Ranked navigation element

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for a navigation element generation application. A navigation element comprising a plurality of navigation aids is generated responsive to a search query and other data. A relevance score is calculated for the navigation element. The navigation element is inserted into a ranked list of search result items as a function of the relevance score and communicated to a client.

Therefore, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in at least one computing device, the program, when executed by the at least one computing device, causing the at least one computing device to at least:
 generate, from a plurality of items, a plurality of search results responsive to a search query, each of the plurality of search results having a corresponding one of a plurality of relevance scores;   generate a navigation element as a function of the search query, the navigation element comprising a plurality of navigation links each directed to a respective subset of the plurality of items;   generate a ranked list comprising the navigation element as ranked within the plurality of search results as a function of the plurality of relevance scores for the plurality of search results and another relevance score for the navigation element; and   communicate at least a subset of the ranked list to a client.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the program, when executed, further causes the at least one computing device to exclude the navigation element from the subset of the ranked list responsive to a placement of the navigation element in the ranked list falling below a threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein each of the navigation links corresponds to at least one rule, and each of the navigation links are directed to the respective subset of the plurality of items as satisfying the corresponding at least one rule. 
     
     
         4 . A system, comprising:
 at least one computing device comprising at least one processor and memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions, when executed, causing the at least one computing device to at least:   generate, from a plurality of items, a plurality of search results responsive to a search query, each of the plurality of search results having a corresponding one of a plurality of relevance scores;   generate a navigation element as a function of the search query, the navigation element comprising a plurality of navigation links each directed to a respective subset of the plurality of items;   rank the navigation element within the plurality of search results as a function of the plurality of relevance scores for the plurality of search results and another relevance score for the navigation element; and   communicate at least a subset of the plurality of search results and the navigation element to a client.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the navigation element is further generated as a function of a purchased placement of one of the navigation links in the navigation element. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one computing device to at least select the navigation links for inclusion in the navigation element from a plurality of potential navigation links. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein selecting the navigation links for inclusion in the navigation element from the plurality of potential navigation links comprises:
 calculating, for each of the plurality of potential navigation links, a respective one of a plurality of confidence scores; and   selecting, for inclusion in the navigation element, at least one of the potential navigation links having a highest respective one of the plurality of confidence scores.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the confidence scores are calculated as a function of a browse history corresponding to the client. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the confidence scores are calculated as a function of a purchase history corresponding to the client. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein selecting the navigation links for inclusion in the navigation element from the plurality of potential navigation links comprises determining an ordering of the navigation links in the navigation element based at least in part on the plurality of confidence scores. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein generating the navigation element comprises generating the navigation element based at least in part on a previously calculated relevance score for a previously generated navigation element. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one computing device to calculate the other relevance score for the navigation element based at least in part on data used to generate the navigation element. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the data comprises at least one of a browse history, a purchase history, or domain knowledge used to generate the navigation element. 
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising:
 generating, by at least one computing device, from a plurality of items, a plurality of search results responsive to a search query, each of the plurality of search results having a corresponding one of a plurality of relevance scores;   generating, by the at least one computing device, a navigation element as a function of the search query, the navigation element comprising a plurality of navigation links each directed to a respective subset of the plurality of items;   generating, by the at least one computing device, a ranked list comprising the navigation element as ranked within the plurality of search results as a function of the plurality of relevance scores for the plurality of search results and another relevance score for the navigation element; and   communicating, by the at least one computing device, at least a subset of the ranked list to a client.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising excluding, by the at least one computing device, the navigation element from the subset of the ranked list responsive to a placement of the navigation element in the ranked list falling below a threshold. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of items are encoded as a taxonomy comprising a plurality of taxonomy nodes, and each of the navigation links are directed to a respective one of the taxonomy nodes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the navigation links corresponds to at least one rule, and each of the navigation links are directed to the respective subset of the plurality of items as satisfying the corresponding at least one rule. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising calculating, by the at least one computing device, the other relevance score for the navigation element as a function of at least one previously calculated relevance score. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one previously calculated relevance score corresponds to at least one previously generated navigation element. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein generating, by the at least one computing device, the navigation element comprises generating, by the at least one computing device, the navigation element as a function of the at least one previously calculated relevance score.