US7185088B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Systems and methods for removing duplicate search engine results
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
•
Filing: 2003-03-31
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Granted: 2007-02-27
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Expires: 2023-03-31
Abstract
Abstract The present invention is directed toward efficiently locating desired information and, more specifically, to providing a system and method for removing unnecessary multiple references to a common resource such as redundant listed Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that reference the same display URLs (and thus the same Web page) as another listed URL. Consequently, in circumstances where only a smaller, finite number of listed results are immediately used (such as displaying only the twenty most relevant results on the first page presented to a search engine end-user), the finite number of listed results may corresponds to a greater number of unique display URLs than would otherwise occur absent this form of filtering.
Inventors
- 👤 Navin Martin Joy
- 👤 Sally Salas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 03:54
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/957; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99935; Y10S707/99936
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
128 words
A method for removing duplicate URLs from a plurality of listed URLs, said method comprising: determining a display URL for each of a plurality of listed URLs; and determining if any subset comprising at least two listed URLs from among the plurality of listed URLs have the same display URL and, if so, eliminating at least one listed URL from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL, wherein specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL are selected for elimination based on a selection rule, wherein the selection rule for the elimination of specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is for lesser paying listed URLs to be eliminated.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
128 words
A method for removing duplicate URLs from a plurality of listed URLs, said method comprising: determining a display URL for each of a plurality of listed URLs; and determining if any subset comprising at least two listed URLs from among the plurality of listed URLs have the same display URL and, if so, eliminating at least one listed URL from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL, wherein specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL are selected for elimination based on a selection rule, wherein the selection rule for the elimination of specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is for lesser paying listed URLs to be eliminated.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of listed URLs are the results of a search engine query.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of listed URLs are derived from a compilation of search engine query results.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the method operates recursively to eliminate all but one listed URL for each unique display URL determined by the method for the plurality of listed URLs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the method operates recursively to eliminate all but one listed URL for each unique display URL determined by the method for the plurality of listed URLs, except that any listed URL which is immune from elimination is not eliminated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the selection rule for the elimination of specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is for a lesser relevant listed URL to be eliminated.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 1 wherein, if any lesser paying listed URL has a higher relevance than the listed URL that is not being eliminated, then the content from the lesser paying listed URL with the highest relevance is swapped with the content for the listed URL that is not being eliminated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the selection rule comprises a sub-rule that, if none of the listed URLs among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL are paying URLs, the lesser relevant URLs from among the subset of listed URLs are eliminated.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the selection rule comprises a sub-rule that, if at least one listed URL from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is a paying URL and the other listed URLs are not paying URLs, the listed URLs that are not paying URLs are eliminated.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method of claim 9 wherein, if any listed URL that is not a paying URL has a higher relevance than any listed URL that is a paying URL, then the content from a listed URL that is not a paying URL having the highest relevance is swapped with the content for a listed URL that is a paying URL having a lower relevance.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 9 wherein the method operates recursively, swapping content between listed URLs, until all listed URLs that are paying URLs have a higher relevance than all listed URLs that are not paying URLs.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising the element of, from among the paying URLs, if none of the paying URLs are immune from elimination, then the lesser relevant paying URLs are eliminated.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of claim 12 wherein, if any paying URL that is not immune from elimination has a higher relevance than any paying URL that is immune from elimination, then the content from a paying URL that is not immune from elimination having the highest relevance is swapped with the content for a paying URL immune from elimination having a lower relevance.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising the element of, from among the paying URLs, if at least one paying URL is immune from elimination, then all paying URLs that are not immune from elimination are eliminated.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 14 wherein, if any lesser paying listed URL have a higher relevance than the listed URL that is not being eliminated, then the content from the lesser paying listed URL with the highest relevance is swapped with the content for the listed URL that is not being eliminated.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the selection rule comprises a sub-rule that, if the subset of listed URLs is comprised of at least two listed URLs having the same display URL, at least one of which is immune from elimination, then the listed URLs that are not immune from elimination are eliminated.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the selection rule comprises a sub-rule that, if the subset of listed URLs is comprised of at least two listed URLs having the same display URL, at least one of which is immune from elimination, then the listed URLs that are immune from elimination are not eliminated.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
121 words
A duplicate URL removal system comprising: means for determining a display URL for each of a plurality of listed URLs; means determining if any subset comprising at least two listed URLs from among the plurality of listed URLs have the same display URL; and means for eliminating at least one listed URL from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL, wherein specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL are selected for elimination based on a selection rule, wherein the selection rule for the elimination of specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is for lesser paying listed URLs to be eliminated.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
121 words
A duplicate URL removal system comprising: means for determining a display URL for each of a plurality of listed URLs; means determining if any subset comprising at least two listed URLs from among the plurality of listed URLs have the same display URL; and means for eliminating at least one listed URL from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL, wherein specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL are selected for elimination based on a selection rule, wherein the selection rule for the elimination of specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is for lesser paying listed URLs to be eliminated.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 18 further comprising means for eliminating all but one listed URL for each unique display URL.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 18 further comprising means for eliminating all but one listed URL for each unique display URL except for listed URLs which are immune from elimination.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the selection rule for the elimination of specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is for a lesser relevant listed URL to be eliminated.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 18 wherein, if any lesser paying listed URL has a higher relevance than the listed URL that is not being eliminated, then the content from the lesser paying listed URL with the highest relevance is swapped with the content for the listed URL that is not being eliminated.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
120 words
A computer-readable medium bearing computer-readable instructions for: determining a display URL for each of a plurality of listed URLs; and determining if any subset comprising at least two listed URLs from among the plurality of listed URLs have the same display URL and, if so, eliminates at least one listed URL from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL, wherein specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL are selected for elimination based on a selection rule, wherein the selection rule for the elimination of specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is for lesser paying listed URLs to be eliminated.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
120 words
A computer-readable medium bearing computer-readable instructions for: determining a display URL for each of a plurality of listed URLs; and determining if any subset comprising at least two listed URLs from among the plurality of listed URLs have the same display URL and, if so, eliminates at least one listed URL from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL, wherein specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL are selected for elimination based on a selection rule, wherein the selection rule for the elimination of specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is for lesser paying listed URLs to be eliminated.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the plurality of listed URLs are the results of a search engine query.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the plurality of listed URLs are derived from a compilation of search engine query results.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the computer-readable medium operates recursively to eliminate all but one listed URL for each unique display URL determined by the computer-readable medium for the plurality of listed URLs.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the computer-readable medium operates recursively to eliminate all but one listed URL for each unique display URL determined by the computer-readable medium for the plurality of listed URLs, except that any listed URL which is immune from elimination is not eliminated.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
39 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the selection rule for the elimination of specific listed URLs from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is for a lesser relevant listed URL to be eliminated.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
53 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein, if any lesser paying listed URL has a higher relevance than the listed URL that is not being eliminated, then the content from the lesser paying listed URL with the highest relevance is swapped with the content for the listed URL that is not being eliminated.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the selection rule is comprised of at least two sub-rules.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
47 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the selection rule comprises a sub-rule that, if none of the listed URLs among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL are paying URLs, the lesser relevant URLs from among the subset of listed URLs are eliminated.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
55 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the selection rule comprises a sub-rule that, if at least one listed URL from among the subset of listed URLs having the same display URL is a paying URL and the other listed URLs are not paying URLs, the listed URLs that are not paying URLs are eliminated.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
65 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 32 wherein, if any listed URL that is not a paying URL has a higher relevance than any listed URL that is a paying URL, then the content from a listed URL that is not a paying URL having the highest relevance is swapped with the content for a listed URL that is a paying URL having a lower relevance.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
37 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the instructions operate recursively, swapping content between listed URLs, until all listed URLs that are paying URLs have a higher relevance than all listed URLs that are not paying URLs.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
34 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 32 further comprising the element of, from among the paying URLs, if none of the paying URLs are immune from elimination, then the lesser relevant paying URLs are eliminated.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
63 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein, if any paying URL that is not immune from elimination has a higher relevance than any paying URL that is immune from elimination, then the content from a paying URL that is not immune from elimination having the highest relevance is swapped with the content for a paying URL immune from elimination having a lower relevance.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
53 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 36 wherein, if any lesser paying listed URL have a higher relevance than the listed URL that is not being eliminated, then the content from the lesser paying listed URL with the highest relevance is swapped with the content for the listed URL that is not being eliminated.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
38 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 32 further comprising the element of, from among the paying URLs, if at least one paying URL is immune from elimination, then all paying URLs that are not immune from elimination are eliminated.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
54 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the selection rule comprises a sub-rule that, if the subset of listed URLs is comprised of at least two listed URLs having the same display URL, at least one of which is immune from elimination, then the listed URLs that are not immune from elimination are eliminated.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
54 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the selection rule comprises a sub-rule that, if the subset of listed URLs is comprised of at least two listed URLs having the same display URL, at least one of which is immune from elimination, then the listed URLs that are immune from elimination are not eliminated.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2010-02-26 | 2010-08-28 | 2011-02-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2014-02-26 | 2014-08-28 | 2015-02-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2018-02-26 | 2018-08-28 | 2019-02-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |