SUPPORT FOR REVERSE AND STEMMED HIT-HIGHLIGHTING

• US 20080177717A1
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kumar, Girish, Sareen, Gaurav, Douglas, Jason, Middha, Bhuvan, Cucerzan, Silviu Petru, Crumb, Janine
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Computerized methods and systems for generating a suggested query list with suggested search terms displayed as highlighted text utilizing a user-defined query are provided. Query search terms are received by a user-interface display. Upon inputting query search terms, the user-interface automatically generates a suggested query list. The suggested query list is associated with the query search term and the suggested query list is comprised of at least one suggested search term. A query suggestion architecture determines if the query search term and the suggested search term are a match, and if so, highlights the suggested search term that is not a match. The user interface displays the highlighted terms to assist in refining a search. The present invention further provides a stemming algorithm that extracts the root form of the query search term.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method for highlighting at least one suggested search term utilizing at least one query search term, the method comprising:

receiving the at least one query search term;

automatically generating a suggested query list, the suggested query list being associated with the at least one query search term, wherein the suggested query list is comprised of the at least one suggested search term;

determining if the at least one query search term and the at least one suggested search term are a match; and

highlighting the at least one suggested search term that is not a match.

2. The media of claim 1, further comprising stemming the at least one query search term to a root form of the at least one query search term.

3. The media of claim 2, further comprising:

determining if the root form of the at least one query search term and the at least one suggested search term are a match; and

highlighting the at least one suggested search term that is not a match.

4. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

appending a tag to the at least one suggested search term that is not a match; and

displaying the least one suggested search term with the tag associated therewith as a highlighted text.

5. The media of claim 4, wherein a bold font is imposed on the highlighted text.

6. The media of claim 4, wherein an italicized font is imposed on the highlighted text.

7. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

compiling a data structure comprised of alternate queries from other users, wherein each alternate query is comprised of the at least one suggested search term; and

populating the suggested query list with the alternate queries from the data structure.

8. The media of claim 1, further comprising displaying a search results Web page with the suggested query list.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein the displayed suggested query list includes the highlighted text.

10. The media of claim 8, wherein the search results Web page has a Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) body code, the HTML body code is configured to display the at least one suggested search term with a tag associated therewith as highlighted text.

11. A computer system for generating suggested query list with highlighted text utilizing at least one query search term, the system comprising:

a query receiving module configured to receive the at least one query search term;

a query suggestion list generating module configured to generate the suggested query list, wherein the suggested query list being associated with the at least one query search term, the suggested query list having at least one suggested search term;

a query matching module configured to determine if the at least one query search term and the at least one suggested search term are a match; and

a highlighting module configured to highlight in a display the at least one suggested search term that is not a match.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising a root form extracting module configured to stem the at least one query search term to a root form of the query search term.

13. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising a query search term capturing module configured to separate and normalize the at least one query search term associated with an initial query text as input by a user.

14. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising a query suggestion building module configured to compile a data structure comprised of one or more alternate queries, the alternate queries being input by a previous user.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the query suggestion list generating module is configured to populate the suggested query list with the one or more alternate queries, the one or more alternate queries being located within the data structure.

16. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising a display module configured to display the suggested query list in a search results Web page.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the suggested query list includes highlighted text that is associated with the at least one suggested search term that is not a match.

18. A computerized method for highlighting at least one suggested search term associated with at least one query search term, the method comprising:

receiving the at least one query search term;

populating a suggested query list from a data structure with the at least one suggested search term;

determining if the at least one query search term and the at least one suggested search term are a match; and

highlighting the at least one suggested search term that is not a match.

19. The computerized method of claim 18, wherein highlighting the at least one suggested search term that is not a match comprises:

appending a tag to the at least one suggested search term that is not a match; and

displaying a search results Web page with the at least one suggested search term with a tag associated therewith as highlighted text.

20. The computerized method of claim 19, wherein a font, distinctive from the fonts displayed on the search results Web page, is imposed on the highlighted text.