Inference of query relationships based on retrieved attributes

• US 10,055,484 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Parikh, Nishith, Sundaresan, Neelakantan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US15/141,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20160246876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/334 Query execution G06F16/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3349 Reuse of stored results of previous queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Various example embodiments are provided for inferring relationships between a first query comprising a plurality of first terms and a second query comprising a plurality of second terms. In an example, queries are related based on the identification of common terms between the queries. One or more dissimilar terms are identified between the plurality of first terms and the plurality of second terms. A first number of dissimilar terms included in the first query and a second number of dissimilar terms included in the second query are identified. A weight is assigned to the relationship between the first query and the second query based on a difference between the first number and the second number.

Claims

1. A method for improved information retrieval from a database via a query suggestion based on a relationship inferred between a first query comprising a plurality of first terms and a second query comprising a plurality of second terms, the method comprising:

relating, by one or more hardware processors, the first query to the second query based on identifying at least one common term between the plurality of first terms and the plurality of second terms;

identifying, by one or more hardware processors, one or more dissimilar terms between the plurality of first terms and the plurality of second terms;

identifying, by one or more hardware processors, a first number of dissimilar terms included in the first query;

identifying, by one or more hardware processors, a second number of dissimilar terms included in the second query;

assigning, by one or more hardware processors, a weight to the relationship between the first query and the second query, the weight being based on a difference between the first number and the second number; and

in response to receiving a search query from a user device, providing, by one or more hardware processors, the query suggestion based on the weight assigned to the relationship between the first query and the second query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference is further based on a direction traversed between the first query and the second query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning comprises determining the difference between the first number and the second number, the determining comprising subtracting the first number from the second number or subtracting the second number from the first number.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising building an inverted index from the first query and the second query, wherein the one or more dissimilar terms are identified from the inverted index.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more dissimilar terms comprises excluding differences based on plural forms of a term.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first number or the second number is zero.

7. A system for improved information retrieval from a database via a query suggestion based on a relationship inferred between a first query comprising a plurality of first terms and a second query comprising a plurality of second terms, the system comprising:

one or more hardware processors configured to at least;

relate the first query to the second query based on identifying at least one common term between the plurality of first terms and the plurality of second terms;

identify one or more dissimilar terms between the plurality of first terms and the plurality of second terms;

identify a first number of dissimilar terms included in the first query;

identify a second number of dissimilar terms included in the second query;

assign a weight to the relationship between the first query and the second query, the weight being based on a difference between the first number and the second number; and

in response to receiving a search query from a user device, provide the query suggestion based on the weight assigned to the relationship between the first query and the second query.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the difference is further based on a direction traversed between the first query and the second query.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more hardware processors is further to build an inverted index from the first query and the second query, wherein the one or more dissimilar terms are identified from the inverted index.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein identifying one or more dissimilar terms comprises excluding differences based on plural forms of a term.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein one of the first number or the second number is zero.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more hardware processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations for improved information retrieval from a database via a query suggestion based on a relationship inferred between a first query and a second query, the operations comprising:

relating the first query to the second query based on identifying at least one common term between the first query and the second query;

identifying one or more dissimilar terms between the plurality of first terms and the plurality of second terms;

identifying a first number of dissimilar terms included in the first query;

identifying a second number of dissimilar terms included in the second query;

assigning a weight to the relationship between the first query and the second query, the weight being based on a difference between the first number and the second number; and

in response to receiving a search query from a user device, providing the query suggestion based on the weight assigned to the relationship between the first query and the second query.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the difference is further based on a direction traversed between the first query and the second query.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the assigning comprises determining the difference between the first number and the second number, the determining comprising subtracting the first number from the second number or subtracting the second number from the first number.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise building an inverted index from the first query and the second query, wherein the one or more dissimilar terms are identified from the inverted index.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein identifying one or more dissimilar terms comprises excluding differences based on plural forms of a term.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein one of the first number or the second number is zero.