Methods and apparatus for providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query including a sequence of ambiguous information components, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user;
obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information to convert the sequence of ambiguous information components into at least two corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
providing the at least two sequences of less ambiguous information, each of the sequences effectively being joined by a logical “
OR”
operation request, as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus consistent with the invention allow a user to submit an ambiguous search query and to receive relevant search results. In one embodiment, a sequence of numbers received from a user of a standard telephone keypad is translated into a set of potentially corresponding alphanumeric sequences. These potentially corresponding alphanumeric sequences are provided as an input to a conventional search engine, using a boolean “OR” expression, and the search results are presented to the user. The search engine effectively limits search results to those in which the user was likely interested.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query including a sequence of ambiguous information components, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user;
obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information to convert the sequence of ambiguous information components into at least two corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
providing the at least two sequences of less ambiguous information, each of the sequences effectively being joined by a logical “
OR”
operation request, as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer-implemented method of providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query including a sequence of ambiguous information components, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user;
obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information to convert the sequence of ambiguous information components into a plurality of corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
determining a subset of the plurality of sequences of less ambiguous information components by comparing the plurality of sequences of less ambiguous information components with terms used in past search queries stored in a search query log;
providing the subset of sequences of less ambiguous information components as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user.
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18. A computer-implemented method of providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, comprising:
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receiving a sequence of information components from a user, each information component corresponding to a key press;
obtaining mapping information that maps each of the key press information components to a plurality of other information components, each corresponding to the same key press;
using the mapping information to determine, from the sequence of key press information components, other sequences of information components by converting each key press information component to each of the other information components that correspond to the key press component;
providing one or more of the received sequence and the other sequences as a search query input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user, wherein the search results include references to Web page documents. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer-implemented method of providing search results to a user in response to an ambiguous search query, comprising:
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receiving at least two number words constituting a number phrase;
converting each number word into one or more letter words, based on mapping information, to generate a plurality of letter phrases, each of the letter phrases corresponding to the number phrase;
forming a search query to a search engine wherein the search query includes at least one of the letter phrases;
obtaining search results from the search engine in response to the search query; and
providing the search results to a user, wherein the search results include references to Web page documents. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query including a sequence of ambiguous information components, comprising:
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at least one memory having program instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the program instructions to perform the operations of;
receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user;
obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information to convert the sequence of ambiguous information components into at least two corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
providing the at least two sequences of less ambiguous information, each of the sequences effectively being joined by a logical “
OR”
operation request, as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine; and
presenting the search results to the user.
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29. A computer-implemented method of providing search results in response to an ambiguous search query, the ambiguous search query including a sequence of ambiguous information components, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving a sequence of ambiguous information components from a user associated with a language;
obtaining mapping information that maps the ambiguous information components to less ambiguous information components;
using the mapping information to convert the sequence of ambiguous information components into one or more corresponding sequences of less ambiguous information components;
providing one or more of the sequences of less ambiguous information as an input to a search engine;
obtaining search results from the search engine;
reordering the obtained search results using the language of the user; and
presenting the reordered search results to the user, wherein the search results include references to Web page documents.
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Specification