Method and apparatus for providing comprehensive search results in response to user queries entered over a computer network

• US 7,139,755 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Camelot UK Bidco Limited (Clarivate Plc)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Scientific, Inc.
• Inventors: Hammond, Joel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Kuen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/992,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/5, 707/2, 707/10, 707/4, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and methods for providing users with comprehensive search results in response to queries entered by the user over a computer network. The user may access the network and enter a query in order to obtain information related to the query. The network is associated with a plurality of electronic files and a metadata database for accessing the files. The key terms of the query will be identified and may be expanded to include additional terms that have been previously identified as related to the key terms entered by the user. The expanded query is used to provide the user with information that contains or is identified by terms that may or may not be included in the query entered by the user, but nevertheless is relevant thereto.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a user with search results in response to queries entered by the user, comprising:

a) providing a plurality of electronic files containing information and a metadata database comprising identifying data for selectively accessing the electronic files;

b) prompting a user to enter a query;

c) identifying key texts contained in the query;

d) creating an expanded query to include additional terms related to the key terms in the query, with the additional terms including at least one term that is not synonymous with any identified key term, wherein the query is expanded to include a biological sequence of at least one term contained in the query and wherein creating the expanded query comprises;

providing a vocabulary bridge having electronic files including groups of terms for expanding a query entered by the user;

comparing key terms entered by the user as part of the query to the electronic files; and

adding to the query all terms in at least one group that contains at least one of the key terms to provide an expanded query containing both entered terms and unentered terms;

e) identifying information that includes at least one of the terms in the expanded query;

f) prompting the user to select at least one item of information identified as including at least one of the terms in the expanded query; and

g) accessing an electronic file that contains the information selected by the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic files include dictionaries, thesauri, and authority files.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein all of the terms contained within each individual group of terms are pre-determined to be related to each other.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the query is expanded to include an identifier identifying a biological sequence of at least one term contained in the query.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the query is expanded to include at least one linguistical translation of at least one term contained in the query.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the query is expanded to include at least one term associated with at least one term contained in the query.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic files are all related to a preselected subject.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the preselected subject is biology.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising assigning identifying information to the user to enable the user to subsequently access and manipulate the query and the selected information.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising displaying to the user a synopsis of information identified as including at least one of the terms in the expanded query.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanded query includes one or more first non-user-input terms based on one or more of the key terms and one or more second non-user-input terms based on one or more of the first non-user-input terms.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanded query includes one or more first non-user-input terms based on one or more of the key terms, with one or more of the first non-user-input terms having a subject-matter-relationship with at least one of the key terms.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying information that includes at least one of the terms in the expanded query includes:

presenting search results identifying a plurality of files having a plurality of file types;

wherein presenting the search results includes displaying at least a portion of the results within a graphical user interface having a plurality of user-selectable controls, with each control associated with a corresponding different file type and selectable to restrict display to a portion of the results having the corresponding different file type.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein all terms in the one group are related to a predetermined subject matter.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the additional terms is:

a misspelled version of one of the user-input terms;

a linguistic variation of one of the user-input terms;

or

related by subject matter classification to at least one of the key terms.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the additional terms and at least one of the key terms have a causal semantic relationship.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the additional terms identifies a first biological condition caused by a second biological condition identified by at least one of the key terms.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the additional terms identifies at least one cause of an effect identified by at least one of the key terms.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user to select at least one item of information that includes one of the terms in the expanded query, includes presenting information regarding similarity or differences regarding information in a file including one of the key terms and information in a file including at least one of the additional terms.

20. The method of claim 1:

wherein identifying information that includes at least one of the terms in the expanded query includes identifying a plurality of files having a plurality of different file types; and

wherein prompting the user to select at least one of item of information that includes one of the terms in the expanded query, includes displaying at least a portion of the identified information in a graphical user interface having a plurality of user-selectable controls, with each control associated with a corresponding one of the different file types and selectable to restrict display to a portion of the identified information having the corresponding one of the different file types.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of file types includes a map type or a genomics type, and the plurality of user-selectable controls includes a control for restricting display to files of the map type and a control for restricting display to files of the genomics type.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of file types includes a genomics type and a non-genomics type, and the plurality of user-selectable controls includes a control for restricting display to files of the genomics type.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the expanded query to include additional terms related to the key terms, includes:

identifying one or more first terms based on one or more of the key terms; and

subsequently and automatically identifying one or more second terms based on one or more of the first terms.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein creating the expanded query to include additional terms related to the key terms, further includes eliminating extraneous terms and punctuation from the entered query.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the first terms has a subject-matter-relationship with at least one of the key terms.

26. A method of enabling a user using a computer network to obtain search results, comprising:

a) accessing a computer network associated with a plurality of electronic files containing information and a metadata database comprising identifying data for selectively accessing the electronic files;

b) identifying key terms contained in a query entered by a user over the computer network;

c) creating an expanded query to include additional terms associated with the key terms, with the additional terms including at least one term that is not synonymous with any identified key term and an identifier identifying a biological sequence of at least one term contained in the query, and wherein creating the expanded query comprises;

providing a vocabulary bridge having electronic files including groups of terms for expanding a query entered by the user;

comparing key terms entered by the user as part of the query to the electronic files; and

adding to the query all terms in at least one group that contains at least one of the key terms to provide an expanded query containing both entered terms and unentered terms;

d) identifying information identified by at least one of the terms in the expanded query;

e) enabling the user to select at least one item of information identified by at least one of the terms in the expanded query; and

f) accessing an electronic file that contains the information selected by the user.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the plurality of electronic files include audio elements capable of being transmitted over a computer network.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the plurality of electronic files include video elements capable of being transmitted over a computer network.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the electronic files include dictionaries, thesauri, and authority files.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein all of the terms contained within each individual group of terms are pre-determined to be related to each other.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the query is expanded to include a biological sequence of at least one term contained in the query.

32. The method of claim 26 wherein the query is expanded to include at least one linguistical translation of at least one term contained in the query.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein the query is expanded to include at least one term that has been pre-determined to be related to at least one term contained in the query.

34. The method of claim 26 wherein the plurality of electronic files are all related to a preselected subject.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the preselected subject is biology.

36. The method of claim 26 comprising assigning identifying information to the user to enable the user to subsequently access and manipulate the query and the selected information.

37. The method of claim 26 comprising displaying to the user a synopsis of information identified by at least one of the terms in the expended query.

38. The method of claim 26:

wherein identifying information identified by at least one of the terms in the expanded query, includes identifying a plurality of files having a plurality of file types; and

wherein enabling the user to select at least one item of information identified by at least one of the terms in the expanded query, includes displaying a graphical user interface having a plurality of user-selectable controls, with each control associated with a corresponding different file type and selectable to restrict display to a portion of the identified files having the corresponding different file type.

39. The method of claim 26, wherein the additional terms include:

at least one term that is a misspelled version of one of the key terms;

at least one term that is a linguistic variation of one of the key terms;

or

at least one term that is related by subject matter classification of one of the key terms.

40. The method of claim 26, wherein at least one of the additional terms and at least one of the key terms have a causal semantic relationship.

41. The method of claim 26, wherein the one of the additional terms identifies a first biological condition caused by a second biological condition identified by at least one of the key terms.

42. The method of claim 26, wherein the one of the additional terms identifies at least one cause of an effect identified by at least one of the key terms.

43. A computer system for providing users with search results in response to a query entered by the user, comprising:

a) an electronically accessible computer network including at least one server for providing access to information available through the computer network; and

b) the computer network being associated with

a plurality of electronic files containing information;

a metadata database for accessing the electronic files; and

a vocabulary bridge for expanding a query entered by a user to define an expanded query, with the query including one or more user-entered key terms and the expanded query including at least one non-user-entered term that is not synonymous with any of the user-entered key terms and an identifier identifying a biological sequence of at least one term contained in the query, and wherein the vocabulary bridge comprises;

electronic files that include groups of terms for expanding a query entered by a user;

means for comparing key terms entered by the user as part of the query to the electronic files; and

means for adding to the query all terms in at least one group that contains at least one of the key terms to provide an expanded query containing both entered terms and unentered terms.

44. A system as in claim 43 wherein the electronic files include dictionaries, thesauri, and authority files.

45. A system as in claim 44 wherein the authority files include groups of related terms for expanding a query entered by a user to include unentered terms relevant to entered terms.

46. A system as in claim 43 wherein all of the terms contained within each individual group of terms are pre-determined to be related to each other.

47. A system as in claim 43 wherein the computer network is accessed using a personal computer.

48. The system as in claim 43, wherein the vocabulary bridge expands the query to include one or more first non-user-input terms based on one or more of the key terms and one or more second non-user-input terms based on one or more of the first non-user-input terms.

49. A system as in claim 43, wherein the server is configured to at least partially define a graphical user interface on an access device associated with the user, the interface comprising:

a plurality of user-selectable controls, including at least one control for submitting the query and a plurality of result controls for controlling display of search results determined for the expanded query, with each result control associated with a corresponding different file type and selectable to restrict display of search results to its corresponding different file type.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the plurality of result controls includes a control for restricting display of results to files of a map type and a control for restricting display of results to files of a genomics type.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein the plurality of file types includes a genomics type and a non-genomics type, and the plurality of user-selectable controls includes a control for restricting display of results to files of the genomics type.

52. The system of claim 49, wherein the plurality of result controls includes respective controls for restricting display of results to files of a map type, a multimedia type, a genomic type, and a journal type.