Augmented Search With Error Detection and Replacement

• US 20080091650A1
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kraft, Reiner, Josifovski, Vanja, Fontoura, Marcus Felipe
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

In an example embodiment, the present invention provides methods and logic for enhancing augmented search, including contextual search, conducted by a search engine. In some instances, a contextual search might return a set of results that are less relevant than the set of results returned by algorithmic search. This might occur when the quantity of contextual information is very large or when the contextual information includes misspellings. An embodiment of the present invention detects such occurrences and corrects the set of results provided to the user by merging a ranked set of results from the contextual search with a ranked set of results from an algorithmic search. During this merge process, an embodiment of the present invention replaces irrelevant results from the contextual search with results from the algorithmic search if the latter results fall within the context used for the contextual search. Embodiments of the present invention might also be used to enhance, in a similar fashion, personalized search and other forms of augmented search.

Claims

1. A method, for providing relevant search results to a query, comprising:

receiving a query comprising one or more search terms;

obtaining a context corresponding to the query;

obtaining a first search result set based on an algorithmic search using one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtaining a second search result set based on a contextual search using the context and one or more of the search terms in the query;

merging the first and second search result sets into a merged result set, wherein the results in the first result set are conditionally excluded based on a threshold similarity to the context; and

transmitting the merged result set as a response to the query.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the context is obtained from the user or from a history corresponding to the user.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the results sets are ordered based upon a value of a ranking parameter.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of merging the search results ends upon achieving a threshold number of merged search results.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of merging the search results comprises one or more steps from the merge sort algorithm.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising

displaying at least a portion of the merged result set to the user.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the result set of the second search is discarded in favor of the result set from the first search if a threshold number of results from the first search are similar to the context.

8. A method, for providing relevant search results to a user, comprising:

receiving a query comprising one or more search terms;

obtaining a profile from the user or from data relating to the user;

obtaining a first search result set based on an algorithmic search using one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtaining a second search result set based on a personalized search using the profile and one or more of the search terms in the query;

merging the first and second search result sets into a merged result set, wherein the results in the first result set are conditionally excluded based on the profile; and

transmitting the merged result set as a response to the query.

9. A method, for providing relevant search results to a query, comprising:

receiving a query comprising one or more search terms;

obtaining a context corresponding to the query;

obtaining a profile from the user or from data relating to the user;

obtaining a first search result set based on an algorithmic search using one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtaining a second search result set based on a contextual search using the context and one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtaining a third search result set based on a personalized search using the profile and one or more of the search terms in the query; and

merging the first, second, and third search result sets into a merged result set, wherein the results in the first result are conditionally excluded based on a threshold similarity to the context or based on the profile; and

transmitting the merged result set as a response to the query.

10. A method, for providing relevant search results to a user, comprising:

receiving a query from the user comprising one or more search terms;

obtaining augmenting data;

obtaining a first search result set based on an algorithmic search using one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtaining a second search result set based on an augmented search using the augmenting data and one or more of the search terms in the query;

merging the first and second search result sets into a merged result set, wherein the results in the first result set are conditionally excluded based on a threshold measure involving the augmenting data; and

transmitting the merged result set as a response to the query.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the augmenting data is obtained from the user or from a history corresponding to the user.

12. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution on a data processing system, wherein the logic when executed is operable to:

receive a query from the user comprising one or more search terms;

obtain a context corresponding to the query;

obtain a first search result set based on an algorithmic search using one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtain a second search result set based on an contextual search using the context and one or more of the search terms in the query; and

merge the first and second search result sets into a merged result set, wherein the results in the first result set are conditionally excluded based on a threshold similarity to the context; and

transmit the merged result set as a response to the query.

13. Logic, according to claim 12, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to obtain the context from the user or from a history corresponding to the user.

14. Logic, according to claim 12, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to end the merge of the search results upon achieving a threshold number of merged search results.

15. Logic, according to claim 12, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to order the results sets based upon a value of a ranking parameter.

16. Logic, according to claim 12, wherein the logic to merge the search results further comprises one or more steps from the merge sort algorithm.

17. Logic, according to claim 12, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to:

display at least a portion of the merged result set to the user.

18. Logic, according to claim 12, wherein the second result set is discarded in favor of the first result set if a threshold number of results from the first search are similar to the context.

19. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution on a data processing system, wherein the logic when executed is operable to:

receive a query from the user comprising one or more search terms;

obtain a profile from the user or from data relating to the user;

obtain a first search result set based on an algorithmic search using one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtain a second search result set based on a personalized search using the profile and one or more of the search terms in the query;

merge the first and second search result sets into a merged result set, wherein the results in the first result set are conditionally excluded based on the profile; and

transmit the merged result set as a response to the query.

20. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution on a data processing system, wherein the logic when executed is operable to:

receive a query from the user comprising one or more search terms;

obtain a context corresponding to the query;

obtain a profile from the user or from data relating to the user;

obtain a first search result set based on an algorithmic search using one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtain a second search result set based on a contextual search using the context and one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtain a third search result set based on a personalized search using the profile and one or more of the search terms in the query; and

merge the first, second, and third search result sets into a merged result set, wherein the results in the first result set are conditionally excluded based on a threshold similarity to the context or based on the profile.

transmit the merged result set as a response to the query.

21. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution on a data processing system, wherein the operable logic comprises:

means to receive a query from the user comprising one or more search terms;

means to obtain a context corresponding to the query;

means to obtain a first search result set based on an algorithmic search using one or more of the search terms in the query;

means to obtain a second search result set based on a contextual search using the context and one or more of the search terms in the query;

means to merge the first and second search result sets into a merged result set, wherein the results in the first result set are conditionally excluded based on a threshold similarity to the context; and

transmit the merged result set as a response to the query.

22. Logic according to claim 21, wherein the operable logic further comprises

means for obtaining a context from the user or from a history corresponding to the user.

23. Logic according to claim 21, wherein the operable logic further comprises:

means for displaying at least a portion of the merged result set to the user.

24. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution on a data processing system, wherein the logic when executed is operable to:

receive a query from the user comprising one or more search terms;

obtain augmenting data;

obtain a first search result set based on an algorithmic search using one or more of the search terms in the query;

obtain a second search result set based on augmented search using the augmenting data and one or more of the search terms in the query;

merge the first and second search result sets into a merged result set, wherein the results in the first result set are conditionally excluded based on a threshold measure involving the augmenting data; and

transmitting the merged result set as a response to the query.

25. Logic, according to claim 24, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to obtain the augmenting data from the user or from a history corresponding to the user.