Refining search queries by the suggestion of correlated terms from prior searches
DCFirst Claim
1. In a computer system that implements a search engine which is accessible to a community of users, a method of assisting users in refining search queries to enhance discovery, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
- (a) processing search queries submitted to the search engine by a plurality of users over a period of time to generate query term correlation data, the query term correlation data reflecting frequencies with which query terms appear together within the same search query;
(b) receiving a search query from a user, the search query including at least one query term;
(c) using at least the query term correlation data to identify a plurality of additional query terms that are deemed to be related to the at least one query term; and
(d) presenting the plurality of additional query terms to the user for selection to allow the user to refine the search query.
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Abstract
A search engine is disclosed which suggests related terms to the user to allow the user to refine a search. The related terms are generated using query term correlation data which reflects the frequencies with which specific terms have previously appeared within the same query. The correlation data is generated and stored in a look-up table using an off-line process which parses a query log file. The table is regenerated periodically from the most recent query submissions (e.g., the last two weeks of query submissions), and thus strongly reflects the current preferences of users. Each related term is presented to the user via a respective hyperlink which can be selected by the user to submit a modified query. In one embodiment, the related terms are added to and selected from the table so as to guarantee that the modified queries will not produce a NULL query result.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. In a computer system that implements a search engine which is accessible to a community of users, a method of assisting users in refining search queries to enhance discovery, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
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(a) processing search queries submitted to the search engine by a plurality of users over a period of time to generate query term correlation data, the query term correlation data reflecting frequencies with which query terms appear together within the same search query; (b) receiving a search query from a user, the search query including at least one query term; (c) using at least the query term correlation data to identify a plurality of additional query terms that are deemed to be related to the at least one query term; and (d) presenting the plurality of additional query terms to the user for selection to allow the user to refine the search query. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a computer system that implements a search engine in which related terms are suggested to users to facilitate interactive refinement of search queries, a system for generating related terms, comprising:
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a first process which generates a data structure that links key terms to related terms based at least upon correlations between occurrences of terms within historical query submissions; and a second process which uses the data structure in combination with a search query submitted by a user to select related terms to suggest to the user. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In a computer system that implements a search engine that is accessible to a community of users, a method of assisting users in refining search queries to enhance discovery, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving a search query from a user, the search query including at least one query term; (b) using at least historical search query data to identify a plurality of additional query terms that are deemed to be related to the at least one query term, the historical search query data based on previously submitted search queries; and (c) presenting the plurality of additional query terms to the user for selection to allow the user to refine the search query. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. In a search engine that suggests related terms to users to facilitate search refinement, a method of generating related terms so as to increase a likelihood that a modified query will not produce a NULL query result, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving a search query from a user, the query including at least one term; (b) for each term in the search query, using historical query information to identify a respective set of terms that were previously submitted to the search engine, in combination with the term, in a successful search query; (c) selecting a set of related terms such that each related term is common to each set identified in step (b); and (d) presenting the set of related terms to the user for addition to the search query. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification