Information retrieval from multiple sources

• US 20050044076A1
• Filed: 02/18/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Bitterle, Barbara, Osborn, Kenneth, Wu, Yuh-Cherng
• Application Number:
  US10/781,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044076A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention provides a computer-implemented method for obtaining information contained in multiple knowledge bases. In this embodiment, the method includes receiving a request for information from an application system, using the request to create a first search query, and using the first search query to obtain a first search result that includes information contained in a first knowledge base. The method further includes using the first search result to automatically create a second search query, and using the second search query to obtain a second search result that includes information contained in a second knowledge base.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for obtaining information contained in multiple knowledge bases, the method comprising:

receiving a request for information from an application system;

using the request to create a first search query;

using the first search query to obtain a first search result that includes information contained in a first knowledge base;

using the first search result to automatically create a second search query; and

using the second search query to obtain a second search result that includes information contained in a second knowledge base.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises sending the first and second search results back to the application system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises processing the first and second search results.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein processing the first and second search results includes:

using the first search result to obtain additional information from the first knowledge base; and

sending the additional information obtained from the first knowledge base back to the application system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein processing the first and second search results includes filtering the first and second search results according to a set of predefined filtering rules.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein processing the first and second search results includes classifying the first and second search results according to a set of predefined classification rules.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein using the first search result to automatically create a second search query includes using the first search result along with a set of predefined search rules to automatically create the second search query.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein using the first search result to automatically create a second search query includes:

extracting information from the first search result; and

including the extracted information within the second search query.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

using the first search query to obtain a first search result includes obtaining the first search result directly from the first knowledge base; and

using the second search query to obtain a second search result includes obtaining the second search result directly from the second knowledge base.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

using the first search query to obtain a first search result includes obtaining the first search result from a first search engine; and

using the second search query to obtain a second search result includes obtaining the second search result from a second search engine.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application system includes a call-center application.

12. A computer system for obtaining information contained in multiple knowledge bases, the computer system being programmed to:

receive a request for information from an application system;

use the request to create a first search query;

use the first search query to obtain a first search result that includes information contained in a first knowledge base;

use the first search result to automatically create a second search query; and

use the second search query to obtain a second search result that includes information contained in a second knowledge base.

13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions contained therein for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a request for information from an application system;

using the request to create a first search query;

using the first search query to obtain a first search result that includes information contained in a first knowledge base;

using the first search result to automatically create a second search query; and

using the second search query to obtain a second search result that includes information contained in a second knowledge base.