Integration of multiple query revision models

• US 20060230022A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailey, David R., Battle, Alexis J., Nayak, P. Pandurang, Gomes, Benedict A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

An information retrieval system includes a query revision architecture that integrates multiple different query revisers, each implementing one or more query revision strategies. A revision server receives a user'"'"'s query, and interfaces with the various query revisers, each of which generates one or more potential revised queries. The revision server evaluates the potential revised queries, and selects one or more of them to provide to the user.

Claims

1. A method of providing revised queries for an original query using a plurality of query revision strategies, the method comprising:

receiving the original query;

generating a plurality of potential revised queries for the original query using the plurality of query revision strategies;

selecting a subset of the plurality of potential revised queries as revised queries; and

providing access to the revised queries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the original query is received from a front-end server as entered by a client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein results of the original query are returned to the client by the front-end server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the plurality of potential revised queries comprises:

providing the original query to revisers implementing the plurality of query revision strategies; and

receiving from each of the revisers one or more of the plurality of potential revised queries.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a confidence measure is received with each of the one or more of the plurality of potential revised queries.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the subset of the plurality of potential revised queries comprises:

sorting the plurality of potential revised queries by confidence measure to create a ranking of the plurality of potential revised queries.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

obtaining search results for each of the plurality of potential revised queries; and

selecting the revised queries from the plurality of potential revised queries by evaluating the search results.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting the revised queries comprises selecting one or more of the revised queries wherein:

the search results for the potential revised query includes a minimum number of search results;

the search results for the potential revised query includes a minimum number of new top results; and

the selected revised queries do not exceed a predetermined maximum number.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the minimum number of search results is 1, the minimum number of new top results is 2, and the predetermined maximum number is 4.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein obtaining search results for each of the plurality of potential revised queries comprises:

providing the plurality of potential revised queries to a search engine; and

receiving the results of the plurality of potential revised queries from the search engine.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of query revision strategies include at least one of the group comprised of broadening, refining, syntactical revising, and session-based revising.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the access is via a link, displayed on a results page for the original query, to the revised queries.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the link provides access to a page of revised queries.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a location of the display on the results page for the original query depends on a confidence measure associated with the revised queries.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the access is via display on a results page for the original query.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the plurality of query revision strategies include at least one of the group comprised of broadening, refining, syntactical revising, and session-based revising.

16. A method of providing revised queries for an original query using a plurality of query revision strategies, the method comprising:

receiving the original query;

providing the original query to revisers implementing a plurality of query revision strategies;

receiving from each of the revisers one or more potential revised queries for the original query;

sorting the potential revised queries by confidence measure to create a ranking of the potential revised queries;

obtaining search results for each of the potential revised queries;

selecting the revised queries from the potential revised queries by evaluating the search results; and

providing access to the revised queries.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of query revision strategies include at least one of the group comprised of broadening, refining, syntactical revising, and session-based revising.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the access is via a link;

displayed on a results page for the original query, to the revised queries.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the access is via display on a results page for the original query.

20. A method of providing revised queries for an original query using a plurality of query revision strategies, the method comprising:

receiving the original query;

providing the original query to revisers implementing a plurality of query revision strategies;

receiving from each of the revisers one or more of a plurality of potential revised queries for the original query;

sorting the plurality of potential revised queries by confidence measure to create a ranking of the plurality of potential revised queries;

providing the plurality of potential revised queries to a search engine;

receiving the results of the plurality of potential revised queries from the search engine;

obtaining search results for each of the plurality of potential revised queries; and

selecting the revised queries from the plurality of potential revised queries by maintaining each of the plurality of potential revised queries, beginning at the top of the ranking, if specified conditions are met, the conditions comprising;

the search results for a selected revised query from the plurality of potential revised queries produce a minimum number of search results;

the search results for the selected revised query; and

the selected revised query does not cause a total number of revised queries to exceed a predetermined maximum number; and

providing access to the revised queries via a link displayed on a results page for the original query.

21. A computer readable memory storing a computer program executable by a processor, the computer program producing a user interface for, given an original query, providing one or more revised queries, the user interface comprising:

a first area for displaying an original query and a list of results associated with the original query; and

a second area, displayed concurrently with the first area, for displaying a link to a set of revised queries.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the link to the set of revised queries is displayed at the bottom of the list of results associated with the original query.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the link to the set of revised queries is displayed above the original query.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the location of the second area with respect to the first area is determined using a score associated with the set of revised queries.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the appearance of the link is based on the score.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising an executable process that responds to a click on the link to the set of revised queries to display a third area with the set of revised queries and a list of results associated with each revised query.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the set of revised queries are generated by selecting a subset of a plurality of potential revised queries generated using a plurality of query revision strategies.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein selecting the subset of the plurality of potential revised queries comprises:

sorting the plurality of potential revised queries by confidence measure to create a ranking of the plurality of potential revised queries.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

obtaining search results for each of the plurality of potential revised queries; and

selecting the revised queries from the plurality of potential revised queries by evaluating the search results.

31. A computer program product for providing revised queries for an original query using a plurality of query revision strategies, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

computer program code, coded on the medium, for;

receiving the original query;

generating a plurality of potential revised queries for the original query using the plurality of query revision strategies;

selecting a subset of the plurality of potential revised queries as revised queries; and

providing access to the revised queries.

32. A computer program product for providing revised queries for an original query using a plurality of query revision strategies, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

computer program code, coded on the medium, for;

receiving the original query;

providing the original query to revisers implementing a plurality of query revision strategies;

receiving from each of the revisers one or more potential revised queries for the original query;

sorting the potential revised queries by confidence measure to create a ranking of the potential revised queries;

obtaining search results for each of the potential revised queries;

selecting the revised queries from the potential revised queries by evaluating the search results; and

providing access to the revised queries.

33. A computer program product for providing revised queries for an original query using a plurality of query revision strategies, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

computer program code, coded on the medium, for;

receiving the original query;

providing the original query to revisers implementing a plurality of query revision strategies;

receiving from each of the revisers one or more of a plurality of potential revised queries for the original query;

sorting the plurality of potential revised queries by confidence measure to create a ranking of the plurality of potential revised queries;

providing the plurality of potential revised queries to a search engine;

receiving the results of the plurality of potential revised queries from the search engine;

obtaining search results for each of the plurality of potential revised queries; and

selecting the revised queries from the plurality of potential revised queries by maintaining each of the plurality of potential revised queries, beginning at the top of the ranking, if specified conditions are met, the conditions comprising;

the search results for a selected revised query from the plurality of potential revised queries produce a minimum number of search results;

the search results for the selected revised query; and

the selected revised query does not cause a total number of revised queries to exceed a predetermined maximum number; and

providing access to the revised queries via a link displayed on a results page for the original query.

34. A system for providing revised queries for an original query using a plurality of query revision strategies, the system comprising:

means for receiving the original query;

means for generating a plurality of potential revised queries for the original query using the plurality of query revision strategies;

means for selecting a subset of the plurality of potential revised queries as revised queries; and

means for providing access to the revised queries.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the system is customizable for specific subject matter domains.

36. A system for providing revised queries for an original query using a plurality of query revision strategies, the system comprising:

means for receiving the original query;

means for providing the original query to revisers implementing a plurality of query revision strategies;

means for receiving from each of the revisers one or more potential revised queries for the original query;

means for sorting the potential revised queries by confidence measure to create a ranking of the potential revised queries;

means for obtaining search results for each of the potential revised queries;

means for selecting the revised queries from the potential revised queries by evaluating the search results; and

means for providing access to the revised queries.

37. A system for providing revised queries for an original query using a plurality of query revision strategies, the system comprising:

means for receiving the original query;

means for providing the original query to revisers implementing a plurality of query revision strategies;

means for receiving from each of the revisers one or more of a plurality of potential revised queries for the original query;

means for sorting the plurality of potential revised queries by confidence measure to create a ranking of the plurality of potential revised queries;

means for providing the plurality of potential revised queries to a search engine;

means for receiving the results of the plurality of potential revised queries from the search engine;

means for obtaining search results for each of the plurality of potential revised queries; and

means for selecting the revised queries from the plurality of potential revised queries by maintaining each of the plurality of potential revised queries, beginning at the top of the ranking, if specified conditions are met, the conditions comprising;

the search results for a selected revised query from the plurality of potential revised queries produce a minimum number of search results;

the search results for the selected revised query; and

the selected revised query does not cause a total number of revised queries to exceed a predetermined maximum number; and

means for providing access to the revised queries via a link displayed on a results page for the original query.