Method and system for querying information

• US 20100179948A1
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Ou, Wenwu, Xie, Yuheng
• Granted Patent: US 8,898,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

Performing a query includes receiving a user input, determining a first set of query keywords based at least in part on the user input, obtaining, based on at least some of the first set of query keywords, a user feedback log that includes historical query results, determining a second set of query keywords based on the user feedback log, and making a query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords.

Claims

1. A method of performing a query, comprising:

receiving a user input;

determining a first set of query keywords based at least in part on the user input;

obtaining, based on at least some of the first set of query keywords, a user feedback log that includes historical query results;

determining a second set of query keywords based on the user feedback log; and

making a query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning a query result; and

updating a user feedback database with the query result.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is partitioned into a plurality of partitioned words based on context, and the first set of query keywords includes the plurality of partitioned words.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first set of query keywords includes one or more words that are adjacent to at least some of the plurality of partitioned words, one or more words that include at least a portion of the plurality of partitioned words, one or more words that include at least a partitioned word in the plurality of partitioned words, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user feedback log includes a historical query result obtained using at least some of the first set of query keywords as a query target.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user feedback log includes a selection frequency.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the selection frequency is determined based at least in part on:

click frequencies on the historical query results, display frequencies on the historical query results, reading time on the historical query results, importance of the historical query results, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of query keywords includes one or more latent words that correspond to the first set of query keywords, the latent words having latent meanings with respect to the first set of query keywords.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein making the query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords includes sending the at least some of the second set of query keywords to a search engine.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a user characteristic of a user who generated the user input;

and wherein the user feedback log is obtained at least in part according to the user characteristic.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a user characteristic of a user who generated the user input;

and wherein the second set of query keywords is obtained at least in part according to the user characteristic.

12. A query system comprising:

an interface configured to receive a user input;

one or more processors coupled to the interface, configured to;

determine a first set of query keywords based at least in part on the user input;

obtain, based on at least some of the first set of query keywords, a user feedback log that includes historical query results;

determine second set of query keywords based on the user feedback log; and

make a query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords; and

one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, configured to provide the processors with instructions.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

returning a query result; and

updating a user feedback database with the query result.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user input is partitioned into a plurality of partitioned words based on context, and the first set of query keywords includes the plurality of partitioned words.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first set of query keywords includes one or more words that are adjacent to at least some of the plurality of partitioned words, one or more words that include at least a portion of the plurality of partitioned words, one or more words that include at least a partitioned word in the plurality of partitioned words, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the user feedback log includes a historical query result obtained using at least some of the first set of query keywords as a query target.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the user feedback log includes a selection frequency.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the selection frequency is determined based at least in part on:

click frequencies on the historical query results, display frequencies on the historical query results, reading time on the historical query results, importance of the historical query results, or a combination thereof.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the second set of query keywords includes one or more latent words that correspond to the first set of query keywords, the latent words having latent meanings with respect to the first set of query keywords.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein making the query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords includes sending the at least some of the second set of query keywords to a search engine.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain a user characteristic of a user who generated the user input;

and wherein the user feedback log is obtained at least in part according to the user characteristic.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain a user characteristic of a user who generated the user input;

and wherein the second set of query keywords is obtained at least in part according to the user characteristic.