit; and a trustworthiness integrator that generates an answer candidate trustworthiness list by ranking the answer candidate documents on the basis of the document trustworthiness, the source trustworthiness, and the extraction strategy trustworthiness of the answer candidate documents.

Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products are described for ranking content items identified by a search engine and delivering corresponding search results. In one aspect, search engine user language preference data is stored in association with user content item selection records. Analysis of the records is performed to identify content items that appeal to users having common language preferences. Query results can be ranked based on the language preference of the current user and/or the user's query and data derived from the selection records.

Abstract: Technologies are described for implementing a migration mechanism in a storage system containing multiple tiers of storage with each tier having different cost and performance parameters. Access statistics can be collected for each territory, or storage entity, within the storage system. Data that is accessed more frequently can be migrated toward higher performance storage tiers while data that is accessed less frequently can be migrated towards lower performance storage tiers. The placement of data may be governed first by the promotion of territories with higher access frequency to higher tiers. Secondly, data migration may be governed by demoting territories to lower tiers to create room for the promotion of more eligible territories from the next lower tier. In instances where space is not available on the next lower tier, further demotion may take place to an even lower tier in order to make space for the first demotion.

Abstract: A web-based system for visual construction of logical rules includes a server, a network, and client operatively connected to the server via the network. The server includes a database and a search engine. The client includes a web-based visual rule building application including selectable windows for displaying and visually editing terms, logical operators, logical rules for storage in the database. The logical rules are generated by visually selecting at least one of the terms and logical operators from the windows. The server may further include a search engine configured to perform at least one of a direct search or a contextual search for an entered query string in records stored in the database and the client may include a visual interface for displaying results of the searches. The search results generated by the search engine may be stored as terms in the database for subsequent rule generation.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus consistent with the invention provide improved organization of documents responsive to a search query. In one embodiment, a search query is received and a list of responsive documents is identified. The responsive documents are organized based in whole or in part on usage statistics.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for (2) extending SQL to support direct invocation of frequent itemset operations, (3) improving the performance of frequent itemset operations by clustering itemset combinations to more efficiently use previously produced results, and (4) making on-the-fly selection of the occurrence counting technique to use during each phase of a multiple phase frequent itemset operation. When directly invoked in an SQL statement, a frequent itemset operation may receive input from results of operations specified in the SQL statement, and provide its results directly to other operations specified in the SQL statement. By clustering itemset combinations, resources may be used more efficiently by retaining intermediate information as long as it is useful, and then discarding it to free up volatile memory.

Abstract: At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a method to identify top hits in search result based on learned user preferences. In one embodiment, a user search query for records is received from a user. The user search query may contain an alphanumerical string. Records in a multifunctional device are searched to find those that match the alphanumerical string. Based on records previously selected by the user, records in the search result are ranked to identify one or more top hits for the user.

Abstract: A search engine system provides search results that are ranked according to a measure of the trust associated with entities that have provided labels for the documents in the search results. A search engine receives a query and selects documents relevant to the query. The search engine also determines labels associated with selected documents, and the trust ranks of the entities that provided the labels. The trust ranks are used to determine trust factors for the respective documents. The trust factors are used to adjust information retrieval scores of the documents. The search results are then ranked based on the adjusted information retrieval scores.

Abstract: Particular embodiments access a search query submitted by a first user of a social-networking system; identify one or more web pages in response to the search query; for each of the one or more web pages, determine a value indicating a number of user clicks associated with the web page by one or more second users of the social-networking system who are connected to the first user within the social-networking system; and send a set of hyperlinks for the one or more web pages, wherein hyperlinks for web pages where the value is greater than zero are visually emphasized over other hyperlinks.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for the ranking of a target data set based on learned rules are disclosed. One embodiment is a method that includes generating a learned rule set from a training data record set, creating at least one prototype for each rule in the learned rule set to generate a prototype set, and ranking the target data record set using learned rule set and the prototype set. The generating of a learned rule set includes dividing the training data record set to a positive class and a negative class, and deriving the learned rule set for the positive class. Learning of rules includes deriving the most general projected rules with respect to remaining training data and then refining those rules, eventually selecting the best rules using an F-measure.

Abstract: A system and method for intent driven search presentation. A query is received, over a network, from a user, wherein the query comprises at least one query token. The query is analyzed wherein at least one query keyword is identified in the query. The query is classified wherein the query is classified into at least one intent using query keywords. A plurality of data objects that match query keywords is identified. The data objects are ranked, wherein at least one intent is assigned to at least some of the data objects. A result is built using the ranked plurality of data objects, wherein the result comprises display entries wherein if a data object has been assigned at least one intent, such intent is used to construct the display entry for the respective data object. The result is transmitted over the network to the user.

Abstract: Automatic conflation systems and techniques which provide vector-imagery conflation and map-imagery conflation. Vector-imagery conflation is an efficient approach that exploits knowledge from multiple data sources to identify a set of accurate control points. Vector-imagery conflation provides automatic and accurate alignment of various vector datasets and imagery, and is appropriate for GIS applications, for example, requiring alignment of vector data and imagery over large geographical regions. Map-imagery conflation utilizes common vector datasets as “glue” to automatically integrate street maps with imagery. This approach provides automatic, accurate, and intelligent images that combine the visual appeal and accuracy of imagery with the detailed attribution information often contained in such diverse maps. Both conflation approaches are applicable for GIS applications requiring, for example, alignment of vector data, raster maps, and imagery.

Abstract: A human or hand-labeled ranking of URL results for a search query is compared against actual click data for the respective query/URL pairs (e.g., which URLs were actually clicked on by users when the URLs were presented to users when the search query was run in the real world). The human ranking or ordering of the URL results (e.g., pre-existing relevance ranking) for the query can then be adjusted, if necessary, based upon the real world click data (e.g., click relevance ranking). The modified pre-existing relevance ranking can be used in providing future search results.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) and a method for creating summaries of multimedia documents, the device comprising a storage means and means enabling a user to view a multimedia document. According to the invention, the device comprises means of automatically weighting multimedia documents stored in the storage means according to the frequency with which the different stored documents are viewed by said user, means of creating a summary of the multimedia documents stored on the storage means according to the weighting assigned to each multimedia document.

Abstract: In one embodiment, access one or more query chains, wherein each one of the query chains comprises two or more search queries, {q1, . . . , qn}, which are recency-sensitive, are related to the same subject matter, and are issued to a search engine sequentially, and actual click-through information associated with each one of the query chains; and smooth each one of the query chains using the actual click-through information associated with the query chain. To smooth one of the query chains comprises, for each one of search queries, qj, in the query chain, where 2?j?n, if one of the network resources identified for qj has actually been clicked in connection with qj by the corresponding one network user, then presume that the one network resource has been clicked in connection with one or more search queries, qk, in the query chain, where 1?k<j.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a query that identifies a taxonomy item. The method also includes performing a computer taxonomy based search of a plurality of content items against the taxonomy item in response to the query. The taxonomy item is selected from a faceted taxonomy. The computer based taxonomy search identifies a subset of content items where each content item in the subset of content items has a non-binary relevance score with respect to the taxonomy item.

Abstract: A user-interface system and method for searching among multiple documents and searching for subsections within individual documents using a single search interface on an input-constrained user device having a screen and a keypad.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining search results. The method may include receiving an at least partial search term, and identifying keywords based on the at least partial search term, wherein each keyword has an associated keyword measure based on the number of times each keyword has been previously searched for within a predetermined time period. For each keyword search results associated with the keyword may be identified, wherein each result has an associated search measure. A relevance measure may be determined for each result using the keyword measure the search measure, and used to provide at least one of the results as a search result for the at least partial search term.

Abstract: Generally, a method and apparatus provides for rating user generated content (UGC) with respect to search engine results. The method and apparatus includes recognizing a UGC data field collected from a web document located at a web location. The method and apparatus calculates: a document goodness factor for the web document; an author rank for an author of the UGC data field; and a location rank for web location. The method and apparatus thereby generates a rating factor for the UGC field based on the document goodness factor, the author rank and the location rank. The method and apparatus also outputs a search result that includes the UGC data field positioned in the search results based on the rating factor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a search query is received. Information identifying a bookmark representing the search query is automatically stored in association with a set of bookmarks. Search results corresponding to the search query are automatically obtained and provided, where the search results identify one or more documents. When one of the documents is selected, a link to the selected one of the documents is automatically stored in association with the bookmark.

Abstract: A technique for information retrieval includes parsing a corpus to identify a number of wordform instances within each document of the corpus. A weighted morpheme-by-document matrix is generated based at least in part on the number of wordform instances within each document of the corpus and based at least in part on a weighting function. The weighted morpheme-by-document matrix separately enumerates instances of stems and affixes. Additionally or alternatively, a term-by-term alignment matrix may be generated based at least in part on the number of wordform instances within each document of the corpus. At least one lower rank approximation matrix is generated by factorizing the weighted morpheme-by-document matrix and/or the term-by-term alignment matrix.

Abstract: A human or hand-labeled ranking of URL results for a search query is compared against actual click data for the respective query/URL pairs (e.g., which URLs were actually clicked on by users when the URLs were presented to users when the search query was run in the real world). The human ranking or ordering of the URL results (e.g., pre-existing relevance ranking) for the query can then be adjusted, if necessary, based upon the real world click data (e.g., click relevance ranking). The modified pre-existing relevance ranking can be used in providing future search results.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for intercepting user interactions without network-provided content. The intercepted information can be used for prioritizing search results by statistical and other analyses of user interactions with a network resource and/or network content. A server connected to a network can receive captured information from an agent that is installed in a device connected to the network. The captured information can be related to an interaction of a user with a network resource. An aggregator may be provided to aggregate the captured information with other captured information related to a plurality of network resources and maintains a repository of aggregated captured information. A prioritizer can determine the relevance of network content based on characteristics of the aggregated captured information. The prioritizer determines relevance for a plurality of search results based on frequency of prior user interactions with the content of the search results.

Abstract: Methods are provided for identifying media files that are related to a user-selected media file. Initially, a first set of media files that have previously been determined to be related to the selected media file is identified. It is determined that the number of media files in the first set of media files does not exceed a minimum number. A query is constructed based on the title or description of the selected media file to locate more related media files. A media database is searched and the results are combined with the first set of media files to be displayed.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that detects sensitive content in a document. In doing so, the system receives a document, identifies a set of terms in the document that are candidate sensitive terms, and generates a combination of terms based on the identified terms that is associated with a semantic meaning. Next, the system performs searches through a corpus based on the combination of terms and determines hit counts returned for each term in the combination and for the combination. The system then determines whether the combination of terms is sensitive based on the hit count for the combination and the hit counts for the individual terms in the combination, and generates a result that indicates portions of the document which contain sensitive combinations.

Abstract: Linked documents are ranked by observing link selections for referred documents from referring documents and counting such selections. The counts for each of the link selections are stored at various computer systems of a distributed network, a centralized collection of computers connected through a local network, or a hybrid system (collectively, the “system”) consisting of combinations of distributed and centralized systems, and processed (e.g., using a discrete probability distribution defined by the counts of the link selections) to obtain page ranks for the referred documents. The link selections may be observed by a browser extension running on individual ones of the computer systems of the distributed network and the counts of the link selections may be stored at locations within the system determined by a distributed hash table. Search request results may be displayed in a ranked order as determined by the page ranks.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and an apparatus for use in a computing apparatus are disclosed. The method includes determining a context and a data requirement for a candidate action to be selected, the selection specifying an action in a workflow; and filtering the candidate actions for relevance in light of the context and the data requirement. The apparatus, in a first aspect, includes a program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, performs the method. In a second aspect, the apparatus includes a computing apparatus programmed to perform the method.

Abstract: In one embodiment, access one or more query-resource pairs, wherein for each one of the query-resource pairs comprising one of one or more search queries and one of one or more network resources, the one search query is recency-sensitive with respect to a particular time period, and the one network resource is identified for the one search query, and a resource-view count and a resource-click count associated with each one of the query-resource pairs; and construct one or more first click features using the resource-view counts and the resource-click counts associated with the query-resource pairs. To construct one of the first click features in connection with one of the query-resource pairs comprises determine a only-resource-click count associated with the one query-resource pair; and calculate a ratio between the only-resource-click count and the resource-view count associated with the one query-resource pair as the one first click feature.

Abstract: Methods and systems to locate related digital content items in a content access log. In one embodiment, the method comprises extracting user events from a content access log, tagging each event as positive or negative, determining if a content item is positively interacted and processing the tagged items in a sliding window to determine positive interactions between a pair of content items.

Abstract: A system may determine an extent to which a document is selected when the document is included in a set of search results, generate a score for the document based, at least in part, on the extent to which the document is selected when the document is included in a set of search results; and rank the document with regard to at least one other document based, at least in part, on the score.

Abstract: One embodiment is a computer-implemented method for classifying documents in a collection of documents according to their intended readerships. The method comprises using a computer to select a document in the collection of documents; and using a computer to determine a characteristic of the selected document, the characteristic being: misleading when the document includes one or more features that are determined to be for a purpose other than reading the document; commercial when the document includes features that are presented for a commercial purpose; or personal when the document includes features of a personal opinion. The method further includes using a computer to classify the selected document as misleading, commercial, or personal according to its determined characteristic; and using a computer to repeat the steps of select document, determine a characteristic of the selected document, and classify the selected document for additional documents in the collection.

Abstract: Users belonging to a particular category at a networking site are monitored by a system and according to a method for their selection of articles from a networking update stream. The characteristics of the users, including the categories they belong to, are received as metadata corresponding to the each respective article. Periodically an article database is queried according to the category and a selected time period to determine the number of users that have chosen to follow the industry and that have initiated selection actions towards articles in the database. Articles from the query are ranked according to their popularity among users having interest in the same industry category and are presented to a viewing user at the networking site.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided that include techniques for searching a database. One method includes receiving one or more input search terms and providing a database. The database maps at least one search term to at least one coupon. The method further includes identifying one or more coupons in the database based on the received input search terms. The method further includes selecting one or more coupons from the identified coupons. A given coupon can be selected based on a number of times the given coupon has been previously printed. A given coupon can also be selected based on a number of times the given coupon has been previously redeemed. The method further includes presenting one or more coupons to the user where the presented one or more coupons include the selected one or more coupons.

Abstract: Systems and methods that improve search rankings for a search query by using data associated with queries related to the search query are described. In one aspect, a search query is received, a related query related to the search query is determined, an article (such as a web page) associated with the search query is determined, and a ranking score for the article based at least in part on data associated with the related query is determined. Several algorithms and types of data associated with related queries useful in carrying out such systems and methods are described.

Abstract: A search option input by a user is obtained through a user interface and a search term is determined based on the search option. A document database is searched to obtain a document that matches the search term and a search result is generated, including document information identifying the document that matches the search term and relevancy information indicating a degree of relevancy between the search term and the document. A display device displays the search result in a format indicating the correspondence relationship of the document information, the search term, and the relevancy information.

Abstract: An electronic document and associated system, methods and apparatus is described. The electronic document is loaded in a user device configured to communicate with an external device that generates instructions for augmenting content contained in the electronic document with links to contextually relevant information. The content can be augmented with one or more user interface elements, and the augmented content can be displayed with one or more attributes which can be selected by a document author. The document author can mark or otherwise designate one or more portions of the electronic document to be excluded from the augmenting process.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for characterizing unregistered domain names are provided. One embodiment includes obtaining a list of a plurality of resolution requests for the unregistered domain names, determining a number of occurrences of each of the unregistered domain names, computing a plurality of groupings based on the number of occurrences, and associating a score with each of the unregistered domain names.

Abstract: A computer-based method for character string matching of a candidate character string with a plurality of character string records stored in a database is described. The method includes a) identifying a set of reference character strings in the database, the reference character strings identified utilizing an optimization search for a set of dissimilar character strings, b) generating an n-gram representation for one of the reference character strings in the set of reference character strings, c) generating an n-gram representation for the candidate character string, d) determining a similarity between the n-gram representations, e) repeating steps b) and d) for the remaining reference character strings in the set of identified reference character strings, and f) indexing the candidate character string within the database based on the determined similarities between the n-gram representation of the candidate character string and the reference character strings in the identified set.

Abstract: A method for determining documents to display on a web page may be utilized for adaptive scheduling of references to documents. A popularity or selection weight of a document may be monitored. The popularity or selection weight may be used to determine when to display that document and may be updated based on further monitoring.

Abstract: A server system receives, respectively, a first character string from a first user and a second character string from a second user. There are one or more differences between the first and second character strings. The server system obtains from a plurality of previously submitted complete queries, respectively, a first set of predicted complete queries corresponding to the first character string and a second set of predicted complete queries corresponding to the second character string. There are one or more identical queries in both the first and second sets. The server system conveys at least a first subset of the first set to the first user and at least a second subset of the second set to the second user. Both the first subset and the second subset include a respective identical query.

Abstract: Content recommendation apparatus and methods using a tag cloud provide a content recommendation service via a network. The apparatus includes a content tag cloud generating module configured to generate a content tag cloud by analyzing a tag assigned to each content and accumulating frequencies per tag of each content. The apparatus also includes a user tag cloud generating module configured to generate a user tag cloud by accumulating frequencies per tag of contents used by a user. The apparatus further includes a similarity computing module and a recommending module. The similarity computing module is configured to compute a similarity between users using the user tag cloud, and the recommending module is configured to recommend content by computing a probability that a target user will use a specific content based on the computed similarity between users.

Abstract: System and method for aggregation and monitoring of multimedia data stored in a decentralized way for triggering upcoming class action events, whereas source databases of the network node are accessed by a filter module, and for at least one rating parameter in connection with assigned search key words and/or the assigned source databases with respect to a time-based rating and an exposure-based frequency rating a scorecard is generated with found data sets, and a parameterization module, based on the scorecard for the respective rating parameter with respect to their exposure-based frequency a variable frequency value is generated at least partially dynamically, which variable frequency value corresponds to network class action frequency variations, with respect to time, and a tracing unit based on a generated assigned distribution of the variable frequency values a predefined exposure threshold is triggered.

Abstract: A location-related entity ranking technique is described that allows a user see the ranking of location-related entities near a desired location in response to a query. The technique can leverage the searches performed by a community of mobile device users at a given location and at a given time to infer the location-related entities that are popular at this specific location and time window. The technique can also filter out or re-rank these location-related entities based on the personal preferences of the person that submits the query and group preferences of a group to which the user belongs. The personal preferences can also be context specific (i.e. different restaurant preferences for lunch and dinner times).

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for identifying key phrases within documents. Embodiments of the invention include using a tag index to determine what a document primarily relates to. For example, an integrated data flow and extract-transform-load pipeline, crawls, parses and word breaks large corpuses of documents in database tables. Documents can be broken into tuples. The tuples can be sent to a heuristically based algorithm that uses statistical language models and weight+cross-entropy threshold functions to summarize the document into its “top N” most statistically significant phrases. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention scale efficiently (e.g., linearly) and (potentially large numbers of) documents can be characterized by salient and relevant key phrases (tags).

Abstract: A statistical model may be created that relates human ratings of documents to objective signals generated from the documents, search queries, and/or other information (e.g., query logs). The model can then be used to predict human ratings/rankings for new documents/search query pairs. These predicted ratings can be used to, for example, refine rankings from a search engine or assist in evaluating or monitoring the efficacy of a search engine system.

Abstract: Improved systems and methods for navigating and interacting in virtual communication environments are described. At least some of these systems and methods provide a framework that includes one or more virtual areas and supports realtime communications between the communicants. At least some of these systems and methods provide an interface that includes navigation controls that enable a user to navigate virtual areas and interaction controls that enable the user to interact with other communicants in the one or more virtual areas.