Cross-language search

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which a cross-language search can be performed. A search query can be examined to determine whether it is a candidate for cross-language searching. Upon identifying a candidate, the search can be performed using a translated search query associated with the search query. The results of the translated search query can be served to the client device submitting the search query.

1 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 receiving a search query from a client device, the search query being submitted in a first language;   obtaining a translated search query, the translated search query being a translation of the search query to a second language;   receiving a first set of results responsive to the search query and a second set of results responsive to the translated search query, the first set of results including a first set of web pages and a first set of relevance scores and the second set of results including a second set of web pages and a second set of relevance scores;   comparing the first set of relevance scores with the second set of relevance scores; and   serving a results page comprising at least a portion of one or both of the first set of results or the second set of results in response to the comparison of the first set of relevance scores and second set of relevance scores.   
   
   
       2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising serving a first portion of the first set of web pages and a second portion of the second set of web pages, the first portion and the second portion comprising the most relevant results using the relevance scores associated with the first and second portions. 
   
   
       3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein comparing the first set of relevance scores with the second set of relevance scores comprises:
 aggregating the first set of relevance scores;   aggregating the second set of relevance scores;   comparing the aggregation of the second set of relevance scores is greater than the aggregation of the first set of relevance scores;   wherein results from the second set of results are served if the aggregation of the second set of relevance scores is greater than the aggregation of the second set of relevance scores, otherwise results from the first set of search results are served.   
   
   
       4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a translated web page if the comparison of the first set of relevance scores and the second set of relevance scores identifies that the second set of relevance scores are more relevant and serving the translated web page based on receiving a selection of the web page from the client device. 
   
   
       5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 comparing an aggregation of relevance scores from the second set of relevance scores to a threshold relevance score; and   if the aggregation of relevance scores exceeds the threshold relevance score, serving search results.   
   
   
       6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining a number of previous queries that correspond to the translated search query;   comparing the number of previous queries to a threshold number of queries; and   wherein serving the second set of results is based on the comparison of the number of previous queries to the threshold number of queries.   
   
   
       7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of relevance scores and the second set of relevance scores each comprise a relevance factor and a ranking factor, the relevance factor measuring a degree to which the results from the search query or the translated search query matches the search query, and the ranking factor measuring a frequency with which a web page is linked by other web pages. 
   
   
       8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of relevance scores is based on an analysis of first click through rates of results from the first search query, and the second set of relevance scores is based on an analysis of second click through rates of results from the translated search query. 
   
   
       9 . Software stored in one or more computer readable media and comprising instructions executable by a processing system and upon execution, causing the processing system to perform operations, comprising:
 receiving a search query from a client device, the search query being submitted in a first language;   obtaining a translated search query, the translated search query being a translation of the search query to a second language;   receiving a first set of results responsive to the search query and a second set of results responsive to the translated search query, the first set of results including a first set of web pages and a first set of relevance scores and the second set of results including a second set of web pages and a second set of relevance scores;   comparing the first set of relevance scores with the second set of relevance scores; and   serving a results page comprising at least a portion of one or both of the first set of results or the second set of results based on the comparison of the first set of relevance scores and second set of relevance scores.   
   
   
       10 . The software of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processing system to perform an operation comprising serving a first portion of the first set of web pages and a second portion of the second set of web pages, the first portion and the second portion comprising the most relevant results using the relevance scores associated with the first and second portions. 
   
   
       11 . The software of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processing system to perform an operation comprising obtaining a translated web page if the comparison of the first set of relevance scores and the second set of relevance scores identifies that the second set of relevance scores are more relevant and serving the translated web page based on receiving a selection of the web page from the client device. 
   
   
       12 . The software of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:
 comparing an aggregation of relevance scores from the second set of relevance scores to a threshold relevance score; and   if the aggregation of relevance scores exceeds the threshold relevance score, serving search results.   
   
   
       13 . The software of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining a number of previous queries that correspond to the translated search query;   comparing the number of previous queries to a threshold number of queries; and   wherein serving the second set of results is based on the comparison of the number of previous queries to the threshold number of queries.   
   
   
       14 . The software of  claim 9 , wherein the first set of relevance scores and the second set of relevance scores each comprise a relevance factor and a ranking factor, the relevance factor measuring a degree to which the results from the search query or the translated search query matches the search query, and the ranking factor measuring a frequency with which a web page is linked by other web pages. 
   
   
       15 . The software of  claim 9 , wherein the first set of relevance scores is based on an analysis of first click through rates of results from the first search query, and the second set of relevance scores is based on an analysis of second click through rates of results from the translated search query. 
   
   
       16 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 receiving a search query from a client device, the search query being submitted in a first language;   obtaining a translated search query, the translated search query being a translation of the search query to a second language;   receiving first results responsive to the search query, the first results including first web pages having first relevance scores;   receiving second results responsive to the translated search query, the second results including second web pages having second relevance scores;   combining the first set of results and the second set of results into an ordinal list of search results;   deriving an order of most relevant to least relevant from the first and second relevance scores, the order comprising the order of the ordinal list of search results;   serving a results page comprising a specified number of the ordinal list of search results.   
   
   
       17 . The computer implemented method of  claim 16 , further comprising obtaining a translated web page if the results page includes a web page from the second set of search results. 
   
   
       18 . The computer implemented method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 comparing respective relevance scores from the ordinal list of search results to a threshold relevance score; and   if a respective relevance score does not exceed the threshold relevance score, eliminating the result from the ordinal list of search results.   
   
   
       19 . The computer implemented method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 obtaining a number of previous queries that correspond to the translated search query;   comparing the number of previous queries to a threshold number of queries; and   wherein results from the second set of search results are included in the ordinal list of search results if the number of previous queries for the translated search query exceeds the threshold number of queries.   
   
   
       20 . The computer implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the first set of relevance scores is based on an analysis of first click through rates of results from the first search query, and the second set of relevance scores is based on an analysis of second click through rates of results from the translated search query. 
   
   
       21 . A computer implemented method, comprising:
 receiving a search query from a client device, the search query being submitted in a first language;   obtaining a translated search query, the translated search query being a translation of the search query to a second language;   receiving a first result responsive to the search query, the first result including a first web page having a first relevance score;   receiving a second result responsive to the translated search query, the second result including a second web page having a second relevance score;   comparing the first relevance score to the second relevance score; and   serving a results page comprising the first result if the first relevance score exceeds the second relevance score, the results page comprising the second result if the second relevance score exceeds the first relevance score.   
   
   
       22 - 41 . (canceled) 
   
   
       42 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 receiving an original search query in a first language;   obtaining a translated search query associated with the original search query, the translated search query being in a second language;   evaluating the translated search query to determine whether the translated search query is a candidate for a cross-language search; and   if the translated search query is a candidate for the cross-language search:
 receiving a first set of results responsive to the search query and a second set of results responsive to the translated search query, the first set of results including a first set of web pages and a first set of relevance scores and the second set of results including a second set of web pages and a second set of relevance scores; 
 comparing the first set of relevance scores with the second set of relevance scores; and 
 serving a results page comprising at least a portion of one or both of the first set of results or the second set of results in response to the comparison of the first set of relevance scores and second set of relevance scores; and 
   if the translated search query is not a candidate for the cross-language search serving search results for the original search query.