Flexible keyword searching

• US 6,748,387 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Feldstein, Adam M., Garber, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US09/925,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 707/4, 707/5, 707/6, 707/3, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/501, 704/2, 704/9, 704/243, 704/260, 704/10, 704/251, 704/259
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/334 Query execution G06F16/335 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3343 using phonetics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A search engine implements a multi-level search scheme. A first level involves performing a keyword search based on character matching. A second level, performed only if the first level yields no results, is a keyword search based on phonetic representations of a search phrase and of the keywords. A third level, performed only if the first and second levels yield no results, is a rough matching search. The keywords or keyword phrases are specified in a phrase table. Each entry of the phrase table specifies a keyword phrase, its phonetic representation, a topic URL, and an action that is to be performed in conjunction with the topic URL. There are a plurality of defined actions, having different priorities. If multiple keyword phrases are found in the multi-level search, the one having the action with the highest priority is initiated. If there is a tie for the highest priority, the results are listed in a results page, regardless of the actions associated with the matched entries. Different actions can be specified in the phrase table entries, corresponding to different levels of the multi-level search scheme that were required to discover a matching entry.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for finding information resources, the instructions being executable by a computer to perform steps comprising:

matching a search phrase to one or more keyword phrases by (a) performing a character matching search, (b) performing a phonetic matching search if the character matching search yields no matching keyword phrases, and (c) performing a search other than a character matching search or a phonetic matching search if the phonetic matching search yields no matching keyword phrases;

wherein each keyword phrase is associated with a topic resource and at least one action selected from a plurality of prioritized actions;

wherein the plurality of prioritized actions comprises;

rendering the topic resource associated with a matched keyword phrase without further interaction by a user; and

listing a reference to the topic resource associated with a matched keyword for potential selection by the user;

in response to matching the search phrase to a single keyword phrase as a result of the character matching search or the phonetic matching search, initiating the action associated with said single keyword phrase;

in response to matching the search phrase to one or more keyword phrases as a result of the search other than the character matching search or the phonetic matching search, listing references to the topic resources associated with said one or more keyword phrases for potential selection by a user, regardless of the actions associated with the multiple keyword phrases; and

in response to matching the search phrase to multiple keyword phrases, listing references to the topic resources associated with said multiple keyword phrases for potential selection by a user, regardless of the actions associated with the multiple keyword phrases.

2. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of performing a search other than a character matching search or a phonetic matching search comprises:

identifying any keyword phrases that are contained in the search phrase;

identifying any keyword phrases that phonetically match singularized and pluralized forms of the words of the search phrase; and

identifying any keyword phrases that are alphabetically or phonetically near the search phrase.

3. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of performing a search other than a character matching search or a phonetic matching search comprises at least one of the following:

identifying any keyword phrases that are contained in the search phrase;

identifying any keyword phrases that phonetically match singularized and pluralized forms of the words of the search phrase; and

identifying any keyword phrases that are alphabetically or phonetically near the search phrase.

4. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the prioritized actions comprise:

rendering the topic resource associated with a matched keyword phrase without further interaction by a user;

listing the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase among other topic resources in a first list of selections;

listing the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase among other topic resources in a second list of selections;

listing the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase as a glossary definition; and

hiding the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase from the user.

5. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the prioritized actions further comprise:

a highest priority action comprising hiding the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase from the user;

a second highest priority action comprising rendering the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase;

a third highest priority action comprising rendering the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase;

a fourth highest priority action comprising rendering the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase;

a fifth highest priority action comprising listing the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase among other topic resources in a first list of selections;

a sixth highest priority action comprising listing the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase among other topic resources in a second list of selections; and

a seventh highest priority action comprising listing the topic resource associated with the matched keyword phrase as a glossary definition.

6. A method of searching a plurality of resources, comprising:

(a) identifying any resources having keywords that match a search phrase having one or more words;

(b) if step (a) identifies no resource, identifying any resources having keywords that phonetically match the search phrase;

(c) if step (b) identifies no resource, performing one or more searches in addition to those of steps (a) and (b);

in response to identifying only a single resource, rendering the resource without further interaction with a user; and

in response to identifying multiple resources, listing references to the resources associated with said multiple keyword phrases for potential selection by a user.

7. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that are executable to perform steps comprising:

(a) identifying any resources having keywords that match a search phrase having one or more words;

(b) if step (a) identifies no resource, identifying any resources having keywords that phonetically match the search phrase;

(c) if step (b) identifies no resource, identifying any resources having keywords that are contained in the search phrase;

(d) if step (c) identifies no resource, identifying any resources having keywords that phonetically match singularized and pluralized forms of the words of the search phrase;

(e) if step (d) identifies no resources, identifying resources having keywords that are alphabetically or phonetically near the search phrase;

in response to identifying only a single resource, rendering the resource without further interaction with a user; and

in response to identifying multiple resources, listing references to the resources associated with said multiple keyword phrases for potential selection by a user.