IDENTIFYING EXECUTABLE SCENARIOS IN RESPONSE TO SEARCH QUERIES

• US 20080235179A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Field, Scott A., Lafornara, Philip J., Kurien, Thekkthalackal Varugis, Jackson, Steven E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for identifying executable scenario solutions relevant to a user query and returning such executable scenario solutions as search results in response to the user query are provided. Upon receiving a user query, a plurality of results is returned, each result being representative of a series of steps which may be implemented to address a particular issue relevant to the received user query. Often, a series of steps or scenario includes a number of sub-scenarios, each of which is to be executed sequentially to achieve the desired result. Accordingly, upon selection of a particular search result, the user may be guided through a series of sub-scenario result options until an item having direct association to a series of steps is selected. Once selected, the executable scenario solution is presented to the user for execution.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for identifying executable scenario solutions in response to search queries, the method comprising:

receiving a scenario-related query; and

in response to the received scenario-related query, identifying at least one selectable scenario description that corresponds to an executable scenario solution.

2. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of the selectable scenario description; and

in response to the received scenario-description selection, identifying one of at least one selectable sub-scenario description and at least one executable scenario solution, wherein the at least one selectable sub-scenario description corresponds to one or more executable sub-scenario solutions.

3. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein identifying one of at least one selectable sub-scenario description and at least one executable scenario solution comprises identifying a plurality of selectable sub-scenario descriptions, and wherein each of the plurality of selectable sub-scenario descriptions is attributed an associative rating.

4. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein identifying one of at least one selectable sub-scenario description and at least one executable scenario solution comprises identifying a plurality of selectable scenario solutions, and wherein each of the plurality of executable scenario solutions is attributed an associative rating.

5. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein identifying one of at least one selectable sub-scenario description and at least one executable scenario solution comprises identifying at least one executable scenario solution, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of the identified at least one executable scenario solution; and

determining if one or more enablers is required to execute the at least one executable scenario solution.

6. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 5, wherein if it is determined that one or more enablers is required to execute the at least one executable scenario solution, the method further comprises determining if the user has metadata associated with the one or more required enablers stored in association with a user-specific information store.

7. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 6, wherein if it is determined that the user does not have metadata associated with at least one of the one or more required enablers stored in association with the user-specific information store, the method further comprises determining if the user desires to acquire the one or more required enablers for which the user-specific information store does not have associated metadata.

8. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein if it is determined that the user does desire to acquire at least one of the one or more required enablers for which the user-specific information store does not have associated metadata, the method further comprises:

identifying a scenario query associated with each of the required enablers the user desires to acquire;

executing the identified scenario query; and

storing metadata associated with each acquired enabler in association with the user-specific information store.

9. A method for creating executable scenario solutions, the method comprising:

receiving an executable solution;

generating a scenario description that corresponds to the executable solution; and

associating the executable scenario solution and the scenario description with one another to create an executable scenario solution.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving an executable solution comprises receiving a plurality of executable sub-solutions.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a scenario query associated with the executable solution, the scenario query defining how to acquire an implementation object required for executing the associated executable solution.

12. A computerized system for receiving and executing scenario solutions, the system comprising:

a scenario solution authoring engine configured for receiving one or more solutions, generating a scenario description that corresponds to each solution received, and associating the generated scenario description with each corresponding solution;

an end-user device configured for receiving a scenario-related query; and

a server configured for receiving the scenario-related query and the solution and the associated scenario description,

wherein the scenario solution authoring engine, the end-user device, and the server are in communication with one another via a network.

13. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein the scenario solution authoring engine comprises:

a receiving module configured for receiving a plurality of solutions;

a scenario description generating module configured for generating a scenario description for each solution received by the receiving module; and

an associating module configured for associating each scenario description generated by the scenario generating module with the corresponding solution to create an executable scenario solution.

14. The computerized system of claim 13, wherein the receiving module is further configured for receiving a scenario query corresponding to at least one received solution, and wherein the associating module is further configured for associating the received scenario query with the corresponding solution.

15. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein the end-user device comprises:

a user-input module configured for receiving input of a scenario-related query;

a presentation module configured for presenting at least one scenario description and at least one scenario solution corresponding to the received scenario-related query; and

a user-specific information store configured for storing scenario-related information that is specific to a user in association therewith.

16. The computerized system of claim 15, wherein the scenario-related information that is specific to a user includes at least one of metadata associated with one or more implementation objects to which the user has access, one or more executed-scenario instances, and metadata related to a user group of which the user is a member.

17. The computerized system of claim 12, wherein the server comprises:

a receiving module configured for receiving at least one of a solution, a scenario query, and a scenario description from the scenario solution authoring engine, and further configured for receiving a scenario-related query from the end-user device; and

a determining module configured for determining at least one received scenario description that corresponds to a received scenario-related query.

18. The computerized system of claim 17, wherein the server further comprises a presentation order determining module configured for determining an order for scenario description presentation if it is determined that more than one scenario solution corresponds to the received scenario-related query.

19. The computerized system of claim 17, wherein the determining module is further configured for determining if at least one implementation object is necessary to execute the at least one scenario solution determined to correspond to the received scenario-related query.

20. The computerized system of claim 19, wherein the server further comprises a scenario query executing module configured for executing at least one scenario query if it is determined that at least one implementation object is necessary to execute the at least one scenario solution determined to correspond to the received scenario-related query.