Providing search results using augmented search queries

• US 10,055,462 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Moxley, Emily, Liu, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US13/842,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 707607, 707687, 707705, 707790, 707821, 707964
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for updating a set of results. In some implementations, a search query associated with an entity reference is received. The entity reference corresponds to one or more distinct entities. A set of results for the search query is provided, and the set of results distinguishes between distinct entities. One or more attributes for at least one entity of the one or more distinct entities are identified based at least in part on the set of results. One or more additional search queries are identified based on the search query, the at least one entity, and the one or more attributes. An input selecting at least one of the additional search queries is received. An updated set of results is provided based on the selected additional search queries. The updated set of results comprises at least one result not in the set of results.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising the following operations performed by at least one processor:

receiving a first search query associated with an entity reference, wherein the entity reference corresponds to one or more distinct entities;

providing a set of results for the first search query, wherein the set of results distinguishes between the one or more distinct entities;

identifying one or more attributes of at least one entity of the one or more distinct entities based at least in part on the set of results;

in response to the first search query, automatically generating a selectable list of one or more additional search queries that are based on but separate from the first search query, wherein the one or more additional search queries comprise combinations of the at least one entity and the one or more attributes;

providing the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries for display within a user interface;

receiving an input selecting at least one of the one or more additional search queries that are displayed within the user interface; and

providing an updated set of results based on the selected one or more additional search queries, wherein the updated set of results comprises at least one result not in the set of results.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries comprises:

ranking the identified one or more attributes; and

automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries based on the first search query, the at least one entity, the one or more attributes, and the ranking.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more distinct entities comprise a plurality of distinct entities, and wherein the method further comprises, prior to automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries:

providing the plurality of distinct entities for display within the user interface; and

receiving a selection of at least a first entity of the plurality of distinct entities;

wherein identifying the one or more attributes of the at least one entity comprises identifying one or more attributes of the selected first entity; and

wherein automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries comprises automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries that comprise combinations of the selected first entity and the one or more attributes of the selected first entity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more attributes comprises identifying one or more attributes from a structured data source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more attributes comprises identifying one or more attributes from unstructured data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated set of results based on the selected one or more additional search queries comprises at least one result from the set of results for the first search query.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first search query comprises a first textual search query that comprises a first set of words; and

the one or more additional search queries comprise one or more additional textual search queries, wherein each of the one or more additional textual search queries comprises at least one additional word not included in the first set of words.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein the ranking is based on frequency of occurrence.

20. The method of claim 4, wherein the ranking is based on a location of each of the one or more attributes with respect to the entity reference in the set of results.

21. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of distinct entities comprise a plurality of human persons.

22. The method of claim 6, wherein the structured data source is a social graph.

2. A system comprising:

one or more storage devices that store instructions; and

one or more computers configured by executing the instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving a first search query associated with an entity reference, wherein the entity reference corresponds to one or more distinct entities;

providing a set of results for the first search query, wherein the set of results distinguishes between distinct entities;

identifying one or more attributes of at least one entity of the one or more distinct entities based at least in part on the set of results;

in response to the first search query, automatically generating a selectable list of one or more additional search queries that are based on but separate from the first search query, wherein the one or more additional search queries comprise combinations of the at least one entity and the one or more attributes;

providing the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries for display within a user interface;

receiving an input selecting at least one of the one or more additional search queries that are displayed within the user interface; and

providing an updated set of results based on the selected one or more additional search queries, wherein the updated set of results comprises at least one result not in the set of results.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to perform operations comprising:

ranking the identified one or more attributes;

wherein automatically generating the selectable list comprises automatically generating the one or more additional search queries based on the first search query, the at least one entity, the one or more attributes, and the ranking.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the ranking is based on frequency of occurrence.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the ranking is based on a location of each of the one or more attributes with respect to the entity reference in the set of results.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more distinct entities comprise a plurality of distinct entities, and wherein the one or more computers are further configured to perform operations comprising, prior to automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries:

providing the plurality of distinct entities for display within the user interface; and

receiving a selection of at least a first entity of the plurality of distinct entities;

wherein identifying the one or more attributes of the at least one entity comprises identifying one or more attributes of the selected first entity; and

wherein automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries comprises automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries that comprise combinations of the selected first entity and the one or more attributes of the selected first entity.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to perform operations comprising identifying one or more attributes from a structured data source.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more computers are further configured to perform operations comprising identifying one or more attributes from unstructured data.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the structured data source is a social graph.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the structured data source is a knowledge graph.

3. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first search query associated with an entity reference, wherein the entity reference corresponds to one or more distinct entities;

providing a set of results for the first search query, wherein the set of results distinguishes between the one or more distinct entities;

identifying one or more attributes of at least one entity of the one or more distinct entities based at least in part on the set of results;

in response to the first search query, automatically generating a selectable list of one or more additional search queries separate from the first search query, wherein the one or more additional search queries comprise combinations of the at least one entity and the one or more attributes;

providing the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries for display within a user interface

receiving an input selecting at least one of the one or more additional search queries that are displayed within the user interface; and

providing an updated set of results based on the selected one or more additional search queries, wherein the updated set of results comprises at least one result not in the set of results.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries comprises:

ranking the identified one or more attributes; and

automatically generating the selectable list of the one or more additional search queries based on the first search query, the at least one entity, the one or more attributes, and the ranking.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein identifying one or more attributes comprises identifying one or more attributes from a structured data source.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein identifying one or more attributes comprises identifying one or more attributes from unstructured data.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the ranking is based on frequency of occurrence.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the ranking is based on a location of each of the one or more attributes with respect to the entity reference in the set of results.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the structured data source is a social graph.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the structured data source is a knowledge graph.