System and method for query refinement to enable improved searching based on identifying and utilizing popular concepts related to users' queries
First Claim
1. A method for refining a user query, the method comprising:
- receiving a query from a user;
mapping the user query to one or more search concepts; and
, displaying a list of the search concepts associated with the query.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Refining a user query is disclosed. In one method, a query is received from a user, and then mapped to one or more search concepts. A list of search concepts associated with the query is then displayed. Alternatively or additionally, the search concepts associated with the query are used to provide a set of improved search results. In another method, a number of queries from a number of users are analyzed to identify two or more search concepts, and a popularity value is assigned to them based on the queries. Thus, the relative popularity of the respective search concepts can be determined. Alternatively or additionally, a preferred search query for the search concepts can be determined. The popularity and preferred queries can be used to allow automatic or user-initiated refinement.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for refining a user query, the method comprising:
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receiving a query from a user;
mapping the user query to one or more search concepts; and
,displaying a list of the search concepts associated with the query. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for refining a user query, the method comprising:
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receiving a query from a user;
mapping the user query to one or more search concepts; and
,using the search concepts associated with the query to provide a set of improved search results. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30)
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18. A method comprising:
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analyzing a plurality of queries from a plurality of users to identify two or more search concepts; and
,assigning a popularity value to the two or more search concepts based on the plurality of queries such that the relative popularity of the respective search concepts can be determined.
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25. A method comprising:
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analyzing a plurality of queries from a plurality of users to identify at least one search concept; and
,determining a preferred search query for the at least one search concept, wherein the preferred search query is associated with a selected set of search results for the at least one search concept.
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28. A system comprising:
a server communicatively coupled with a client at which a user generates a query, wherein the server maps the user query to one or more search concepts and returns to the client for display to the user a list of the search concepts associated with the query.
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31. A system comprising:
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a database storing a plurality of queries from a plurality of users; and
,a server to analyze the plurality of queries to identify two or more search concepts, and assign a popularity value to the two or more search concepts based on the plurality of queries such that the relative popularity of the respective search concepts can be determined. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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Specification