Patent ID: 8266141

Claim:
One or more computer-readable media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method for facilitating an efficient interleaving process, the method comprising: receiving a search query; determining that the search query is to be used in an interleaving experiment, the interleaving experiment using a primary ranking system and a secondary ranking system; based on the search query, analyzing the primary ranking system and the secondary ranking system to determine, prior to routing the search query to either ranking system, whether search results produced by the primary ranking system and the secondary ranking system will be identical, wherein analyzing the primary ranking system and the secondary ranking system further comprises, identifying one or more parameters used to rank documents that are different between the primary ranking system and the secondary ranking system, and determining whether the search query is associated with any of the one or more parameters such that, (1) if the search query is associated with any of the one or more parameters, determining that the search results would not be identical, and (2) if the search query is not associated with any of the one or more parameters, determining that the search results would be identical; if it is determined that the search results will be identical, routing the search query only to the primary ranking system; and if it is determined that the search results will not be identical, routing the search query to both the primary ranking system and the secondary ranking system and interleaving the search results from the primary ranking system and the secondary ranking system to generate a single set of search results to return to a user based on the search query.