Methods and apparatus for providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query
First Claim
1. A method of providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query consisting of a sequence of ambiguous information components:
- receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user;
obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information to translate the sequence of ambiguous information components into one or more corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
providing one or more of the sequences of less ambiguous information as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus consistent with the invention allow a user to submit an ambiguous search query and to receive relevant search results. In one embodiment, a sequence of numbers received from a user of a standard telephone keypad is translated into a set of potentially corresponding alphanumeric sequences. These potentially corresponding alphanumeric sequences are provided as an input to a conventional search engine, using a boolean “OR” expression, and the search results are presented to the user. The search engine effectively limits search results to those in which the user was likely interested.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query consisting of a sequence of ambiguous information components:
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receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user;
obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information to translate the sequence of ambiguous information components into one or more corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
providing one or more of the sequences of less ambiguous information as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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16. A method of providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, comprising:
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receiving a sequence of information components from a user, each information component corresponding to a key press;
obtaining mapping information that maps the information components to other information components corresponding to the same key press;
using the mapping information to determine other sequences of information components;
providing one or more of the received sequence and the other sequences as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user.
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21. A method of providing search results to a user in response to an ambiguous search query, comprising:
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receiving a string of numbers;
translating the string of numbers into a plurality of letter strings based on mapping information;
providing at least one of the letter strings as a search query to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine in response to the search query; and
presenting the search results to a user. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 25, 27, 28)
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24. A method of providing search results to a user in response to an ambiguous search query, comprising:
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receiving a number word;
translating the number word into one or more letter words based on mapping information;
providing at least one of the letter words as a search query to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine in response to the search query; and
providing the search results to a user.
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26. A method of providing search results to a user in response to an ambiguous search query, comprising:
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receiving at least two number words constituting a number phrase;
translating each number word into one or more letter words based on mapping information;
forming one or more letter phrases that correspond to the number phrase;
providing at least one of the letter phrases as a search query to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine in response to the search query; and
providing the search results to a user.
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29. A method of providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query received from a client device, the ambiguous search query consisting of a sequence of ambiguous information components:
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receiving at a server device a sequence of ambiguous information components from a client device;
obtaining at the server device mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information in combination with a dictionary to translate, at the server device, the sequence of ambiguous information components into one or more corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components.
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30. A computer-readable medium containing one or more instructions for providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query consisting of a sequence of ambiguous information components, the instructions comprising:
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receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user;
obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information to translate the sequence of ambiguous information components into one or more corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
providing one or more of the sequences of less ambiguous information as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user.
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31. An apparatus for providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query consisting of a sequence of ambiguous information components, comprising:
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at least one memory having program instructions, and at least one processor configured to execute the program instructions to perform the operations of;
receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user;
obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information to translate the sequence of ambiguous information components into one or more corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
providing one or more of the sequences of less ambiguous information as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user.
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32. An apparatus for providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query consisting of a sequence of ambiguous information components, comprising:
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means for receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user;
means for obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
means for using the mapping information to translate the sequence of ambiguous information components into one or more corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
means for providing one or more of the sequences of less ambiguous information as an input to a search engine;
means for obtaining search results from the search engine; and
means for presenting the search results to the user.
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Specification