Custom local search

• US 10,445,346 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2013
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Govindachetty, Narendranath Datha, Joshi, Tanuja Abhay, Joy, Joseph, Sengar, Vibhuti Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Hanh B
• Application Number:
  US14/046,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,202 Days
• Field of Search: 707706, 707708, 707769, 707771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A method described herein includes receiving a query that is configured by an issuer of the query to be utilized to retrieve a portion of local search content, wherein the local search content comprises a first dataset and a second data set, wherein the first dataset comprises a first entity and the second dataset comprises a second entity, and wherein the query comprises a first token and a second token. The method also includes parsing the query such that the first token of the query is mapped to the first entity in the first dataset and the second token of the query is mapped to the second entity in the second dataset. The method also includes returning search results based at least in part upon the parsing of the query.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a query;

responsive to receiving the query, parsing the query to identify a first token and a second token;

executing a search using the first token and the second token, wherein the first token is used to search a first dataset that comprises geographic information and wherein the second token is used to search a second dataset that comprises entity information, wherein at least part of the entity information in the second dataset is received from end users via a user interface in a map application, and the entity information comprises at least an attribute describing an entity and a two-dimensional shape for the entity; and

generating a map in the map application for display on a computing device, the map comprising one or more results including at least a portion of the entity information from the second dataset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the map application has a graphical user interface configured to receive attributes from the end user that describe an entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity information in the second dataset is updated by one or more end users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity information in the second dataset comprises at least one of the group consisting of information representative of at least one object associated with a geographic region, information representative of at least one service associated with a geographic region, and at least one shape and at least one attribute assigned to the entity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating one or more partial query interpretations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more partial query interpretations are generated utilizing spatial processing.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating one or more match candidates.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity information includes at least three of the group of pieces of information including:

name of an entity, shape of the entity, category descriptors for the entity, a unique identifier for the entity, textual description of the entity, and footprint information for the entity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of an entity displayed in a displayed map of the map application;

receiving additional entity information for the selected entity via the user interface of the map application; and

storing the additional entity information in the second dataset.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the search further comprises:

generating a first list of match candidates for the first dataset;

generating a second list of match candidates for the second dataset;

selecting a match candidate from the first list as an anchor candidate;

identifying a compatible match candidate from the second list; and

generating a focus based in part on the compatible match candidate.

11. A system that facilitates performing a search, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that comprises a plurality of components that are executed by the processor, the plurality of components comprising;

a receiver component that receives a query; and

an interpreter component that;

parses the query to identify a first token and a second token;

executes a search using the first token and the second token, wherein the first token is used to search a first dataset that comprises geographic information and wherein the second token is used to search a second dataset that comprises entity information, wherein at least part of the entity information in the second dataset is received from end users via a user interface in a map application, and the entity information comprises at least an attribute describing an entity and a two-dimensional shape for the entity; and

generates a map in the map application for display on a computing device, the map comprising results including at least a portion of the entity information from the second dataset.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the map application has a graphical user interface configured to receive attributes from the end user that describe an entity.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the entity information in the second dataset is updated by one or more end users.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the entity information in the second dataset comprises at least one of the group consisting of information representative of at least one object associated with a geographic region, information representative of at least one service associated with a geographic region, and at least one shape and at least one attribute assigned to the entity.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the query is submitted by a computing device.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising generating one or more partial query interpretations.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more partial query interpretations are generated utilizing spatial processing.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the entity information includes at least three of the group of pieces of information including:

name of an entity, shape of the entity, category descriptors for the entity, a unique identifier for the entity, textual description of the entity, and footprint information for the entity.

19. A computer-readable data storage device comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a query;

responsive to receiving the query, parsing the query to identify a first token and a second token;

executing a search using the first token and the second token, wherein the first token is used to search a first dataset that comprises geographic information and wherein the second token is used to search a second dataset that comprises entity information, wherein at least part of the entity information in the second dataset is received from end users via a user interface in a map application, and the entity information comprises at least an attribute describing an entity and a two-dimensional shape for the entity; and

generating a map in the map application for display on a computing device, the map comprising results including at least a portion of the entity information from the second dataset.

20. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of an entity displayed in a displayed map of the map application;

receiving additional entity information for the selected entity via the user interface of the map application; and

storing the additional entity information in the second dataset.