SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAINTENANCE OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE AND COMMUNITY EDITING

• US 20090248659A1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCool, Rob, Albers, Michael W., Walther, Eckart, Wroblewski, Luke
• Granted Patent: US 10,482,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for asking and searching for the answer to given questions, retrieving answers to such questions, as well as presenting such answers in a user-generated content style framework on a search engine. The system of the present invention comprises a question processor, operative to determine whether a question entered by a user has been previously answered, an answer data store storing answers to previously asked questions stored therein, an answer repository storing questions not yet answered by another user, and an editor tool operative to format an answer stored in the answer data store into user-generated content style and migrate the answer to a user-generated content style web page.

Claims

1. A system for asking and searching for answers to a given question on a search engine, the system comprising:

a question processor, operative to determine whether a question entered by a user has been previously answered;

an answer data store storing answers to previously asked questions stored therein;

an answer repository storing questions not yet answered by another user; and

an editor tool operative to format an answer stored in the answer data store into user-generated content style and migrate the answer to a user-generated content style web page.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the question processor is further operative to determine whether a question entered by a user is similar to a different question that has been previously answered.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the editor tool is further operative to group together and format one or more related questions and answers into a single user-generated content style web page.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the editor tool is further operative to provide an edit summary to describe changes made to a user-generated content style web page.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the editor tool is further operative to restore a previous version of a user-generated content style web page.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-generated content style comprises Wikimedia.

7. A method for asking and searching for an answer to a given question on a search engine, the method comprising:

categorizing a question under one or more topics;

opening the question to be answered by another user;

receiving one or more answers to the question within a given time period;

selecting a best answer from the one or more answers to the question;

formatting the question and the best answer to a user-generated content style; and

migrating the question and the best answer to a user-generated content style web page.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein categorizing the question further comprises categorizing the question under one or more subtopics.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein one or more questions are formatted and migrated to a user-generated content style web page.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein one or more best answers are formatted and migrated to a user-generated content style web page.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein formatting further comprises creating context in narrative form.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the user-generated content style comprises Wikimedia.

13. Computer readable media comprising program code for execution by a programmable processor to perform a method for asking and searching for an answer to a given question on a search engine, the program code comprising:

program code for categorizing a question under one or more topics;

program code for opening the question to be answered by another user;

program code for receiving one or more answers to the question within a given time period;

program code for selecting a best answer from the one or more answers to the question;

program code for formatting the question and the best answer to a user-generated content style; and

program code for migrating the question and the best answer to a user-generated content style web page;

14. The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein program code for categorizing the question further comprises program code for categorizing the question under one or more subtopics.

15. The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein one or more questions are formatted and migrated to a user-generated content style web page.

16. The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein a plurality of best answers are formatted and migrated to a user-generated content style web page.

17. The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein program code for formatting further comprises program code for creating context in narrative form.

18. The computer readable media of claim 13 wherein the user-generated content style comprises Wikimedia.