Search system with query refinement and search method

• US 20070282811A1
• Filed: 01/03/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TextDigger, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TextDigger, Inc.
• Inventors: Musgrove, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A search system and method for searching for electronic documents, and providing a search result in response to a search query. In one embodiment, the search system includes a processor, a user interface module adapted to receive a search query from a user that includes a search query term, a search engine that electronically searches for electronic documents that satisfy the search query term, and a query processing module that identifies at least one alternative term for the search query term, and provides the alternative term to the user interface module for display to the user, and also provides the alternative term to the search engine to search for electronic documents that satisfy the alternative term.

Claims

1. A search system for searching for electronic documents, and providing a search result in response to a search query, comprising:

a processor;

a user interface module adapted to receive a search query from a user, said search query having at least one search query term;

a search engine that electronically searches for electronic documents that satisfy said at least one search query term; and

a query processing module that identifies at least one alternative term for said at least one search query term, and provides said at least one alternative term to said user interface module for display to the user, and to said search engine to search for electronic documents that satisfy said at least one alternative term.

2. The search system of claim 1, wherein said search engine executes a search based on said search query term and said alternative term simultaneously.

3. The search system of claim 1, further including a terms database having a plurality of alternative terms for said search query term, said query processing module retrieving said alternative term from said terms database.

4. The search system of claim 1, wherein said alternative term is a synonym of said search query term, and is used in a same sense as said search query term is used in said search query.

5. The search system of claim 1, wherein said user interface module is adapted to allow said at least one alternative term to be unselected and removed from searching by said search engine.

6. The search system of claim 1, wherein said at least one alternative term is a plurality of alternative terms, and said query processing module is adapted to provide only a selected number of said plurality of alternative terms to said search engine for searching, and said user interface module is adapted to display the selected alternative terms.

7. The search system of claim 6, wherein said user interface module is further adapted to display additional alternative terms not provided to said search engine for searching upon user'"'"'s selection of a link, and to allow user to select the displayed additional alternative terms to be provided to said search engine for searching.

8. The search system of claim 1, wherein said user interface module is adapted to display canonical sense in which said search query term is presumed to be used.

9. The search system of claim 8, wherein said user interface module is adapted to display alternative senses in which said search query term is used, and to allow user selection of the sense.

10. The search system of claim 8, wherein said user interface module allows user defined sense to be added to said search system for said search query term.

11. The search system of claim 1, wherein said user interface module is adapted to display domain category in which said search query term is presumed to be used.

12. The search system of claim 11, wherein said user interface module is adapted to display alternative domain categories in which said search query term is used, and to allow user selection of the domain category.

13. The search system of claim 1, wherein said user interface module is adapted to display part-of-speech in which said search query term is presumed to be used.

14. The search system of claim 13, wherein said user interface module is adapted to display alternative part-of-speech in which said search query term is used, and to allow user selection of the part-of-speech.

15. A computer implemented search method for electronically searching documents, and providing a search result in response to a search query, comprising:

receiving a search query from a user, said search query having at least one search query term;

electronically identifying at least one alternative term for said at least one search query term;

electronically displaying said identified at least one alternative term for the user; and

electronically executing a search for electronic documents that satisfy at least one of said search query term and alternative term.

16. The search method of claim 15, further including executing the search based on said search query term and said alternative term simultaneously.

17. The search method of claim 15, wherein said alternative term is a synonym of said search query term, and is used in a same sense as said search query term is used in said search query.

18. The search method of claim 15, further including unselecting the alternative term to indicate that the alternative term is not to be searched.

19. The search method of claim 15, wherein said at least one alternative term is a plurality of alternative terms, and said search method includes searching for only a selected number of said plurality of alternative terms, and displaying the selected alternative terms for the user.

20. The search method of claim 15, wherein said at least one alternative term is a plurality of alternative terms, and said search method includes selecting alternative terms to be searched, and unselecting alternative terms not to be searched.

21. The search method of claim 15, further including displaying for the user, canonical sense in which said at least one search query term is presumed to be used.

22. The search method of claim 21, further including displaying alternative senses in which said at least one search query term is used, and receiving user'"'"'s selection of at least one alternative sense.

23. The search method of claim 21, further including adding a new sense for said at least one search query term.

24. The search method of claim 15, further including displaying for the user, a domain category in which said at least one search query term is presumed to be used.

25. The search method of claim 24, further including displaying alternative domain categories in which said at least one search query term is used, and receiving user'"'"'s selection of at least one alternative domain category.

26. The search method of claim 15, further including displaying for the user, a part-of-speech in which said at least one search query term is presumed to be used.

27. The search method of claim 26, further including displaying alternative parts-of-speech in which said at least one search query term is used, and receiving user'"'"'s selection of at least one of the alternative part-of-speech.

28. A computer readable medium with executable instructions for searching for electronic documents, and providing a search result in response to a search query, comprising:

instructions for receiving a search query from a user, said search query having at least one search query term;

instructions for electronically identifying at least one alternative term for said at least one search query term;

instructions for electronically displaying said identified at least one alternative term for the user; and

instructions for electronically executing a search for electronic documents that satisfy at least one of said search query term and alternative term.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, further including instructions for executing the search based on said search query term and said alternative term simultaneously.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein said alternative term is a synonym of said search query term, and is used in a same sense as said search query term is used in said search query.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 28, further including instructions for unselecting the alternative term to indicate that the alternative term is not to be searched.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein said at least one alternative term is a plurality of alternative terms, and said medium includes instructions for searching for only a selected number of said plurality of alternative terms, and for displaying the selected alternative terms for the user.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein said at least one alternative term is a plurality of alternative terms, and said medium includes instructions for selecting alternative terms to be searched, and instructions for unselecting alternative terms not to be searched.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 28, further including instructions for displaying for the user, canonical sense in which said at least one search query term is presumed to be used.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, further including instructions for displaying alternative senses in which said at least one search query term is used, and for receiving user'"'"'s selection of at least one alternative sense.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 34, further including instructions for adding a new sense for said at least one search query term.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 28, further including instructions for displaying for the user, a domain category in which said at least one search query term is presumed to be used.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, further including instructions for displaying alternative domain categories in which said at least one search query term is used, and for receiving user'"'"'s selection of at least one alternative domain category.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 28, further including instructions for displaying for the user, a part-of-speech in which said at least one search query term is presumed to be used.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 39, further including instructions for displaying alternative parts-of-speech in which said at least one search query term is used, and for receiving user'"'"'s selection of at least one of the alternative part-of-speech.