Patent ID: 7756798
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising: identifying, in a set of items provided by a search process, a subset of items to compare, the set of items being identified by the search process as being relevant to a search request provided to the search process, where one or more items from the set of items includes an associated identity field; selectively removing from the set of items a first member of the subset of items upon determining that a comparison of the value of the identity field of the first member and the value of the identity field of a second member of the subset of items indicates that the first member and the second member are to be treated as duplicates; and where the identity field stores information upon which a duplicate determination can be made and stores priority information for an associated item, and where the selectively removing includes retaining the first member and the second member in a search result list when the first member and the second member are treated as duplicates and the associated priority information indicates that a duplicate member is to be retained.