Automated content categorization

• US 20070027861A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Stephen, Lee, Eugene, Huentelman, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/353 into predefined classes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

When a user submits a content resource to a content database, an automated content categorizer facilitates the task by suggesting a list of relevant content categories in the content database. The automated content categorizer receives a search descriptor attributed to the content resource, performs a relevance search, and proposes a ranked list of category branches that are expected to provide a good match with the described content resource. Metadata associated with individual categories and content resources stored in the content database are searched relative to the search descriptor provided by the user. From the proposed content categories, the user can simply select the category he or she feels is most appropriate and store the content resource under that category in the content database, or propose a new category.

Claims

1. A method of suggesting a relevant content category within a taxonomy of a content database in association with a submitted content resource, the method comprising:

executing a relevance search on metadata associated with content resources stored in the content database, the relevance search being based on a search descriptor attributed to the submitted content resource and returning search results that reference a plurality of content categories and associated content resources;

ranking each content category in the search results based on the relevance of the associated content resource metadata to the search descriptor;

presenting at least one of the ranked content categories as the relevant content category.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating an index of the metadata associated with the content resources stored in the content database.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating an index of the metadata associated with the content resources stored in the content database and of metadata data associated with the one or more content categories of the taxonomy of the content database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the search results further reference a content resource associated with each one or more content categories and the ranking operation comprises:

ranking the content categories based on a relevance designation returned by the relevance search.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the search results further reference a content resource associated with each one or more content categories and the ranking operation comprises:

ranking the content categories based on a relevance designation return by the relevance search and on a weighting that favors satisfaction of search criteria by multiple content resources within a single content category.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating metadata stored in association with the submitted content resource in the content database based on user input.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process implementing the method of claim 1.

8. A method of inserting a proposed category into a taxonomy of a content database, the method comprising:

executing a relevance search on metadata associated with content categories within the taxonomy of the content database, the relevance search being based on a search descriptor attributed to a proposed content category and returning search results that reference a plurality of content categories;

ranking each content category in the search results based on the relevance of the associated content category metadata to the search descriptor;

receiving selection of one of the ranked content categories;

storing the proposed content category under the selected content category within the taxonomy of the content database.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

storing a submitted content resource under the proposed content category in the content database.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the search descriptor is attributed to both the proposed content category and a submitted content resource stored under the proposed content category in the content database.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating an index of the metadata associated with the content resources stored in the content database.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating an index of the metadata associated with the content resources stored in the content database and of metadata data associated with the one or more content categories of the taxonomy of the content database.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the search results further reference a content resource associated with each one or more content categories and the ranking operation comprises:

ranking the content categories based on a relevance designation returned by the relevance search.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the search results further reference a content resource associated with each one or more content categories and the ranking operation comprises:

ranking the content categories based on a relevance designation return by the relevance search and on a weighting that favors satisfaction of search criteria by multiple content resources within a single content category.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating metadata stored in association with a submitted content resource stored under the proposed content category in the content database, based on user input.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating metadata stored in association with a submitted content category stored under the proposed content category in the content database, based on user input.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process implementing the method of claim 8.

18. A system for suggesting a relevant content category within a taxonomy of a content database in association with a submitted content resource, the system comprising:

a search engine that executes a relevance search on metadata associated with content resources stored in the content database, the relevance search being based on a search descriptor attributed to the submitted content resource and returning search results that reference a plurality of content categories and associated content resources;

a ranking engine that ranks each content category in the search results based on the relevance of the associated content resource metadata to the search descriptor; and

a user interface that receives selection of one of the ranked content categories as the relevant content category.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a database engine that stores the submitted content resource under the selected content category in the content database.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the user interface further receives user input from which to generate metadata stored in association with the submitted content resource in the content database