Posting questions from search queries

• US 8,135,712 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Coladonato, Greg, Ke, Huacheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinrich, Brian E.
• Application Number:
  US12/163,854
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 707/730, 707/766
• US Class Current: 707/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for posting questions from search queries. In some implementations, a method includes identifying a plurality of different questions previously searched. The previously-searched questions each include a word indicating a question. The previously-searched questions are filtered to remove one or more specified words included with the question word. At least a subset of the plurality of previously-searched questions that can be used to generate a canonical form after removing the one or more specified words are determined. The subset of previously-searched questions are ranked based, at least in part, on a frequency of submission of each previously-submitted search query in the subset. A particular one of the previously-submitted search queries in the subset is identified as representative of the subset of previously-submitted search queries based on the ranking.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, using at least one hardware processor, a plurality of different previously-submitted search queries;

filtering, using at least one evaluation file, the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to remove one or more specified words from the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to generate a plurality of filtered search queries, wherein the at least one evaluation file includes at least one of instructions or parameters for generating at least one canonical search query form of the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries;

modifying, using the at least one evaluation file, remaining words in the plurality of filtered search queries to generate a plurality of modified search queries;

determining, as search queries that map to a particular canonical search query form, a subset of the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries that are used to generate, as a result of filtering the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries and modifying the plurality of filtered search queries using the at least one evaluation file, the particular canonical search query form;

ranking the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form based, at least in part, on a frequency of submission of each different previously-submitted search query that maps to the particular canonical search query form; and

identifying, based on the ranking, a particular one of the different previously-submitted search queries in the ranked search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form as a representative search query of the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries include a plurality of previously-searched questions with each previously-searched question including a word indicating a question.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular canonical search query form is based, at least in part, on the removal of the one or more specified words from the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the word indicating a question includes one or more words indicating an interrogative sentence.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking words included in the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries based, at least in part, on a frequency that each word occurs in the different previously-submitted search queries; and

determining the one or more words to remove from the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries based, at least in part, on the ranking of the words.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising presenting the ranking of the words to a user, wherein the one or more words to remove are determined based, at least in part, on user selections.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising alphabetizing words in the plurality of filtered search queries to determine the particular canonical search query form before determining the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising conjugating verbs remaining in the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to a specified tense prior to determining the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating declensions of nouns remaining in the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to a specified declension prior to determining the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a most frequently submitted different previously-submitted search query based, at least in part, on the ranking of the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form; and

posting the most frequently submitted different previously-submitted search query in a Question and Answer (Q&

A) Webpage.

11. Software for identifying related questions comprising computer readable instructions embodied on non-transitory computer-readable media, wherein the computer readable instructions are configured, when executed by a data processing apparatus, to:

identify, using at least one hardware processor, a plurality of different previously-submitted search queries;

filter, using at least one evaluation file, the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to remove one or more specified words from the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to generate a plurality of filtered search queries, wherein the at least one evaluation file includes at least one of instructions or parameters for generating at least one canonical search query form of the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries;

modify, using the at least one evaluation file, remaining words in the plurality of filtered search queries to generate a plurality of modified search queries;

determine, as search queries that map to a particular canonical search query form, a subset of the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries that are used to generate, as a result of filtering the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries and modifying the plurality of filtered search queries using the at least one evaluation file;

rank the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form based, at least in part, on a frequency of submission of each different previously-submitted search query that maps to the particular canonical search query form; and

identify, based on the ranking, a particular one of the different previously-submitted search queries in the ranked search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form as a representative search query of the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form.

12. The software of claim 11, wherein the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries include a plurality of previously-searched questions with each previously-searched question including a word indicating a question.

13. The software of claim 11, wherein the particular canonical search query form is based, at least in part, on the removal of the one or more specified words from the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries.

14. The software of claim 12, wherein the word indicating a question includes one or more words indicating an interrogative sentence.

15. The software of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured, when executed by the data processing apparatus, to:

rank words included in the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries based, at least in part, on a frequency that each word occurs in the different previously-submitted search queries; and

determine the one or more words to remove from the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries based, at least in part, on the ranking of the words.

16. The software of claim 15, wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured, when executed by the data processing apparatus, to present the ranking of the words to a user, wherein the one or more words to remove are determined based, at least in part, on user selections.

17. The software of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured, when executed by the data processing apparatus, to alphabetize words in the plurality of filtered search queries to determine the particular canonical search query form before determining the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form.

18. The software of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured, when executed by the data processing apparatus, to conjugate verbs remaining in the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to a specified tense prior to determining the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form.

19. The software of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured, when executed by data processing apparatus, to update declensions of nouns remaining in the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to a specified declension prior to determining the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form.

20. The software of claim 11, wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured, when executed by the data processing apparatus, to:

determine a most frequently submitted different previously-submitted search query based, at least in part, on the ranking of the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form; and

post the most frequently submitted different previously-submitted search query in a Question and Answer (Q&

A) Webpage.

21. A system for identifying related questions, comprising:

at least one hardware server including;

an evaluation engine configured to;

identify a plurality of different previously-submitted search queries;

filter, using at least one evaluation file, the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to remove one or more specified words from the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries to generate a plurality of filtered search queries, wherein the at least one evaluation file includes at least one of instructions or parameters for generating at least one canonical search query form of the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries;

modify, using the at least one evaluation file, remaining words in the plurality of filtered search queries to generate a plurality of modified search queries; and

determine, as search queries that map to a particular canonical search query form, a subset of the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries that are used to generate, as a result of filtering the plurality of different previously-submitted search queries and modifying the plurality of filtered search queries using the at least one evaluation file, the particular canonical search query form; and

a ranking engine configured to;

rank the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form based, at least in part, on a frequency of submission of each different previously-submitted search query that maps to the particular canonical search query; and

identify, based on the ranking, a particular one of the different previously-submitted search queries in the ranked search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form as a representative search query of the search queries that map to the particular canonical search query form.