Query graphs

• US 20060074870A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cucerzan, Silviu-Petru, Brill, Eric D., Ragno, Robert J., Zaragoza, Hugo
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3328 using graphical result space presentation or visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

The present invention leverages query-related information based on a query and/or a search intention to provide a systematic means to facilitate a user in locating desired information despite lacking exact search parameters. This allows users to find information without first formulating an optimum search query. The query graph provides a navigable, graphical notion of the query-related information via nodes representative of the query-related information and edges representative of the associations between the information. In one instance of the present invention, the query graph is derived from an information source such as a query log, a query list, and/or a search engine and the like. Additional instances of the present invention utilize visual and/or audible indicators employed with the query graph to facilitate in relaying the query-related information to the user, including, but not limited to, overlays, icons, colors, and dimensional variances and the like.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates searching, comprising:

an input component that receives at least one search query and/or at least one search intention; and

a search component that obtains results associated with the search query(s) and/or the search intention(s) and provides an automatically derived query graph.

2. The system of claim 1, the query graph comprising a navigable graph.

3. The system of claim 1, the query graph comprising a listing of at least one query.

4. The system of claim 1, the query graph comprising a graph with more than two dimensions.

5. The system of claim 4, one of the dimensions representing time.

6. The system of claim 1, the query graph comprising a graph containing related queries that are organized via similarity, popularity, novelty, and/or quality.

7. The system of claim 1, the query graph comprising a graph containing representations of search intentions that are organized via similarity, popularity, novelty, and/or quality.

8. The system of claim 1, the query graph comprising a graph depicting relationships between the query(s) and/or search intention(s) and at least one related query and/or at least one related search intention utilized in the query graph.

9. The system of claim 1, the search component provides at least one search result associated with the search query(s) and/or search intention(s).

10. The system of claim 1, the search component utilizes at least one information source to obtain the results associated with the query(s) and/or the search intention(s) and to provide the automatically derived query graph.

11. The system of claim 10, the information source comprising a query log, a composed query list, and/or a search engine.

12. The system of claim 1, the search component employs query session information to facilitate in deriving the query graph.

13. The system of claim 12, the query session information comprising, at least in part, related query similarity information based on an immediate user query and/or at least one prior user query.

14. The system of claim 1, the search component utilizes user preferences to facilitate in deriving the query graph.

15. The system of claim 14, the user preferences comprising direct and/or derived preferences.

16. The system of claim 15, the derived preferences comprising preferences based on information derived from at least one other user and/or group of users similar to the user.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface component that facilitates the user in navigating the query graph derived by the search component.

18. The system of claim 17, the user interface component allows the user to select at least one query, search intention, and/or search result.

19. The system of claim 17, the search component interacts with the user interface component to provide a query graph and/or query result in response to a user selection within a query graph.

20. The system of claim 19, the user selection comprising a plurality of nodes of a query graph.

21. The system of claim 19, the user selection comprising a selection via hovering over a query graph node and/or edge, clicking a pointing device on a query graph node and/or edge, visually indicating a query graph node and/or edge, and/or audibly indicating a query graph node and/or edge.

45. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable components of the system of claim 1.

47. A device employing the system of claim 1 comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a computer, a server, and a handheld electronic device.

22. A method for facilitating searching, comprising:

receiving at least one search query and/or at least one search intention; and

automatically deriving a query graph from results associated with the search query(s) and/or the search intention(s).

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

approximately centering the derived query graph around the search query(s) and/or search intention(s).

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

providing a navigable query graph.

25. The method of claim 22, deriving the query graph comprising:

determining related queries and/or search intentions to the received search query(s) and/or search intention(s); and

organizing the related queries and/or search intentions via similarity, popularity, novelty, and/or quality to form the query graph.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

providing at least one search result associated with the search query(s) and/or search intention(s).

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

employing query session information to facilitate in deriving the query graph.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

utilizing user preferences to facilitate in deriving the query graph;

the user preferences comprising direct and/or derived preferences.

29. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

utilizing a location to facilitate in deriving the query graph.

30. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

employing an excluded query and/or search intention to facilitate in deriving the query graph;

the excluded query and/or search intention provided by a system and/or a user input.

31. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

providing a user interface to facilitate a user in interacting with the query graph.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

conveying a query graph to a user that excludes at least one edge from view.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

conveying a query graph to a user as a listing of at least one query.

34. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

employing at least one audible and/or visual indicator via the user interface to facilitate in conveying information to a user.

35. The method of claim 34, the visual indicator comprising at least one graphical image representing at least one node of the query graph.

36. The method of claim 34, the visual indicator comprising an overlay applied to the query graph.

37. The method of claim 34, the visual indicator comprising an association strength indicator representing at least one edge of the query graph.

38. The method of claim 37, the association strength indicator comprising a color indicator, a line thickness indicator, and/or a dashed line indicator.

39. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

inputting user selections via the user interface;

the user selections comprising hovering over a query graph node and/or edge, clicking a pointing device on a query graph node and/or edge, visually indicating a query graph node and/or edge, and/or audibly indicating a query graph node and/or edge.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising:

dynamically deriving a query graph and/or query result list in response to a user selection.

41. The method of claim 39 further comprising:

providing access to a document and/or a web page associated with a query and/or search intention in response to a user selection.

42. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

adjusting a number of conveyed queries and/or search intentions in response to a user input.

46. A device employing the method of claim 22 comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a computer, a server, and a handheld electronic device.

43. A system that facilitates searching, comprising:

means for receiving at least one search query and/or at least one search intention; and

means for obtaining results associated with the query(s) and/or the search intention(s) and providing an automatically derived query graph.

44. A data packet, transmitted between two or more computer components, that facilitates information searching, the data packet comprising, at least in part, information relating to an automatically derived query graph based, at least in part, on results associated with at least one query and/or at least one search intention.