Method and system to analyze rules

• US 8,046,321 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Leon, Jean-Michel, Monier, Louis Marcel Gino, Foster, Benjamin David, Arora, Aditya, Sundaranatha, Venkat, Loftus, Josh, Shah, Seema
• Primary Examiner(s): Vincent; David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; David H
• Application Number:
  US12/777,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 707/772, 707/708, 707/723, 707/600, 706/47, 700/600
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries

Abstract

A method and system to analyze rules is described. The system receives a query and applies a first plurality of rules to the query to identify a second plurality of rules that respectively identify at least one matching keyword in the query. Next, the system counts the first plurality of rules to identify a total quantity of rules applied to the query and further counts the second plurality of rules to identify a second quantity of rules that respectively identify at least one matching keyword in the query. Finally, the system determines a percentage of coverage for the query based on the total quantity of rules and the second quantity of rules.

Claims

1. A system including:

at least one processor to execute;

a query processing module executable by the at least one processor to receive a query that is used to search a database; and

a query engine executable by the at least one processor to apply a first plurality of rules to the query to identify a second plurality of rules that respectively identify at least one matching keyword in the query, the query engine executable by the at least one processor to count the first plurality of rules to identify a total quantity of rules applied to the query, the query engine executable by the at least one processor to count the second plurality of rules to further identify a second quantity of rules that respectively identify at least one matching keyword in the query, the query processing module to determine a percentage of coverage for the query based on the total quantity of rules and the second quantity of rules, the percentage of coverage for the query to be provided as at least one interface element within an interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the query is used to search for a data item that is offered by a seller on a network-based marketplace, wherein the query is received from a user that searches for the data item on the network-based marketplace.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the query is used to search for the data item in the database, the data item including the at least one keyword.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first plurality of rules includes a first rule, wherein the first rule includes a condition clause that is utilized to identify at least one matching keyword in the query, wherein the first rule is further utilized to identify the at least one matching keyword in the data item.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first rule includes an aspect-value pair that describes the data item and the first query.

6. The system of claim 1, further including a processing module to publish the first plurality of rules to a network-based marketplace that is utilized by a buyer and a seller to transact a data item.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the query processing module receives a plurality of queries and determines a subset of most popular queries included in the plurality of queries by identification of a first category from a plurality of categories that are respectively utilized by the subset of most popular queries to identify a data item.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the query processing module further determines the subset of most popular queries based on a keyword.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the query processing module receives the plurality of queries for a predetermined period of time by an information storage and retrieval platform.

10. A method including:

receiving a query that is used to search a database;

applying, using at least one processor, a first plurality of rules to the query to identify a second plurality of rules that respectively identify at least one matching keyword in the query, the first plurality of rules respectively counted to determine a total quantity of rules, the second plurality of rules respectively counted to determine a second quantity of rules; and

determining a percentage of coverage for the query based on the total quantity of rules and the second quantity of rules, the percentage coverage for the query to be provided as at least one interface element within an interface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the query is used to search for a data item that is offered by a seller on a network-based marketplace, wherein the query is received from a user that searches for the data item on the network-based marketplace.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the query is used to search for the data item in the database, the data item including at least one keyword.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of rules includes a first rule, wherein the first rule includes a condition clause that is utilized to identify at least one matching keyword in the query, wherein the first rule is further utilized to identify the at least one matching keyword in a data item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first rule includes an aspect-value pair that describes the data item and the first query.

15. The method of claim 10, further including publishing the first plurality of rules to a network-based marketplace that is utilized by a buyer and a seller to transact a data item.

16. The method of claim 10, further including receiving a plurality of queries and determining a subset of most popular queries included in the plurality of queries and wherein the determining includes identifying a first category from a plurality of categories that are respectively utilized by the subset of most popular queries to identify data items.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining the subset of most popular queries further includes determining queries that contain the same keyword.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving the plurality of queries includes receiving the plurality of queries for a predetermined period of time at an information storage and retrieval platform.

19. A system including:

at least one processor to execute;

a first means for receiving a query that is used to search a database; and

a second means for applying a first plurality of rules to the query to identify a second plurality of rules that respectively identify at least one matching keyword in the query, the second means for counting the first plurality of rules to identify a total quantity of rules applied to the query, the second means for counting the second plurality of rules to further identify a second quantity of rules that respectively identify at least one matching keyword in the query, the first means for determining a percentage of coverage for the query, the percentage of coverage based on the total quantity of rules and the second quantity of rules, the percentage coverage for the query to be provided as at least one interface element within an interface.

20. A tangible non-transitory machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive a query that is used to search a database;

apply a first plurality of rules to the query to identify a second plurality of rules that respectively identify at least one matching keyword in the query, the first plurality of rules respectively counted to identify a total quantity of rules applied to the query, the second plurality of rules respectively counted to further identify a second quantity of rules that respectively identify at least one matching keyword in the query; and

determine a percentage of coverage for the query, the percentage of coverage based on the total quantity of rules and the second quantity of rules, the percentage coverage for the query to be provided as a at least one interface element within an interface.