System and methods for predicting correct spellings of terms in multiple-term search queries
First Claim
1. A method of predicting a correct spelling of a potentially-misspelled search term within a multiple-term search query, the method comprising:
- identifying at least one matching search term of the multiple-term search query, said matching search term being different from the potentially-misspelled search term;
identifying at least one additional term that, based on an analysis of search query submissions of users, has occurred in combination with the matching search term relatively frequently; and
comparing a spelling of the additional term to a spelling of the potentially-misspelled search term.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A search engine process predicts the correct spellings of search terms within multiple-term search queries. In one embodiment, when a user submits a multiple-term search query that includes a non-matching term and at least one matching term, a table is accessed to look up a set of terms that are “related” to the matching term or terms. A spelling comparison function is then used to determine whether any of these related terms is sufficiently similar in spelling to the non-matching term to be deemed a candidate correctly-spelled replacement. A candidate replacement term may automatically be substituted for the non-matching term, or may be suggested to the user as a replacement. The invention also includes a process for identifying terms that are related to each other based on the relatively high frequencies with which they co-occur within search queries of users, database records, and/or specific database fields.
86 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of predicting a correct spelling of a potentially-misspelled search term within a multiple-term search query, the method comprising:
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identifying at least one matching search term of the multiple-term search query, said matching search term being different from the potentially-misspelled search term;
identifying at least one additional term that, based on an analysis of search query submissions of users, has occurred in combination with the matching search term relatively frequently; and
comparing a spelling of the additional term to a spelling of the potentially-misspelled search term. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of predicting correct spellings of potentially-misspelled search terms within multiple-term search queries, the method comprising:
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analyzing search query submissions of users to identify search terms that are related to each other by virtue of a relative frequency with which such search terms occur in combination;
generating a table reflective of a result of said analysis of search query submissions, said table indicating specific search terms that are related to each other; and
using the table to predict correct spellings of non-matching search terms within multiple-term search queries. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20)
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13. A method of predicting correct spellings of potentially-misspelled search terms within multiple-term search queries, the method comprising:
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analyzing search query submissions of users to identify search terms that, based on co-occurrences of search terms within submitted search queries, are related to one another, wherein analyzing the search query submissions comprises according different weights to different search query submissions, said weights being dependent upon user actions performed with respect to associated query result items;
storing a data set reflective of a result of said analysis of search query submissions, said data set indicating specific search terms that are related to each other; and
using the data set to predict correct spellings of non-matching search terms within multiple-term search queries.
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18. A method of correcting spelling errors in search queries, the method comprising:
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receiving a multiple-term search query from a user;
identifying a non-matching search term within the multiple-term term search query;
identifying a matching search term within the multiple-term term search query; and
selecting a replacement term that is a candidate correctly-spelled replacement for the non-matching search term, wherein the candidate correctly-spelled replacement term is selected based at least in part upon an identity of the matching search term.
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21. A system for processing search queries, comprising:
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a data set that links terms to sets of related terms, said data set reflecting a result of a search term co-occurrence analysis in which a weight accorded to a search query submission from a user is dependent upon a predicted degree of success of the search query submission; and
a query processing module that uses the data set to predict correct spellings of search terms within multiple-term search queries. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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25. A method of predicting correct spellings of a potentially-misspelled search terms within multiple-term search queries, the method comprising:
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analyzing a database to identify terms that are related to one another by virtue of frequencies with which such terms occur in combination within the database;
generating a data set that is reflective of a result of said analysis of the database, said data set indicating specific terms that are related to each other;
and using the data set to predict correct spellings of non-matching search terms within multiple-term search queries submitted by users.
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30. A method of predicting a correct spelling of a non-matching search term within a multiple-term search query, the method comprising:
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identifying a plurality of matching search terms within the multiple-term search query, each matching search term being different from the non-matching search term;
for each matching search term, looking up a corresponding set of related terms, to thereby obtain multiple sets of related terms;
combining the multiple sets of related terms to form a related terms set; and
comparing spellings of individual terms in the related terms set to a spelling of the non-matching term. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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Specification