Method and system to combine keyword and natural language search results

• US 20060100998A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Gregory W., Miller, Mary C., Niemeyer, Jeffrey Michael, Jia, Yongmei
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/358 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web

Abstract

A search query is received from a single input field of a user interface. A keyword search is performed based on the search query to generate keyword search results. A natural language search is performed of a frequently-asked question (FAQ) database based on the search query to generate FAQ search results. The keyword search results and the FAQ search results are combined in a display page.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a search query from a single input field of a user interface;

performing a keyword search based on the search query to generate keyword search results;

performing a natural language search of a frequently-asked question (FAQ) database based on the search query to generate FAQ search results; and

outputting a first display page that combines the keyword search results and the FAQ search results.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first display page categorizes the keyword search results and the FAQ search results into a plurality of categories including a first category and a second category each of which include at least one of the keyword search results and at least one of the FAQ search results.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of categories include a products and services category, a billing and account category, and a help and support category.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the first display page displays a first subset of those of the keyword search results and the FAQ results that are in the first category, and a second subset of those of the keywords search results and the FAQ results that are in the second category.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first display page includes a first user-selectable command to display portions of the keyword search results and the FAQ results that are in the first category but are not displayed in the first display page.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

in response to a selection of the user-selectable command, outputting a second display page that expands a number of the keyword search results and the FAQ results that are displayed together for the first category.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first display page and the second display page each include a respective header having a user-selectable option to view questions in a user-selected category.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the second display page includes a drop-down menu to receive a user-selection of any of the plurality of categories for which an expanded number of the keyword search results and the FAQ results are to be displayed together on a subsequent display page.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the first category and the second category are determined before receiving the search query using a card sort method.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the keyword search results are provided in a first column of the first display page, and the FAQ results are provided in a second column of the first display page.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface accompanies the single input field with a display of “

search or ask a question”

.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said performing the keyword search comprises performing a keyword search of contents of a Web site based on the search query to generate the keyword search results.

13. A system comprising:

a user interface having a single input field to receive a search query;

a keyword search engine to perform a keyword search based on the search query to generate keyword search results;

a natural language search engine to perform a natural language search of a frequently-asked question (FAQ) database based on the search query to generate FAQ search results; and

a first display page that combines the keyword search results and the FAQ search results.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first display page categorizes the keyword search results and the FAQ search results into a plurality of categories including a first category and a second category each of which include at least one of the keyword search results and at least one of the FAQ search results.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the categories include a products and services category, a billing and account category, and a help and support category.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the first display page displays a first subset of those of the keyword search results and the FAQ results that are in the first category, and a second subset of those of the keywords search results and the FAQ results that are in the second category.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the first display page includes a first user-selectable command to display others of the keyword search results and FAQ results that are in the first category but are not displayed in the first display page.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a second display page that expands a number of the keyword search results and the FAQ results that are displayed together for the first category in response to a selection of the user-selectable command.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the first display page and the second display page each include a respective header having a user-selectable option to view questions in a user-selected category.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the second display page includes a drop-down menu to receive a user-selection of any of the plurality of categories for which an expanded number of the keyword search results and the FAQ results are to be displayed together on a subsequent display page.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the first category and the second category are determined before receiving the search query using a card sort method.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the keyword search results are provided in a first column of the first display page, and the FAQ results are provided in a second column of the first display page.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the user interface accompanies the single input field with a display of “

search or ask a question”

.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the keyword search engine performs the keyword search of contents of a Web site based on the search query to generate the keyword search results.