METHOD AND SYSTEM TO TRANSFORM UNSTRUCTURED INFORMATION

• US 20110082872A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Leon, Jean-Michel, Monier, Louis Marcel Gino, Foster, Benjamin David, Arora, Aditya, Sundaranatha, Venkat, Loftus, Josh, Shah, Seema
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3331 Query processing

Abstract

There is provided methods and systems to transform unstructured information into structured information. First, the system accesses a rule specifying a condition for assigning data to the data item, the condition based on the content of the data item, the assigned data to provide structure to the data item. Second, based on a detecting that the condition has been met, the system applies the rule to assign the assigned data to the data item. Third, the system stores, in a database, the data item and the assigned data as the data item structured information.

Claims

1. A method of transforming a data item into data item structured information, the method comprising:

accessing, using a processor, a rule specifying a condition for assigning data to the data item, the condition based on the content of the data item, the assigned data to provide structure to the data item;

based on a detecting that the condition has been met, applying the rule to assign the assigned data to the data item; and

storing, in a database, the data item and the assigned data as the data item structured information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigned data is an aspect-value pair or a domain-value pair.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data item is a listing describing a product or a service.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the listing includes at least one of a title, a description, a category, and a data item identification number.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, in a search index, the assignment of the assigned data to the data item, the storing including associating the assigned data with a data item identification number corresponding to the data item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing of the rule includes receiving the rule from a database as classification information or metadata information.

7. A system of transforming a data item into data item structured information, the method comprising:

a classification service engine to access a rule specifying a condition for assigning data to the data item, the condition based on the content of the data item, the assigned data to provide structure to the data item;

the classification service engine to, based on a detecting that the condition has been met, apply the rule to assign the assigned data to the data item; and

the classification engine to store, in a database, the data item and the assigned data as the data item structured information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the assigned data is an aspect-value pair or a domain-value pair.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the data item is a listing describing a product or a service.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the listing includes at least one of a title, a description, a category, and a data item identification number.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the classification service engine is further to store, in a search index, the assignment of the assigned data to the data item, the storing including associating the assigned data with a data item identification number corresponding to the data item.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the accessing of the rule includes receiving the rule from a database as classification information or metadata information.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

accessing a rule specifying a condition for assigning data to the data item, the condition based on the content of the data item, the assigned data to provide structure to the data item;

based on a detecting that the condition has been met, applying the rule to assign the assigned data to the data item; and

storing, in a database, the data item and the assigned data as the data item structured information.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the assigned data is an aspect-value pair or a domain-value pair.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the data item is a listing describing a product or a service.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the listing includes at least one of a title, a description, a category, and a data item identification number.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising storing, in a search index, the assignment of the assigned data to the data item, the storing including associating the assigned data with a data item identification number corresponding to the data item.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the accessing of the rule includes receiving the rule from a database as classification information or metadata information.