WO2008006854A1

WO2008006854A1 - Device and method for sorting search results

Info

Publication number: WO2008006854A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/057114
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dennis LÜMKEMANN; Oliver Zechlin
Original assignee: Palm, Inc.
Priority date: 2006-07-11
Filing date: 2007-07-11
Publication date: 2008-01-17
Also published as: EP2038772A1; DE102006032105A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for sorting search results. According to the invention, at least one search item is determined (S1, S2), at least one search location is defined (S3) according to the at least one search item, search results comprising origin information are determined (S4), and the search results are sorted according to the at least one search location in order to generate a location-dependent search result (S5).

Description

description

Apparatus and method for ordering search results

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for location-dependent ordering of search results and an associated computer-readable medium.

In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the location-dependent ordering of search results within the Internet or World Wide Web (WWW) taking into account a place of origin.

The World Wide Web has revolutionized the accessibility of an inexhaustible set of information, available in electronic form as written data, audio data or image and video data in archived or real time.

The exchange of information within the Internet takes place under a so-called client-server model. Indi ^¬ vidual clients here drove through a request to a centralized server on the web, which serve as data storage or as a tray. The previous web servers analyze the search request and answer it with a corresponding search result in a more or less ordered form.

With the rapidly increasing amount of data content on the Internet or World Wide Web, however, more and more search hits result, which makes it much more difficult to find a desired content.

Conventional search engines therefore filter a respective hit list, for example based on settings in a respective browser, such as a language. However, such language-dependent search engines provide in some cases only insufficient search results or hit lists.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a device and a method for sorting search results as well as to provide a computer-readable medium with which a hit list improved for the user can be generated.

According to the invention, this object is achieved with regard to the method by the measures of patent claim 1, with regard to the device by the features of patent claim 10 and with regard to the computer-readable medium by the features of patent claim 19.

Accordingly, a method for sorting search results may comprise the steps of determining at least one search term, determining at least one search location, determining search results with source location information in dependence on the at least one search term, and the search results depending on the at least one search location for generating a location-dependent search result geord ^¬ net. In this way, search results can be ordered for the first time taking into account the place of origin and are ^¬ give. A relevance of determined hit lists is thereby greatly improved.

Preferably, the search location is determined as a function of at least one search term. More precisely, an analysis of the search request or of the search term can take place in order to draw conclusions about a desired search location.

For example, in determining the search location is a Verglei ^¬ surfaces of the search term with entries in a plurality of dictionaries associated with the respective locations, and carried out an outputting of the map as a search site, found in the egg ^¬ ne maximum correspondence becomes. The search location can be a country, a region of the country or a sub- Region in which there is a common language or a common dialect. The search location can each ^¬ but also represent a subject area in which each present a common theme. Depending on the search terms actually used, the search locations which are probably desired by the user can thus be automatically determined and the hit list can be correspondingly optimally ordered.

In addition, the search term can be reproduced acoustically in the respective language or dialect of possible locations for confirmation by the user. In this way, the reordering of the hit list or of the search result in dependence on a user input can be further improved.

Further, outputting the location-dependent search results may be realized such that the search results are locally marked on a survey map. User comfort is thereby further improved.

With regard to the device for ordering of search results, at least a search generated by a search term generator term, generated by a search engine in response to at least one search term search results originating ^¬ sort information of a Location determining unit determines at least one search location and evaluated by a rating unit ^¬ the search results as a function of at least one search location for generating a location-dependent search result and rearranged.

In the further subclaims further advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized.

The invention will be described below with reference to a Ausfuhrungsbei ^¬ game with reference to the drawings. Show it :

FIG. 1 shows a simplified block diagram of a client-server system with a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a simplified block diagram of the device according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 shows a simplified flowchart for illustrating essential steps of the method according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a simplified block diagram of a client / server system with a device according to the invention for location-dependent ordering of search results according to the present invention.

According to FIG. 1, a client C is connected to a server S via a network N. The network N is for example a packet-switching network and in particular the so-called Internet. Of course, alternative networks can also be used.

The client C may have, for example a PC, PDA (Personal Di gital ^¬ Assistant), a mobile phone, a smartphone or a sonsti- ges telecommunications terminal comprising at least one client memory CS and a client processor CP. The client memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) and the client processor is a microprocessor. The telecommunications terminal or the client C may further include a browser or a browser-similar application aufwei ^¬ sen, with the Endgerat has access to the Internet or the network N and the turned them Server S. Such browsers include Microsoft's Internet Explorer ™, Netscape Navigator ™ by Netscape Communication Corporation or Apple Computer Incorpora- tion's Safari ™. By means of such a browser, for example, a homepage realized by the server S can be activated with a corresponding search engine, wherein a search request SA is entered by a user on the client side in a corresponding input field and a corresponding search engine is executed by the search engine implemented in the server Hit list or a sorted by location search result OSE is sent.

The server S, in which the inventive device for location-dependent ordering of search results and the associated method are preferably realized, can therefore have a server processor SP and a server memory SS, in which the actual location-dependent search engine OSM for location-dependent Ordering search results is realized.

The server memory SS serves as a computer-readable ^¬ Me dium, stored in the program code and processor SP may be processed by the server. Preferably, a random access memory (RAM) is used as the server memory. However, floppy discs, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic disks, memory chips, ROM, ASICS and vorkonfigu ^¬ tured processors or microcontrollers and all optical and magnetic media can be used as computer-readable media for storing the inventive program code, which by a

Computer can be read and processed. The program code can be programmed in any programming language such as C, C ++, Visual Basic, JAVA, etc.

According to FIG. 1, the device according to the invention for location-dependent ordering of search results also has a database DB, in which essentially the web contents of the network N are stored with their place of origin information, and a dictionary database with a multiplicity of dictionaries W1 to Wx, which are assigned to the respective origin locations. The database DB preferably provides an indexing te database containing web pages with associated origin information. The origin information can be obtained, for example, from the contact area of the respective web page and therefore, for example, a respective country, a respective region of the country or a subregion. The place represents in this case a geographical place of origin.

In the same way, however, the place can also be understood thematically and indicate a respective place of origin in a certain subject area. Such subject areas can be, for example, the natural sciences, law or musicology, which also have a specific language or a special subject vocabulary. According to the present invention can therefore search results which were obtained in response to a ^¬ he preserved search term from a database DB, advertising arranged according to a predetermined search site for generating a position-dependent search results and generates the OSE.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart for illustrating essential steps of the method according to the invention, as can be carried out, for example, in the server S according to FIG.

According to FIG. 3, after a start in step SO, first a search request SA sent by the client C via the network N is detected. The search request SA may, for example, comprise a string or string with one or a multiplicity of words or search terms, as they are usually entered in a corresponding input field by a user.

In a step S2, the search request SA detected in step S1 is decomposed to produce at least one search term SB, wherein, for example, spaces or special characters can be used. In principle, the search terms can also be determined by means of so-called "parsers".

In a step S3, at least one search location SO is now defined. In the simplest case, the search site SO can be manually entered by a user, the search locations used erfindungsge- measure may constitute minor areas not only geographical locations, son ^¬ countries also by subject. Preferably, however, the at least one search location SO is automatically determined or determined in step S3 as a function of the determined search term SB. In this case, in step S3 a comparison of the at least one search term SB with entries in the plurality of dictionaries W1 to Wx of the dictionary database can be performed, which are assigned to respective locations. Subsequently, the dictionary to ^¬ ordered place is issued as a search location SO, in which a maxi ^¬ male match between the search term SB and one or more entries of the dictionaries Wl to Wx is determined.

In this way, one obtains, for example, as a search site, a country, a region of a country or a sub-region in the or in each case a common language or a dialect common ^¬ more slowly present. Similarly, the search site SO may also be a subject area in which each present a ge ^¬ my same subject.

To further improve the method according to the invention, furthermore, the search term SB generated in step S2 can be reproduced acoustically in a respective language or a respective dialect of the digital dictionary or the possible locations for confirmation by the user. Accordingly, a German search term can be acoustically output or played to the user on client C in standard German, Swiss German, or Austrian, so that he may possibly make a further selection. In a step S4, the search result can then be determined with the respective origin information UO as a function of the at least one search term SB, which initially results in disordered search results SE. Of course, the step S4 can also be performed before the step S3.

In a step S5, a search site SO now be determined in step S4, the search results SE ordered such that a ortsabhangiges search result or a sorted by the search results ^¬ place list OSE results in dependence on the at least. The process ends in step S6.

In a further step, not shown, the location-dependent search result or the hit list OSE sorted according to search locations can be output on the client C in such a way that they are locally marked on a survey map, for example. Such Uber Survey Map can present an overview of the respective subject areas a geographical map or in the presence of topics in the presence of geographi ^¬ rule places. In this way, user comfort can be further improved.

Figure 2 shows a simplified block diagram for illustrating the inventive device, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding elements to those in Fi gur ^¬ 1, will be omitted below a repeated description.

According to Figure 2, the position-dependent search engine OSM may be realized and processed by a server processor SP in egg ^¬ nem SS memory of the server S in FIG. 1 The position-dependent search engine OSM sustaining a telecommuni ^¬ cation interface the one given by a user at the client C search request SA, which is passed through the network N to the Ser ^¬ ver S. For example, the search request SA is written by typing words into a special search field, which is represented by a browser in client C. In principle, however, handwritten search queries SA with corresponding associated character recognition or language-entered search terms with associated speech recognition are also possible.

The location-dependent search engine OSM thus preferably obtains the search request SA as a search string entered by a user, and further recognizes therefrom a search instruction. The transformation of the set on client C search query by example, voice recognition, or OCR is done preferably already in the client C, but can not until the server S Runaway ^¬ leads are.

A search term generator 1 now evaluates the search request SA and generates at least one search term SB. Preference ^¬ wise, the search term generator 1 on a query detection unit that detects the search request SA, wherein in a decomposing unit, not shown, the detected search request SA is decomposed into at least one search term SB. The search terms SB represent, for example, search words spaced apart by spaces. However, they can also represent whole sentences that are syntactically analyzed, ie parsed.

A search engine 2 now generates, depending on the search terms SB generated, search results SE with origin information UO. More specifically, the web contents stored in the database DB are compared with the search terms with their origin information UO and, if a match, a corresponding web content is output as the search result SE. The database DB is preferably indexed, the origin information UO being obtained from the contact areas of the respective web pages. As an alternative to the indexed database DB illustrated in FIG. 2, a real-time comparison can in principle also be performed in the actual database. factual World Wide Web. The search results SE obtained in this way can also be sorted or filtered using conventional evaluation criteria, not shown.

A location determination unit 3 is also used to determine at least one search location SO, wherein in principle a request, not shown, can be performed by the user of the client C via the network N. Preferably, however, the location determination unit 3 will automatically determine or determine the search location SO as a function of the at least one search term SB.

For example, a multiplicity of digital word books W1 to Wx assigned to the respective locations can be used for this purpose. Places represent countries, regions or sub-regions, each of which has a common language or a common dialect. Accordingly, the countries "USA", "Australia" and "England" could be assigned to the "English" dictionary Wl. The Germanys W2 could be assigned to Germany, Switzerland and Austria, while the Spanish dictionary W3 could be assigned to Spain, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia , In this way, by analyzing the search terms SB, a probable search location SO can be determined.

As already described above, the search locations can not only represent geographical locations, but also subject areas, for example, the digital dictionaries can represent reference works, for example in the field of science, musicology or law. Again, by comparing the determined search terms SB with the entries in the respective word books, corresponding conclusions can be drawn about the topic areas or the presumably desired search location SO. The location determination unit may for this purpose a non Darge ^¬ presented comparator unit for comparing the at least ei ^¬ NEN prefixes SB with the entries in the digitized dictionaries Wl have to Wx, with an unillustrated output unit to or zugeord the dictionary ^¬ Neten Places places as search location or search locations SO, in which a maximum match between the search term SB and a respective entry in the dictionary is found.

Especially for the case in which the unit Ortsbestimmungs- a variety of possible places than search site SO ^¬ be true, a tender unit, not shown can offer a user a local selection, from which the user egg nen suitable location as search Select location SO. Preferably, this information is in turn output via the network N to the client C to the user. This offering of possible search locations can, for example, be carried out text-based by displaying the respective possible geographical locations or topic areas.

In particular, in the case of a voice-based determination of search locations, for example, the search term SB entered by the user in the dialect of the respective possible search location can be acoustically output to the user at the client C. In the case of a German search term, in which a maximum over ^¬ conformity in the German dictionary W2 was determined, can thus for example, three possible search locations "Germany", "Switzerland" and "Austria" by an acoustic rendition see the search Term in High German, Swiss ^¬ German and Austrian.

After an optional confirmation of an offered search location by the user at the client C and the subsequent transmission of this information to the server S, the thus confirmed search location SO is then selected and displayed to the location evaluation unit as a relevant search location SO. The location evaluation unit 4 then carries out a location evaluation of the search results SE determined by the search engine 2, wherein essentially the relevant search location SO is compared with the origin location information U0 contained in the search results. The evaluation unit 4 then arranges the search results SE according to a maximum match between the place of origin information and the relevant search location SO, whereby a location-dependent search result OSE or a location-dependent hit list is generated.

In addition to the reordering of the search results SE as a function of the search location SO carried out by the evaluation unit 4, filtering can also be carried out in dependence on the search location SO, wherein the number of search results determined by the search engine 2 SE can be in Depending ^¬ ness of relevant search place SO much reduced.

Furthermore, the position-dependent search result OSE can also be such output via the network N to the client C that the search results locally mar ^¬ are kiert on a Uber Survey Map. The overview map can either represent a geographical map or illustrate topic areas graphically.

In this way, one obtains a device and a method for sorting search results depending on geographical locations or subject areas, which greatly improves the relevance of search results. In particular, business travelers with frequently changing locations thus receive optimally adapted search results regardless of the respective clients C or dial-in nodes used in the network N.

The invention has been described above on the basis of a client-server configuration. However, it is not limited thereto and encompasses in the same way other configura ^¬ tions and systems, with particular standalone solutions. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 search term generator

2 search engine 3 location unit

4 assessment unit C client

CS client storage

CP client processor N network

5 servers

SP server processor

SS server storage

OSM location-based search engine SA search request

OSE location-dependent search result

DB database

Wl to Wx digitized dictionaries

UO Place of Origin Information SB Search term

SE search result

SO search place

SO to S6 process steps

Claims

claims

A method of ordering search results, comprising the steps of: determining (Sl, S2) at least one search term (SB); Determining (S3) at least one search location (SO); Determining (S4) search results (SE) with source location information (UO) as a function of at least one search term (SB); and ordering (S5) the search results (SE) as a function of the at least one search location (SO) for generating a location-dependent search result (OSE).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one search term (SB) comprises the steps of:

Detecting (Sl) a search request (SA); and

Decomposing (S2) the search request (SA) to generate the at least one search term (SB).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the

Determining the search location (SO) in dependence on at least one search term (SB) is performed.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the determining (S3) said at least one search location (SO) comprises the steps of: comparing the at least one search term (SB) with a ^¬ wear in a variety of dictionaries (Wl to Wx) assigned to respective places; and outputting the location as a search location (SO) in which a maximum match is found.

A method according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said determining (S3) of said at least one search location (SO) comprises the step of a user selecting a search location (SO) from a plurality of possible locations.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the search location (SO) represents a country, a region of the country or a sub-region in each of which there is a common language or a common dialect.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the search term (SB) is acoustically reproduced in the respective language or the respective dialect of the possible locations for confirmation.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the search location (SO) represents a topic in each of which there is a common topic.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, with the further step of

Outputting the position-dependent search results (OSE), wherein the search results (OSE) are ^¬ kiert locally mar on a Uber Survey Map.

10. A device for sorting search results with a search term generator (1) for generating at least one search term (SB); a search engine (2) for generating search results (SE) with location information (UO) in dependence on the at least one search term (SB); a location determining unit (3) for determining at least one search location (SO); and a rating unit (4) for evaluating and ordering the search result in dependence on the at least one search location (SO) for generating a location-dependent search result (OSE).

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the search term generator (1) a search query unit for detecting a search request (SA); and a dismantling unit for Disassembling the search request (SA) in the at least one search term (SB) has.

12. The device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the location ^¬ determination unit (3) determines the search location (SO) as a function of at least one search term (SB).

The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized by a database having a plurality of dictionaries (Wl to Wx) associated with respective locations, the location determining unit (3) including a comparator unit for comparing the at least one search term (SB). with entries in the dictionaries (Wl to Wx); and an output unit for outputting the location as a search location (SO) at which a maximum match is detected.

14. Device according to one of the claims 7 to 13, characterized in that the location ^¬ determining unit (3) has an offer unit for offering ei ^¬ ner variety of possible search locations from which a user a suitable place as a search location ( SO) selects.

15. The device according to claim 10, wherein the search location represents a country, a region of the country or a sub-region in which there is a common language or a common dialect in each case.

16. The device according to claim 15, characterized in that the search term generator (1) acoustically reproduces the search term (SB) in the respective language or the respective dialect of the possible locations for confirmation.

17. The device according to one of the claims 10 to 16, characterized in that the search location (SO) represents a subject area, in each of which there is a ge ^¬ common topic.

18. Device according to one of the claims 10 to 17, characterized in that the Bewer ^¬ processing unit (4) has an output unit for outputting the local search results (OSE), wherein the search results (OSE) on a Ubersichts card are locally marked.

19. A computer-readable medium with program code for sorting search results, comprising: program code for determining (S1, S2) at least one search term (SB); a program code for determining (S3) at least one search location (SO); a program code for determining (S4) search results (SE) with source location information (UO) as a function of at least one search term (SB); and a program code for ordering (S5) of the search results (SE) in response to the at least one Web-site (SO) for He testify ^¬ a position-dependent search result (OSE).

20. Computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the program code for determining the at least one search term (SB): a program code for detecting (S1) a search request (SA); and a program code for decomposing (S2) the search request (SA) for generating the at least one search term (SB).

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 or 20, wherein the program code for determining the search location (SO) in

Depending on the at least one search term (SB) is performed.

22. Computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the program code for determining (S3) the at least one search location (SO): a program code for comparing the at least one search term (SB) with entry in a plurality of dictionaries (Wl to Wx ) associated with respective locations; and a program code for outputting the location as a search location (SO) at which a maximum match is found.

23. Computer-readable medium according to one of the claims 19 to 22, wherein the program code for determining (S3) the ^{¬ at} least one search location (SO) has a program code, where ^¬ after a user a search location (SO) from a variety choose from possible locations.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the search location (SO) represents a country, a region of the country or a sub-region in each of which there is a common language or a common dialect ,

25. Computer-readable medium according to claim 24, wherein the program code for determining the at least one search term (SB) acoustically reproduces the search term (SB) in the respective language or the respective dialect of the possible locations for confirmation.

26. Computer-readable medium according to one of the claims 19 to 25, wherein the search location (SO) represents a subject area ^¬ , in each of which there is a common topic.

27. The computer readable medium according to one of claims 19 to 26, further comprising the program code for outputting the position-dependent search results (OSE), wherein the output search results (OSE) are ^¬ kiert on a Uber Survey Map locally mar.