SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THREE-TERM SEMANTIC SEARCH

• US 20120246153A1
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contiem Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Orbis Technology
• Inventors: PEHLE, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 9,824,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Methods and systems for searching over a large corpus of data to discover relevant information artifacts based on similar content and/or relationships are disclosed. Improvements over simple keyword and phrase based searching over Internet scale data are shown. A search query may be modified or relaxed based on the search terms and a contextual relationship therebetween. The search results may be ranked based on both a data ranking corresponding to the data entries in the corpus and a query ranking corresponding to the search query and/or the modified or relaxed search query. In this manner, the accuracy and relevance of the search results is improved.

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A system for searching through a corpus by using a query, the corpus comprising a plurality of items, and the system comprising:

a server node; and

a user interface node in communication with the server node,

wherein when a user enters a first query input to the user interface node, the user interface node is configured to transmit the first query input to the server node; and

the server node is configured to;

use the received first query input to determine a first search term corresponding to a subject of the query and to prompt the user for entry of a second query input;

use the received second query input to determine a second search term corresponding to an object of the query and to prompt the user for entry of a third query input;

use the received third query input to determine a third search term corresponding to a predicate of the query;

use the first, second, and third search terms to determine a contextual relationship therebetween; and

use the query formed by the first, second, and third search terms and the determined contextual relationship to perform a first comparison against the corpus to determine a ranked list of results.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the server node is further configured to determine a graphical depiction of the query formed by the first, second, and third search terms, the graphical depiction being based on at least one parameter relating to the determined contextual relationship;

and to determine the ranked list of results based on a measure relating to the at least one parameter.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the server node is further configured to:

modify the query with respect to the at least one parameter, and

use the modified query to determined a modified ranked list of results.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the server node is further configured to use the query and the determined contextual relationship to determine a data ranking score for each item contained in the corpus.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the server node is further configured to:

use the query to determine a query ranking score;

use the query ranking score and the data ranking score to determine a knowledge ranking score; and

use the knowledge ranking score to determine the ranked list of results.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the server node is further configured to:

determine at least one suggested alternative search term to at least one of the first, second, and third search terms;

transmit the at least one suggested alternative search term to the user interface node;

receive an acceptance of the at least one suggested alternative search term from the user interface node;

use the accepted alternative search term to determine a modified contextual relationship between the search terms and to form a modified query; and

use the modified query and the modified contextual relationship to perform a second comparison against the corpus to determine a modified list of results.

13. A computer program product for searching through a corpus by using a query, the corpus comprising a plurality of items, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium storing computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising:

a set of instructions for receiving a first query input from a user;

a set of instructions for using the received first query input to determine a first search term corresponding to a subject of the query;

a set of instructions for receiving a second query input from the user;

a set of instructions for using the received second query input to determine a second search term corresponding to an object of the query;

a set of instructions for receiving a third query input from the user;

a set of instructions for using the received third query input to determine a third search term corresponding to a predicate of the query;

a set of instructions for using the first, second, and third search terms to determine a contextual relationship therebetween; and

a set of instructions for using the query formed by the first, second, and third search terms and the determined contextual relationship to perform a first comparison against the corpus to determine a ranked list of results.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises:

a set of instructions for determining a graphical depiction of the query formed by the first, second, and third search terms, the graphical depiction being based on at least one parameter relating to the determined contextual relationship; and

a set of instructions for determining the ranked list of results based on a measure relating to the at least one parameter.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises:

a set of instructions for modifying the query with respect to the at least one parameter, and

a set of instructions for using the modified query to determined a modified ranked list of results.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises a set of instructions for using the query and the determined contextual relationship to determine a data ranking score for each item contained in the corpus.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises:

a set of instructions for using the query to determine a query ranking score;

a set of instructions for using the query ranking score and the data ranking score to determine a knowledge ranking score; and

a set of instructions for determining the ranked list of results based on the knowledge ranking score.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises:

a set of instructions for providing at least one suggested alternative search term to at least one of the first, second, and third search terms;

a set of instructions for receiving an acceptance of the at least one suggested alternative search term;

a set of instructions for using the accepted alternative search term to determine a modified contextual relationship between the search terms and to form a modified query; and

a set of instructions for using the modified query and the modified contextual relationship to perform a second comparison against the corpus to determine a modified list of results.

19. A computer-implemented method for searching through a corpus by using a query, the corpus comprising a plurality of items, and the method comprising:

using a computer to receive a first query input from a user;

using the received first query input to determine a first search term corresponding to a subject of the query;

using the computer to receive a second query input from the user;

using the received second query input to determine a second search term corresponding to an object of the query;

using the computer to receive a third query input from the user;

using the received third query input to determine a third search term corresponding to a predicate of the query;

using the first, second, and third search terms to determine a contextual relationship therebetween; and

using the query formed by the first, second, and third search terms and the determined contextual relationship to perform a first comparison against the corpus to determine a ranked list of results.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determination of a contextual relationship comprises using the computer to determine a graphical depiction of the query formed by the first, second, and third search terms, the graphical depiction being based on at least one parameter relating to the determined contextual relationship;

and wherein the determination of a ranked list of results is based on a measure relating to the at least one parameter.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

using the computer to modify the query with respect to the at least one parameter, and

using the modified query to determined a modified ranked list of results.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of using the query and the determined contextual relationship to perform a first comparison against the corpus comprises using the computer to determine a data ranking score for each item contained in the corpus.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

using the query to determine a query ranking score, and

using the query ranking score and the data ranking score to determine a knowledge ranking score,

wherein the determination of a ranked list of results is based on the knowledge ranking score.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

using the computer to provide at least one suggested alternative search term to at least one of the first, second, and third search terms;

using the computer to receive an acceptance of the at least one suggested alternative search term;

using the accepted alternative search term to determine a modified contextual relationship between the search terms and to form a modified query; and

using the modified query and the modified contextual relationship to perform a second comparison against the corpus to determine a modified list of results.