System And Method For Compiling Search Results Using Information Regarding Length Of Time Users Spend Interacting With Individual Search Results

Abstract

A system and method for producing more relevant search results. When a user selects a search result from a search result listing, the amount of time that the user spends interacting with the item associated with the search result is tracked. Such information regarding interaction time is compiled and is used as a factor in assessing relevance of items in future searches.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of directing users to media files, comprising:
 determining a length of time spent by a first user experiencing a media item;   using said length of time to update a temporal coefficient representing a typical length of time users spend experiencing said media item; and   assessing the relevance of said media item to a subsequent user based at least in part on said temporal coefficient.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said assessing the relevance of said media item to a subsequent user comprises determining whether to direct the subsequent user to said media item based at least in part on said temporal coefficient. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said directing a subsequent user to said media item comprises including said media item in a set of recommended media items. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said determining a length of time comprises determining a length of time spent by a first user experiencing a media item that said first user was directed to, and wherein said temporal coefficient represents a typical length of time users spend experiencing said media item after being directed to it. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said assessing the relevance of said media item to a subsequent user comprises calculating a degree of relevance of said media item to the subsequent user using a mathematical expression that includes said temporal coefficient. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said media item comprises a video file, and wherein said experiencing said media item comprises viewing said video file. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said media item comprises an audio file, and wherein said experiencing said media item comprises listening to said audio file. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said media item comprises an image file, and wherein said experiencing said media item comprises viewing said image file. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method of generating media item recommendations, comprising:
 storing in memory a plurality of temporal coefficients, each temporal coefficient corresponding to one of a plurality of media items and being indicative of an amount of time at least one prior user spent experiencing the corresponding media item; and   assessing the relevance of a media item to a user based at least in part on the temporal coefficient corresponding to said media item.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising generating a media item recommendation for a user based at least in part on said temporal coefficients. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said generating a media item recommendation comprises generating a set of recommended media items based at least in part on said temporal coefficients. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein each temporal coefficient is indicative of an amount of time at least one prior user spent experiencing the corresponding media item after being directed to said media item by a media item recommendation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising updating the temporal coefficient corresponding to the recommended media item based on an amount of time the user spends experiencing said recommended media item. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said assessing the relevance of a media item to a user comprises calculating a degree of relevance of said media item to the subsequent user using a mathematical expression that includes said temporal coefficient. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said media items comprise video files, and wherein said experiencing a media item comprises viewing a video file. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said media items comprise audio files, and wherein said experiencing a media item comprises listening to an audio file. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said media items comprise image files, and wherein said experiencing a media item comprises viewing an image file. 
     
     
         18 . A computer-implemented method of directing users to media files, comprising:
 determining a length of time spent by a first user experiencing a media item;   comparing the length of time spent by the first user experiencing the media item against a total playing length of the media item to determine an experiencing ratio; and   assessing the relevance of said media item to a subsequent user based at least in part on said experiencing ratio.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said assessing the relevance of said media item to a subsequent user comprises determining whether to direct the subsequent user to said media item based at least in part on said experiencing ratio. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said directing a subsequent user to said media item comprises including said media item in a set of recommended media items. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said determining a length of time comprises determining a length of time spent by a first user experiencing a media item that said first user was directed to. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein said assessing the relevance of said media item to a subsequent user comprises calculating a degree of relevance of said media item to the subsequent user using a mathematical expression that includes said experiencing ratio. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20  wherein said media item comprises a video file, and wherein said experiencing said media item comprises viewing said video file. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said media item comprises an audio file, and wherein said experiencing said media item comprises listening to said audio file. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said media item comprises an image file, and wherein said experiencing said media item comprises viewing said image file. 
     
     
         26 . A computer-implemented method of generating media item recommendations, comprising:
 storing in memory temporal usage data corresponding to each of a plurality of media items, said temporal usage data being indicative of a proportion of the corresponding media item's total playing time that at least one prior user spent experiencing said corresponding media item; and   assessing the relevance of a media item to a user based at least in part on said temporal usage data.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising generating a media item recommendation for a user based at least in part on said temporal usage data. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said generating a media item recommendation comprises generating a set of recommended media items based at least in part on said temporal usage data. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said temporal usage data is indicative of a proportion of the corresponding media item's total playing time that at least one prior user spent experiencing said corresponding media item after being directed to said media item by a media item recommendation. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said assessing the relevance of a media item to a user comprises calculating a degree of relevance of said media item to said user using a mathematical expression that includes said temporal usage data. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said media items comprise video files, and wherein said experiencing a media item comprises viewing a video file. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said media items comprise audio files, and wherein said experiencing a media item comprises listening to an audio file. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said media items comprise image files, and wherein said experiencing a media item comprises viewing an image file.