METHOD FOR RESOLVING FAILED SEARCH QUERIES

• US 20090089261A1
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: WAND Inc.
• Original Assignee: WAND Inc.
• Inventors: Leher, Ross A., Burinda, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US12/243,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089261A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence

Abstract

A query resolution system can be used for redirecting, refining, and/or resolving user query terms. A query resolution system may resolve and enhance user query terms, received from a user or a search portal, through providing relational matches to the user query terms using a resolver taxonomy. The resolution system may include a cross-reference map linking the resolver taxonomy with an initial taxonomy in the search portal. Utilization of the resolver system may provide the user with search results from the search portal that the user would not have seen without application of the resolver system.

Claims

1. A method to resolve queries, the method comprising:

receiving a query term from a search portal, the search portal including an initial taxonomy;

matching the query term to a first resolver category within a resolver taxonomy;

retrieving a first resolver term from the first resolver category matching the query term;

determining if the first resolver term corresponds to a first mapping term in a mapping module, the first mapping term corresponding to at least one search category in the initial taxonomy; and

transmitting, to the search portal, an identification of the corresponding search category within the initial taxonomy, which is mapped to the resolver taxonomy through the first mapping term, upon a determination that the first resolver term corresponds to the first mapping term.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a second resolver term from a second resolver category, the second resolver category relationally associated with the first resolver category, upon a determination that the first resolver term does not correspond to the first mapping term;

determining if the second resolver term corresponds to a second mapping term in the mapping module, the second mapping term corresponding to at least one search category in the initial taxonomy; and

transmitting, to the search portal, an identification of a corresponding search category within the initial taxonomy, which is mapped to the resolver taxonomy through the second mapping term, upon a determination that the second resolver term corresponds to the second mapping term.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

matching the query term to a second resolver category within the resolver taxonomy;

retrieving a second resolver term from a second resolver category matching the query term;

determining if the first resolver term corresponds to a first mapping term and if the second resolver term corresponds to a second mapping term in a mapping module; and

transmitting an identification of a corresponding first search category within an initial taxonomy which is mapped to the first resolver term and an identification of a corresponding second search category within the initial taxonomy, which is mapped to the second resolver term upon a determination that the first resolver term corresponds to the first mapping term and the second resolver term corresponds to the second mapping term.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation of receiving a query term comprises

receiving the query term from a search portal upon a determination by the search portal that the query term is not located within a search category of an initial taxonomy.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising

transmitting an identification of at least one additional term from the first resolver category relationally associated to the retrieved term from the first resolver category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first resolver category comprises

at least one term that is a variation on the spelling of the query term.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first resolver category comprises

at least one term that is a foreign language spelling of the query term.

8. A computer-readable storage medium encoding a computer program for executing on a computer system a computer process to resolve queries, the computer process comprising:

receiving a query term from a search portal, the search portal including an initial taxonomy;

matching the query term to a first resolver category within a resolver taxonomy;

retrieving a first resolver term from the first resolver category matching the query term;

determining if the first resolver term corresponds to a first mapping term in a mapping module, the first mapping term corresponding to at least one search category in the initial taxonomy; and

transmitting, to the search portal, an identification of the corresponding search category within the initial taxonomy, which is mapped to the resolver taxonomy through the first mapping term, upon a determination that the first resolver term corresponds to the first mapping term.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 further comprising:

retrieving a second resolver term from a second resolver category, the second resolver category relationally associated with the first resolver category, upon a determination that the first resolver term does not correspond to the first mapping term;

determining if the second resolver term corresponds to a second mapping term in the mapping module, the second mapping term corresponding to at least one search category in the initial taxonomy; and

transmitting, to the search portal, an identification of a corresponding search category within the initial taxonomy, which is mapped to the resolver taxonomy through the second mapping term, upon a determination that the second resolver term corresponds to the second mapping term.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 further comprising:

matching the query term to a second resolver category within the resolver taxonomy;

retrieving a second resolver term from a second resolver category matching the query term;

determining if the first resolver term corresponds to a first mapping term and if the second resolver term corresponds to a second mapping term in a mapping module; and

transmitting an identification of a corresponding first search category within an initial taxonomy which is mapped to the first resolver term and an identification of a corresponding second search category within the initial taxonomy, which is mapped to the second resolver term upon a determination that the first resolver term corresponds to the first mapping term and the second resolver term corresponds to the second mapping term.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein receiving a query term comprises

receiving the query term from a search portal upon a determination by the search portal that the query term is not located within a search category of an initial taxonomy.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 further comprising

transmitting an identification of at least one additional term from the first resolver category relationally associated to the retrieved term from the first resolver category.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first resolver category comprises

at least one term that is a variation on the spelling of the query term.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first resolver category comprises

at least one term that is a foreign language spelling of the query term.

15. A query resolution system comprising:

a memory module;

a resolver taxonomy stored in the memory module, the resolver taxonomy including at least two relationally associated resolver categories; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory module operable to;

receive a query term from a search portal, the search portal including an initial taxonomy;

match the query term to a first resolver category within a resolver taxonomy;

retrieve a first resolver term from the first resolver category matching the query term;

determine if the first resolver term corresponds to a first mapping term in a mapping module, the first mapping term corresponding to at least one search category in the initial taxonomy; and

transmit, to the search portal, an identification of the corresponding search category within the initial taxonomy, which is mapped to the resolver taxonomy through the first mapping term, upon a determination that the first resolver term corresponds to the first mapping term.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the processor is further operable to:

retrieve a second resolver term from a second resolver category, the second resolver category relationally associated with the first resolver category, upon a determination that the first resolver term does not correspond to the first mapping term;

determine if the second resolver term corresponds to a second mapping term in the mapping module, the second mapping term corresponding to at least one search category in the initial taxonomy; and

transmit, to the search portal, an identification of a corresponding search category within the initial taxonomy, which is mapped to the resolver taxonomy through the second mapping term, upon a determination that the second resolver term corresponds to the second mapping term.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to:

match the query term to a second resolver category within the resolver taxonomy;

retrieve a second resolver term from a second resolver category matching the query term;

determine if the first resolver term corresponds to a first mapping term and if the second resolver term corresponds to a second mapping term in a mapping module; and

transmit an identification of a corresponding first search category within an initial taxonomy which is mapped to the first resolver term and an identification of a corresponding second search category within the initial taxonomy, which is mapped to the second resolver term upon a determination that the first resolver term corresponds to the first mapping term and the second resolver term corresponds to the second mapping term.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive the query term from a search portal upon a determination by the search portal that the query term is not located within a search category of an initial taxonomy.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the processor is further operable to:

transmit an identification of at least one additional term from the first resolver category relationally associated to the retrieved term from the first resolver category.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein a resolver category comprises

at least one term that is a variation on the spelling of the query term.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein a resolver category comprises

at least one term that is a foreign language spelling of the query term.