METHOD AND SYSTEM TO GUIDE FORMULATIONS OF QUESTIONS FOR DIGITAL INVESTIGATION ACTIVITIES

• US 20110282892A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Lagos, Nikolaos, Hairon, Nicolas, Grasso, Maria Antonietta, Castellani, Stefania, Roulland, Frederic
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/766
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation

Abstract

A system and method for guiding a user in building a query are disclosed. The method includes providing an interaction space in which a user formulates a query using a plurality of query building blocks selected from a predefined set of query building blocks. The user'"'"'s formulation of the query is guided. Guiding selection of at least a next building block is provided by at least one of a content-based mechanism which limits the selection of the next building block to those which will yield at least one result from an indexed collection of documents, a structure-based selection mechanism which limits the selection of the next building block to those which meet a predefined grammar, and a usage-based selection mechanism which proposes a next building block based on patterns of building blocks used in building prior queries. Each of these guidance mechanisms may be provided with the result that the next block proposed is informed by each of the mechanisms.

Claims

1. A method for guiding a user in building a query comprising:

providing an interaction space in which a user formulates a query using a plurality of query building blocks selected from a predefined set of query building blocks, wherein selectable ones of the query building blocks are displayed in the interaction space;

guiding the user'"'"'s formulation of the query including, when at least one building block has been selected by the user for formulating the query, guiding selection of at least a next building block by at least one of;

a content-based mechanism which limits the selection of the next building block to those which will yield at least one result from an indexed collection of documents,

a structure-based selection mechanism which limits the selection of the next building block to those which meet a predefined grammar, and

a usage-based selection mechanism which proposes a next building block based on patterns of building blocks used in building prior queries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the grammar of the structure-based selection mechanism requires that the user selects one of a set of result type building blocks which defines the type of result the user is seeking, and at least one other block, which is not a result type block, in formulating the query.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the result type building blocks include at least a Who, a What, a Where, and a When result type building block.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the building blocks include building blocks for result type, entities, relations, and events.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the entity building blocks include building blocks for persons, organizations, locations, and dates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the blocks is a connector block for linking two other blocks with a connector.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the blocks are editable for selecting a value for the block.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein when the user is editing an editable block, at least some of the values of the block are displayed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein patterns of blocks used in formulating prior user queries are stored in a database and wherein the usage-based selection mechanism includes proposing a block to a user based on a frequency with which a pattern of blocks including the user selected blocks and the proposed block occurs in the database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction space includes a question editing area and wherein the method comprises providing for the user to move selected blocks into the question editing area in formulating the query.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the content-based mechanism, the structure-based selection mechanism, and the usage based selection mechanism are all provided.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s query is built from a sequence of at least three blocks.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing for the user to submit the formulated query for retrieving results responsive to a search based on the query.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the guiding is implemented by a computer processor.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the interaction space comprises displaying selectable query building blocks on a graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein no more than thirty building blocks are contemporaneously displayed in the interaction space.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a descriptor is associated with each block, the descriptor describing a respective type of element of the query corresponding to that block.

18. A computer program product comprising tangible media encoding instructions, which when executed by a computer, perform the method of claim 1.

19. A computer program product comprising tangible media encoding instructions, which when executed by a computer, perform a method comprising:

providing an interaction space for a user to formulate a query using a plurality of query building blocks selected from a predefined set of query building blocks;

contemporaneously displaying at least a subset of the query building blocks;

receiving a user'"'"'s selection of a response type building block from the displayed query building blocks into an editing area of the interaction space;

after receiving the user'"'"'s selection of the response type building block, guiding a user in formulating the query including, providing a content-based mechanism which limits selectable blocks to those which will yield at least one result from an indexed collection of documents, providing a structure-based selection mechanism which limits selectable blocks to those which meet a predefined grammar, and providing a usage-based selection mechanism which proposes a next building block based on patterns of building blocks used in building prior queries.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising a knowledge base which stores searchable content of the document collection in a structured form.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising a sessions database which stores patters of blocks used in formulating prior queries.

20. A system for guiding a user in building a query comprising:

a user interface generator which generates an interaction space for display on an associated graphical user interface, the interaction space enabling a user to formulate a query using a plurality of query building blocks selected from a predefined set of query building blocks, wherein selectable ones of the query building blocks are displayed in the interaction space;

a guidance module for guiding a user in formulating the query, including;

a content-based selection component which limits the selection of a next building block to those which will yield at least one result from an indexed collection of documents,

a structure-based selection component which limits the selection of the next building block to those which meet a predefined grammar, and

a usage-based selection component which proposes a next building block based on patterns of building blocks used in building prior queries;

a query module which receives a formulated query that is submitted by a user via the interaction space and returns responsive results; and

a computer processor which implements the user interface generator, guidance module, and query module.