SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTEXT BASED QUERY AUGMENTATION

• US 20100145976A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buergener, Carrie, King, Simon P., Davis, Marc Eliot, Higgins, Christopher William, Nair, Rahul, Paretti, Christopher T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for context based query augmentation. A question is received over a network from a questioning user comprising an identification of a user and at least one question criteria. A first query is formulated so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data so as to identify user context data relevant to question criteria. The question is modified using the user context data to create at least one modified question having at least one additional criteria based on the user context data. A second query is formulated so as to search, via the network, for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user and the modified question criteria. The knowledge data is transmitted, over the network, to the questioning user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a question, over a network, from a questioning user, the question comprising an identification of a user and at least one question criteria;

formulating a first query so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the question criteria and the identified user so as to identify user context data relevant to the at least one question criteria;

modifying the question, via the network, using the user context data to create at least one modified question having at least one additional criteria based on the user context data;

formulating a second query so as to search, via the network, for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the modified question criteria and the identified user so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user and the modified question criteria;

transmitting, over the network, the identified knowledge data to the questioning user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification of a user is selected from the list:

a name, a login an email address, a user ID on a social networking website, a certified introduction from a trusted source.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification of a user refers to the questioning user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one question criteria comprise spatial, temporal, topical and social criteria.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one question criteria are related to one another using standard relational operators

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the question is stated as a natural language query.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one question criteria comprises at least one data object.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one data object is selected from the list:

image file, audio file, media object, document.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one data object is a media object captured by the questioning user in real-time.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the data object is processed to extract metadata from the object which is used in formulating the first and second queries.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the knowledge data comprises questions and answers entered by a first plurality of users.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises an identification of at least one of the first plurality of users who entered the knowledge data.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was entered.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises an identification of at least one of a second plurality of users who consumed the knowledge data.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the knowledge data for at least some questions and answers additionally comprises consumption popularity data.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the knowledge data for at least some questions and answers additionally comprises annotations.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the knowledge data for at least some answers additionally comprises ratings of the answer'"'"'s usefulness.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between the modified question criteria and the identified knowledge data.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the identified knowledge data at the time the identified knowledge data was entered.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the identified knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified knowledge data transmitted to the questioning user is filtered using user preferences.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the user preferences comprise spatial, temporal, social and topical criteria.

24. A method comprising:

receiving a question, over a network, from a questioning user, the question comprising an identification of a user and at least one question criteria;

formulating a first query so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the question criteria and the identified user so as to identify user context data relevant to the at least one question criteria;

modifying the question, via the network, using the user context data to create at least one modified question having at least one additional criteria based on the user context data;

transmitting, over the network, the at least one modified question to the questioning user;

receiving, over a network, from the questioning user, a selection of at least one of the at least one modified questions;

formulating a second query so as to search, via the network, for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the criteria of the selected at least one modified questions and the identified user so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user and the criteria of the selected at least one modified questions;

transmitting, over the network, the identified knowledge data to the questioning user.

25. A method comprising:

receiving a request for at least one suggested question, over a network, from a requesting user, the question comprising an identification of a user;

formulating a first query so as to search, via the network for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data available to the network that relates to the identified user so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user'"'"'s current context;

transmitting, over the network, the identified knowledge data to the requesting user.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the identification of a user is selected from the list:

a name, a login an email address, a user ID on a social networking website, a certified introduction from a trusted source.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the identification of a user refers to the requesting user.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the request is submitted in response to a user initiated event on the requesting user'"'"'s proxy device.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the request is automatically submitted on behalf of the requesting user in response to a trigger event.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the trigger event is the expiration of a time interval.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the trigger event is a change in the requesting user'"'"'s current context data.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the change in the requesting user'"'"'s current context data is a change in the requesting user'"'"'s current physical location.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the change in the requesting user'"'"'s current context data is a change in the state of a sensor associated with the requesting user.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein the knowledge data comprises questions and answers entered by a first plurality of users.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises an identification of at least one of the first plurality of users who entered the knowledge data.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the knowledge data at the time such knowledge data was entered.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises an identification of at least one of a second plurality of users who consumed the knowledge data.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the knowledge data for at least some questions and answers additionally comprises consumption popularity data.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein the knowledge data for at least some questions and answers additionally comprises annotations.

41. The method of claim 34 wherein the knowledge data for at least some answers additionally comprises ratings of the answer'"'"'s usefulness.

42. The method of claim 25 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between the modified question criteria and the identified knowledge data.

43. The method of claim 36 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the identified knowledge data at the time the identified knowledge data was entered

44. The method of claim 38 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the identified knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was entered.

45. The method of claim 25 wherein the identified knowledge data transmitted to the questioning user is filtered using user preferences.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the user preferences comprise spatial, temporal, social and topical criteria.

48. The method of claim 32 comprising the additional step of updating the knowledge data relating to the selected at least one questions to reflect that the selected at least one questions was selected by the requesting user.

49. The method of claim 33 wherein the knowledge data relating to the selected at least one questions is updated to reflect the number of times the question has been selected.

50. The method of claim 33 wherein the knowledge data relating to the selected at least one questions is updated to include the context data for substantially all users that have selected the question.

47. A method comprising:

receiving a request for at least one suggested question, over a network, from a requesting user, the question comprising an identification of a user;

formulating a first query so as to search, via the network for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data available to the network that relates to the identified user so as to identify at least one question relevant to the identified user'"'"'s current context;

transmitting, over the network, the identified at least one question to the requesting user;

receiving, over a network, from the requesting user, a selection of at least one of the identified at least one questions;

formulating a second query so as to search, via the network, for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the criteria of the selected at least one question and the identified user so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user and the criteria of the selected at least one questions;

transmitting, over the network, the identified knowledge data to the requesting user.

51. A system comprising:

a user manager that receives questions, over a network, from questioning users, each question comprising an identification of a user and at least one question criteria

a query analyzer manager that, for each question received by the user manager, formulates a query so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the question criteria and the identified user so as to identify user context data relevant to question criteria, wherein the query analyzer manager modifies the question, using the user context data to create at least one modified question having at least one additional criteria based on the user context data;

a question manager that, for each modified question, formulates a query so as to search, via the network, for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the modified question criteria and the identified user so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user and the modified question criteria, wherein the identified knowledge data is transmitted by the user manager, via the network, to the questioning user.

57. The system of claim 51 wherein, for at least some questions, the at least one question criteria comprises at least one data object.

61. The system of claim 51 wherein the knowledge data comprises questions and answers entered by a first plurality of users.

63. The system of claim 61 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the knowledge data at the time such knowledge data was entered.

65. The system of claim 61 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of a second plurality of users who consumed the knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

69. The system of claim 61 wherein for each modified question processed by the question manager, the identified knowledge data is ranked by the question manager based on the closeness of fit between the modified question criteria and the identified knowledge data.

70. The system of claim 61 wherein for each modified question processed by the question manager, the identified knowledge data is ranked by the question manager based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the identified knowledge data at the time the identified knowledge data was entered.

74. The system of claim 51 wherein

the user manager is further configured to transmit, over the network, modified questions to questioning users so as to allow the questioning users to select modified questions to be processed by the question manager, wherein the user manager is further configured to receive selections of modified questions from questioning users, and

the question manager is further configured to only process modified questions that have been selected by questioning users.

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71. The system of claim 64 wherein for each modified question processed by the question manager, the identified knowledge data is ranked by the question manager based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the identified knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

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75. A system comprising:

a user manager that receives requests for at least one suggested question, over a network, from requesting users, the request comprising an identification of a user;

a question manager that, for each request received by the user manager, formulate queries so as to search, via the network for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data available to the network that relates to the identified user so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user'"'"'s current context, wherein the user manager transmits, over the network, the identified knowledge data to the requesting user.

78. The system of claim 75 wherein at least some requests are transmitted to the user manager in response to a user initiated event on the requesting user'"'"'s proxy device.

79. The system of claim 75 wherein at least some requests are automatically generated by the user manager in response to a trigger event.

80. The system of claim 79 wherein the trigger event is the expiration of a time interval.

81. The system of claim 79 wherein the trigger event is a change in the requesting user'"'"'s current context data.

84. The system of claim 75 wherein the knowledge data comprises questions and answers entered by a first plurality of users.

86. The system of claim 84 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the knowledge data at the time such knowledge data was entered.

88. The system of claim 84 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of a second plurality of users who consumed the knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

92. The system of claim 75 wherein for each modified question processed by the question manager, the identified knowledge data is ranked by the question manager based on the closeness of fit between the modified question criteria and the identified knowledge data.

93. The system of claim 86 wherein for each modified question processed by the question manager, the identified knowledge data is ranked by the question manager based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the identified knowledge data at the time the identified knowledge data was entered.

94. The system of claim 88 wherein for each modified question processed by the question manager, the identified knowledge data is ranked by the question manager based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the identified knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

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97. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for method comprising the steps of:

receiving a question, over a network, from a questioning user, the question comprising an identification of a user and at least one question criteria;

formulating a first query so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the question criteria and the identified user so as to identify user context data relevant to the at least one question criteria;

modifying the question, via the network, using the user context data to create at least one modified question having at least one additional criteria based on the user context data;

formulating a second query so as to search, via the network, for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the modified question criteria and the identified user so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user and the modified question criteria;

transmitting, over the network, the identified knowledge data to the questioning user.

103. The computer-readable medium of claim 97 wherein the at least one question criteria comprises at least one data object.

107. The computer-readable medium of claim 97 wherein the knowledge data comprises questions and answers entered by a first plurality of users.

109. The computer-readable medium of claim 107 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was entered.

111. The computer-readable medium of claim 107 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

115. The computer-readable medium of claim 97 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between the modified question criteria and the identified knowledge data.

116. The computer-readable medium of claim 109 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the identified knowledge data at the time the identified knowledge data was entered.

117. The computer-readable medium of claim 111 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the identified knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

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121. A computer-readable comprising:

receiving a request for at least one suggested question, over a network, from a requesting user, the question comprising an identification of a user;

formulating a first query so as to search, via the network for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data available to the network that relates to the identified user so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user'"'"'s current context;

transmitting, over the network, the identified knowledge data to the requesting user.

124. The computer-readable medium of claim 121 wherein the request is submitted in response to a user initiated event on the requesting user'"'"'s proxy device.

125. The computer-readable medium of claim 121 wherein the request is automatically submitted on behalf of the requesting user in response to a trigger event.

126. The computer-readable medium of claim 125 wherein the trigger event is the expiration of a time interval.

127. The computer-readable medium of claim 125 wherein the trigger event is a change in the requesting user'"'"'s current context data.

130. The computer-readable medium of claim 121 wherein the knowledge data comprises questions and answers entered by a first plurality of users.

132. The computer-readable medium of claim 130 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the knowledge data at the time such knowledge data was entered.

134. The computer-readable medium of claim 130 wherein the knowledge data for each question and answer additionally comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

138. The computer-readable medium of claim 121 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between the modified question criteria and the identified knowledge data.

139. The computer-readable medium of claim 132 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the first plurality of users who entered the identified knowledge data at the time the identified knowledge data was entered.

140. The computer-readable medium of claim 134 wherein the identified knowledge data is ranked based on the closeness of fit between social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data that is available, via the network, that relates to the identified user and the spatial, temporal, social and topical data that related to each of the second plurality of users who consumed the identified knowledge data at the time the knowledge data was consumed.

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