Entity-specific search model

• US 7,822,762 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Payne, Christopher D., Ozzie, Raymond E, Dumais, Susan T., Naam, Ramez, Flake, Gary W., Platt, John C., Huang, Xuedong D., Goodman, Joshua T., Brill, Eric D., Meek, Christopher A., Hurst-Hiller, Oliver, Gates, William H. III, Horvitz, Eric J., Gounares, Alexander G., Peltonen, Kyle G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali; Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAWSON, DONALD L
• Application Number:
  US11/427,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 707/4, 707/2, 707/765, 707/748
• US Class Current: 707/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation

Abstract

A system that employs an explicitly and/or implicitly trained model in order to return entity-specific computer-based search results is provided. The innovation can provide for a customized search model that focuses search in connection with achieving information that is meaningful with respect to goals of an entity. The model can be used to modify a search query in accordance with a goal of the entity or to generate the search query thereby returning meaningful and/or targeted results to the user. The system can automatically gather entity-related data thereafter determining or inferring a goal as well as training the model. Moreover, the system can selectively configure (e.g., order, rank, filter) and render results to a user based upon the model.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system that customizes computer-based search related to an entity, comprising a memory having stored therein computer executable components and at least one processor that executes the following computer executable components:

a goal determination component that gathers data associated with the entity, the data corresponding to a goal of the entity, a mission of the entity, or a purpose of the entity, wherein the entity comprises a group of individuals, and wherein the data associated with the entity corresponds to least the group of individuals;

a search model that is trained with the data associated with the entity;

a query modification component that employs the search model to modify a search query into a modified search query as a function of the data associated with the entity, the query modification component configured to modify the search query into the modified search query transparent to a user inputting the search query;

a search engine that receives the search query from an individual in the entity, communicates the search query to the query modification component, receives the modified search query from the query modification component, retrieves entity-based search results in accordance with the modified search query, and provides the entity-based search results to the individual in the entity;

a rendering component that uses the trained search model to re-rank the entity-based search results prior to display to the user;

a results configuration component that organizes a subset of the entity-based search results; and

wherein the rendering component performs a utility-based analysis in connection with displaying the subset of the entity-based search results to the user, wherein the utility-based analysis factors a probability of cost of displaying a result to the user versus a probability of benefit of displaying the result to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the entity is demographic data that corresponds to at least one individual of the group of individuals, wherein the demographic data comprises at least one of the following related to the at least one individual:

age, gender, religion, ethnicity, education level, likes, dislikes, interests, occupation, political ideology, marital status, family size, or children.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the search model is trained with data mined from a subset of the group of individuals.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the entity-specific search component further comprises a search model generator that establishes the search model based on, at least in part, the data associated with the entity.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 4, wherein the goal determination component inputs the gathered data associated with the entity into the search model generator.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 5, wherein the goal determination component comprises at least one of:

an inquiry component that queries a user to identify the mission, objective, task, and purpose of the entity; and

an inference component that infers the mission, objective, task, and purpose of the entity based on, at least in part, the data associated with the entity.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 6, wherein the data associated with the entity includes at least one of a role of the user within the entity, an entity structure, a search location of the user, entity product information, or customer relation management (CRM) system data associated with the entity.

8. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the entity-specific search component modifies the search query as a function of an inferred goal and state of an individual of the group of individuals.

9. A computer-implemented method of performing an entity-based computer search, wherein the method is performed by a processor that executes at least the following acts:

gathering data associated with an entity, the data corresponding to a goal of the entity, a mission of the entity, or a purpose of the entity, wherein the entity comprises a group of individuals, and wherein the data associated with the entity corresponds to least the group of individuals;

training a search model with the data associated with the entity;

receiving a search query from an individual in the entity;

employing the search model to modify the search query into a modified search query as a function of the data associated with the entity, wherein the search query being modified into the modified search query is transparent to a user inputting the search query;

retrieving entity-based search results in accordance with the modified search query;

providing the entity-based search results to the individual in the entity;

re-ranking the entity-based search results uses the trained search model prior to display to the user;

organizing a subset of the entity-based search results; and

performing a utility-based analysis in connection with displaying the subset of the entity-based search results to the user, wherein the utility-based analysis factors a probability of cost of displaying a result to the user versus a probability of benefit of displaying the result to the user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

establishing an entity context; and

modifying the entity-based search query based on, at least in part, the entity context, wherein the entity context includes a role of a searching member of the entity, structure of the entity, a location of the searching member of the entity, product information associated with the entity, and customer relations management (CRM) data associated with the entity.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one of explicitly or implicitly training the model based upon entity feedback.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically gathering data associated with the entity based on, at least in part, an objective, goal, mission, task, or purpose of the entity.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising automatically gathering the data associated with the entity from a plurality of sources.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

configuring a subset of the plurality of search results; and

rendering the subset of the plurality of search results.

15. A computer-implemented search system that comprises a memory having stored therein computer executable components and at least one processor that executes the following computer executable components:

means for gathering data associated with an entity, the data corresponding to a goal of the entity, a mission of the entity, or a purpose of the entity, wherein the entity comprises a group of individuals, and wherein the data associated with the entity corresponds to least the group of individuals;

means for training a search model with the data associated with the entity;

means for receiving a search query from an individual in the entity;

means for employing the search model to modify the search query into a modified search query as a function of the data associated with the entity, wherein the search query being modified into the modified search query is transparent to a user inputting the search query;

means for retrieving entity-based search results in accordance with the modified search query;

means for providing the entity-based search results to the individual in the entity;

means for re-ranking the entity-based search results uses the trained search model prior to display to the user;

means for organizing a subset of the entity-based search results; and

means for performing a utility-based analysis in connection with displaying the subset of the entity-based search results to the user, wherein the utility-based analysis factors a probability of cost of displaying a result to the user versus a probability of benefit of displaying the result to the user.

16. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, further comprising means for training the model based on, at least in part, a role of at least one of the individuals associated with the entity.