Search engine providing match and alternative answers using cumulative probability values

• US 7,689,543 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Farrett, Peter W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raab; Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US10/798,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A system and method for searching a knowledge base for a match answer and an alternative answer. The method includes the steps of: inputting a search term; beginning a search at a random location in the knowledge base to identify the match answer; determining a match answer category from the match answer; determining a look-up association based on the match answer category and a search history; plugging the look-up association into an alternative answer probability table to identify an alternative answer category; and performing a secondary search at a second random location in the knowledge base to find the alternative answer that belongs to the alternative answer category.

Claims

1. A computerized method for searching a knowledge base database having a plurality of answer objects for a match answer and an alternative answer and providing the match answer and alternative answer, comprising:

inputting a search term;

beginning a search at a random location in the knowledge base to identify the match answer;

outputting the match answer;

determining a match answer category from the match answer;

determining a look-up association based on the match answer category and a search history table;

inputting the look-up association into an alternative answer probability table to identify an alternative answer category;

performing a secondary search at a second random location in the knowledge base to find the alternative answer that only belongs to the alternative answer category; and

outputting the alternative answer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the match answer category and the alternative answer category form a category answer association, and the search history table comprises previously determined category answer associations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the alternative answer probability table is determined from the search history table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the search term is extracted from a natural language input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the match answer and alternative answer are presented in a natural language format.

6. A user preference search system for searching a knowledge base to find a match answer and an alternative answer for a search term, comprising:

a search engine stored on a computer system, comprising a processing unit, that performs a first search at a first location in the knowledge base and returns a match answer, and performs a second search at a second location in the knowledge base to find an alternative answer, wherein the alternative answer belongs to an alternative answer category determined by inputting a look-up association into an alternative answer probability table, wherein the look-up association is based on a search history table; and

a table update system that updates the alternative answer probability table based on a table of previously determined category answer associations.

7. The user preference search system of claim 6, wherein the first and second locations are determined randomly.

8. The user preference search system of claim 6, wherein the look-up association is determined from a search history.

9. The user preference search system of claim 7, wherein each previously determined category answer association comprises a match answer category and an alternative answer category.

10. The user preference search system of claim 6, further comprising a natural language parser for receiving natural language commands and generating the search term.

11. A program product stored on a recordable medium for searching a knowledge base database for and providing a match answer and an alternative answer, comprising:

means for inputting a search term;

means for beginning a search at a random location in the knowledge base to identify the match answer;

means for outputting the match answer;

means for selecting a match answer category from the match answer;

means for determining a look-up association based on the match answer category and a search history table;

means for inputting the look-up association into an alternative answer probability table to identify an alternative answer category;

means for performing a secondary search at a second random location in the knowledge base to find the alternative answer that only belongs to the alternative answer category; and

means for outputting the alternative answer.

12. The program product of claim 11, wherein the match answer category and the alternative answer category form a category answer association, and the search history table comprises previously determined category answer associations.

13. The program product of claim 11, wherein the alternative answer probability table is determined from the search history table.

14. The program product of claim 11, wherein the search term is extracted from a natural language input.

15. The program product of claim 11, wherein the match answer and alternative answer are presented in a natural language format.