Taxonomy based indexing and searching

• US 8,131,757 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Haley, Michael B., Quiroga, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): Lovel, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): Uddin, Mohammed R
• Application Number:
  US12/239,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 707/777, 707/999.003
• US Class Current: 707/777
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3332 Query translation

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product provide the ability to locate and display data in a taxonomy. A canonical taxonomy is defined (that is not exposed to a user that is searching for parts) by defining canonical categories and canonical attributes in a hierarchical structure. Mapping taxonomies are defined that define mapping categories that map to both canonical categories and canonical categories plus canonical attributes. Part data is processed based on the mapping taxonomies during which the data is mapped to a canonical category. A search request is specified in a particular mapping taxonomy format and results are returned (and displayed) that include data from multiple different taxonomies.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for locating and displaying data in a taxonomy, comprising:

(a) defining a canonical taxonomy, wherein;

(i) the canonical taxonomy defines a standard schema and standard data format by which one or more first parts are categorized;

(ii) the canonical taxonomy is not exposed to a user searching the one or more first parts; and

(iii) wherein the canonical taxonomy is defined by;

(1) defining one or more canonical categories in a canonical hierarchical structure for the one or more first parts; and

(2) defining, in the canonical hierarchical structure, one or more canonical attributes for one or more of the canonical categories;

(b) defining two or more mapping taxonomies that each defines a mapping hierarchical structure for one or more second parts, wherein the mapping taxonomies are each defined by;

(i) defining one or more first mapping categories for one or more of the second parts;

(ii) defining a category mapping that maps the one or more first mapping categories to one or more canonical categories;

(iii) defining one or more second mapping categories for one or more of the second parts;

(iv) defining a category-attribute mapping from the one or more second mapping categories to one or more of the canonical categories plus one or more of the canonical attributes;

(c) processing the data based on the one or more mapping taxonomies wherein each part in the data is mapped to a canonical category;

(d) receiving a search request to search the data, wherein the search request is specified in one of the mapping taxonomies;

(e) retrieving a canonical category from the mapping taxonomy based on the search request;

(f) searching the processed data based on the retrieved canonical category, wherein the search results includes data from at least two different mapping taxonomies; and

(g) displaying, on a display device, the search results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the canonical taxonomy defines an enumeration comprising a set of valid values for one or more of the canonical attributes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the canonical taxonomy defines a variation that establishes equivalencies between values for one or more of the canonical attributes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the canonical taxonomy and one or more mapping taxonomies are defined using a Web Ontology Language™

(OWL).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing data further comprises extracting the data, wherein the extracting comprises:

parsing the data;

downloading documents referred to by links in the data; and

extracting one or more mapping attributes and one or more mapping categories from the data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing further comprises:

(a) parsing output from the extracting;

(b) for each of the mapping categories extracted;

(i) retrieving a corresponding canonical category;

(ii) inserting the canonical category into the data; and

(iii) if there are any canonical attributes for the mapping category, inserting the canonical attributes into the data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the retrieving of the corresponding canonical category comprises selecting a canonical category based on how well defined the mapping category is.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing data further comprises indexing the data wherein:

for each part in the data, a document is created in an index, wherein the document comprises a title, a description, a canonical category, a canonical parent category in the canonical hierarchical structure, and one or more corresponding canonical attributes; and

for each canonical attribute, a field is added to the index with a corresponding value.

9. An apparatus for locating and displaying data in a taxonomy in a computer system comprising:

(a) a computer system having a memory and a data storage device coupled thereto;

(b) one or more computer programs, performed by the computer, wherein the computer programs are configured to;

(i) define a canonical taxonomy, wherein;

(1) the canonical taxonomy defines a standard schema and standard data format by which one or more first parts are categorized;

(2) the canonical taxonomy is not exposed to a user searching the one or more first parts; and

(3) wherein the canonical taxonomy is defined by;

(A) defining one or more canonical categories in a canonical hierarchical structure for the one or more first parts; and

(B) defining, in the canonical hierarchical structure, one or more canonical attributes for one or more of the canonical categories;

(ii) define two or more mapping taxonomies that each defines a mapping hierarchical structure for one or more second parts, wherein the mapping taxonomies are each defined by;

(1) defining one or more first mapping categories for one or more of the second parts;

(2) defining a category mapping that maps the one or more first mapping categories to one or more canonical categories;

(3) defining one or more second mapping categories for one or more of the second parts;

(4) defining a category-attribute mapping from the one or more second mapping categories to one or more of the canonical categories plus one or more of the canonical attributes;

(iii) process the data based on the one or more mapping taxonomies wherein each part in the data is mapped to a canonical category;

(iv) receive a search request to search the data, wherein the search request is specified in one of the mapping taxonomies;

(v) retrieve a canonical category from the mapping taxonomy based on the search request;

(vi) search the processed data based on the retrieved canonical category, wherein the search results includes data from at least two different mapping taxonomies; and

(vii) display, on a display device, the search results.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the canonical taxonomy defines an enumeration comprising a set of valid values for one or more of the canonical attributes.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the canonical taxonomy defines a variation that establishes equivalencies between values for one or more of the canonical attributes.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the canonical taxonomy and one or more mapping taxonomies are defined using a Web Ontology Language™

(OWL).

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer program is configured to process by extracting the data, wherein the extracting comprises:

parsing the data;

downloading documents referred to by links in the data; and

extracting one or more mapping attributes and one or more mapping categories from the data.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer program is further configured to process by:

(a) parsing output from the extracting;

(b) for each of the mapping categories extracted;

(i) retrieving a corresponding canonical category;

(ii) inserting the canonical category into the data; and

(iii) if there are any canonical attributes for the mapping category, inserting the canonical attributes into the data.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the retrieving of the corresponding canonical category comprises selecting a canonical category based on how well defined the mapping category is.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer program is configured to further process by indexing the data wherein:

for each part in the data, a document is created in an index, wherein the document comprises a title, a description, a canonical category, a canonical parent category in the canonical hierarchical structure, and one or more corresponding canonical attributes; and

for each canonical attribute, a field is added to the index with a corresponding value.

17. A non-transitory program storage device, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the computer to perform the method steps for locating and displaying data in a taxonomy in a computer system, the method steps comprising the steps of:

(a) defining a canonical taxonomy, wherein;

(i) the canonical taxonomy defines a standard schema and standard data format by which one or more first parts are categorized;

(ii) the canonical taxonomy is not exposed to a user searching the one or more first parts; and

(iii) wherein the canonical taxonomy is defined by;

(1) defining one or more canonical categories in a canonical hierarchical structure for the one or more first parts; and

(2) defining, in the canonical hierarchical structure, one or more canonical attributes for one or more of the canonical categories;

(b) defining two or more mapping taxonomies that each defines a mapping hierarchical structure for one or more second parts, wherein the mapping taxonomies are each defined by;

(i) defining one or more first mapping categories for one or more of the second parts;

(ii) defining a category mapping that maps the one or more first mapping categories to one or more canonical categories;

(iii) defining one or more second mapping categories for one or more of the second parts;

(iv) defining a category-attribute mapping from the one or more second mapping categories to one or more of the canonical categories plus one or more of the canonical attributes;

(c) processing the data based on the one or more mapping taxonomies wherein each part in the data is mapped to a canonical category;

(d) receiving a search request to search the data, wherein the search request is specified in one of the mapping taxonomies;

(e) retrieving a canonical category from the mapping taxonomy based on the search request;

(f) searching the processed data based on the retrieved canonical category, wherein the search results includes data from at least two different mapping taxonomies; and

(g) displaying, on a display device, the search results.

18. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the canonical taxonomy defines an enumeration comprising a set of valid values for one or more of the canonical attributes.

19. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the canonical taxonomy defines a variation that establishes equivalencies between values for one or more of the canonical attributes.

20. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the canonical taxonomy and one or more mapping taxonomies are defined using a Web Ontology Language™

(OWL).

21. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the method steps for processing data further comprise method steps for extracting the data, wherein the extracting comprises:

parsing the data;

downloading documents referred to by links in the data; and

extracting one or more mapping attributes and one or more mapping categories from the data.

22. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the method steps for processing further comprises method steps for:

(a) parsing output from the extracting;

(b) for each of the mapping categories extracted;

(i) retrieving a corresponding canonical category;

(ii) inserting the canonical category into the data; and

(iii) if there are any canonical attributes for the mapping category, inserting the canonical attributes into the data.

23. The program storage device of claim 22, wherein the method steps for retrieving of the corresponding canonical category comprises selecting a canonical category based on how well defined the mapping category is.

24. The program storage device of claim 22, wherein the method steps for processing data further comprises indexing the data wherein:

for each part in the data, a document is created in an index, wherein the document comprises a title, a description, a canonical category, a canonical parent category in the canonical hierarchical structure, and one or more corresponding canonical attributes; and

for each canonical attribute, a field is added to the index with a corresponding value.