System and method for browser context based search disambiguation using existing category taxonomy

• US 20070239734A1
• Filed: 04/06/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jania, Frank, Arellanes, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/353 into predefined classes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for context based search disambiguation using existing category taxonomy. A client provides additional cues for search term disambiguation through the context of the specific user'"'"'s browser. A bookmark or favorites data structure is sent along with the search term(s) to be disambiguated. The bookmark data structure acts as pre-existing category taxonomy for a clustering search engine to classify the results of the search. A viewed content history may also be sent along with the search terms to be disambiguated. The viewed content history acts as a cue to a clustering search engine to display as more relevant the results that are classified in the same category as the pages sent along with the search terms.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

receive a search query from a requesting user;

obtain a search result set comprising a plurality of data elements that satisfy the search query;

receive a bookmark data structure;

classify the search result set using the bookmark data structure to generate a clustered result set, wherein the clustered result set comprises the plurality of data elements clustered into a plurality of categories and wherein the plurality of categories are defined by a bookmark data structure; and

return the clustered result set to the requesting user.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the bookmark data structure comprises a hierarchy of folders and wherein at least one folder in the hierarchy of folders has at least one bookmark stored therein.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein at least one folder in the hierarchy of folders has at least one subfolder.

4. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

present the clustered result set to the requesting user according to the hierarchy of folders.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

present the clustered result set to the requesting user;

present a selectable control in association with a given data element in the clustered result set; and

responsive to the requesting user selecting the selectable control, store a bookmark for the given data element within a corresponding folder or subfolder in the bookmark data structure.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program is a browser plug-in.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program is a proxy server.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program is a search front end.

5. The computer program product 1, wherein the bookmark data structure is maintained by a Web browser.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory contains instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute a search disambiguation component to;

receive a search query from a requesting user;

obtain a search result set comprising a plurality of data elements that satisfy the search query;

receive a bookmark data structure;

classify the search result set using the bookmark data structure to generate a clustered result set, wherein the clustered result set comprises the plurality of data elements clustered into a plurality of categories and wherein the plurality of categories are defined by a bookmark data structure; and

return the clustered result set to the requesting user.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the search disambiguation component is a browser plug-in.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the search disambiguation component is a proxy server.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the search disambiguation component is a search front end.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the bookmark data structure comprises a hierarchy of folders and wherein at least one folder in the hierarchy of folders has at least one bookmark stored therein and wherein at least one folder in the hierarchy of folders has at least one subfolder.

15. A method, in a data processing system, for search disambiguation, the method comprising:

receiving a search query from a requesting user;

obtaining a search result set comprising a plurality of data elements that satisfy the search query;

receiving a bookmark data structure;

classifying the search result set using the bookmark data structure to generate a clustered result set, wherein the clustered result set comprises the plurality of data elements clustered into a plurality of categories and wherein the plurality of categories are defined by a bookmark data structure; and

returning the clustered result set to the requesting user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the bookmark data structure comprises a hierarchy of folders and wherein at least one folder in the hierarchy of folders has at least one bookmark stored therein.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one folder in the hierarchy of folders has at least one subfolder.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

presenting the clustered result set to the requesting user according to the hierarchy of folders.