Flexible keyword searching

• US 20040186722A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Adam M. Feldstein, David G. Garber
• Inventors: Feldstein, Adam M., Garber, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/334 Query execution G06F16/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3343 using phonetics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A search engine implements a multi-level search scheme. A first level involves performing a keyword search based on character matching. A second level, performed only if the first level yields no results, is a keyword search based on phonetic representations of a search phrase and of the keywords. A third level, performed only if the first and second levels yield no results, is a rough matching search. The keywords or keyword phrases are specified in a phrase table. Each entry of the phrase table specifies a keyword phrase, its phonetic representation, a topic URL, and an action that is to be performed in conjunction with the topic URL. There are a plurality of defined actions, having different priorities. If multiple keyword phrases are found in the multi-level search, the one having the action with the highest priority is initiated. If there is a tie for the highest priority, the results are listed in a results page, regardless of the actions associated with the matched entries. Different actions can be specified in the phrase table entries, corresponding to different levels of the multi-level search scheme that were required to discover a matching entry.

Claims

1. A method of searching a plurality of resources, comprising:

(a) identifying any resources having keywords that match a search phrase having one or more words;

(b) if step (a) identifies no resource, automatically identifying any resources having keywords that phonetically match the search phrase; and

(c) if step (b) identifies no resource, automatically performing one or more searches in addition to those of steps (a) and (b);

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

upon identifying a particular resource, performing an action that is associated with one or more keywords of the resource.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to identifying only a single resource, performing an action that is associated with one or more keywords of the resource; and

in response to identifying multiple resources, listing references to the resources for potential selection by a user.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to identifying only a single resource during step (a) or step (b), performing an action that is associated with one or more keywords of the resource;

in response to identifying only a single resource during step (c), step (d), or step (e), listing a reference to the resources for potential selection by a user; and

in response to identifying multiple resources, listing references to the resources for potential selection by a user.

5. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

6. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that are executable to perform steps comprising:

(a) identifying any resources having keywords that match a search phrase having one or more words;

(b) if step (a) identifies no resource, automatically identifying any resources having keywords that phonetically match the search phrase;

(c) if step (b) identifies no resource, automatically identifying any resources having keywords that are contained in the search phrase;

(d) if step (c) identifies no resource, automatically identifying any resources having keywords that phonetically match singularized and pluralized forms of the words of the search phrase; and

(e) if step (d) identifies no resources, automatically identifying resources having keywords that are alphabetically or phonetically near the search phrase.

7. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 6, the steps further comprising:

upon identifying a particular resource, performing an action that is associated with one or more keywords of the resource.

8. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 6, the steps further comprising:

in response to identifying only a single resource, performing an action that is associated with one or more keywords of the resource; and

in response to identifying multiple resources, listing references to the resources for potential selection by a user.

9. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 6, the steps further comprising:

in response to identifying only a single resource during step (a) or step (b), performing an action that is associated with one or more keywords of the resource;

in response to identifying only a single resource during step (c), step (d), or step (e), listing a reference to the resources for potential selection by a user; and

in response to identifying multiple resources, listing references to the resources for potential selection by a user.