Method and apparatus for using tag topology

• US 8,316,000 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Srivastava, Divesh, Venkatasubramanian, Suresh
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US11/608,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,175 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations

Abstract

A method and apparatus for using tag topology for enhancing search capabilities, e.g., searching over the web, are disclosed. For example, the present method receives a user query contain a search term from a user. The method then generates a search result containing at least one entity, wherein the at least one entity is found based on a plurality of user provided tags that is associated with the at least one entity.

Claims

1. A method for using user provided tags for searching, comprising:

collecting at an application server a plurality of user provided tags associated with each one of a plurality of entities, wherein the plurality of user provided tags comprises semantic descriptions entered by a plurality of different users;

creating by the application server a tag topological network layer that is managed by a service provider, wherein the tag topological network layer predefines a next entity for each one of the plurality of entities based upon the plurality of user provided tags;

receiving at the application server a user query that contains a search term from a user;

generating at the application server a search result containing an entity of the plurality of entities in the tag topological network layer, wherein the entity is found based on a distance measure of a tag vector, t_p, for the entity, p, wherein a function t_p(i) represents a measure of a weight of a tag, i, that is used to tag the entity, p, based on a normalized count of times tag, i, is used to tag the entity, p, wherein the entity contains a link to another entity in accordance with the tag topological network layer, wherein the link is created in accordance with the tag vector of the entity; and

outputting the search result to an internet protocol device of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the search result comprises:

converting the search term into a tag vector, wherein the entity is found based on a distance measure of the tag vector of the entity to the tag vector of the search term.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance measure is a Kullback-Leibler distance measure.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the distance measure is an earth mover distance measure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity comprises a web page.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tag vector of the entity comprises a distribution of the plurality of user provided tags provided by the plurality of different users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is accessible via an Internet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the search result is provided to the user as a service feature.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a charge is assessed against the user for providing the search result.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for using user provided tags for searching, comprising:

collecting at an application server a plurality of user provided tags associated with each one of a plurality of entities, wherein the plurality of user provided tags comprises semantic descriptions entered by a plurality of different users;

creating by the application server a tag topological network layer that is managed by a service provider, wherein the tag topological network layer predefines a next entity for each one of the plurality of entities based upon the plurality of user provided tags;

receiving at the application server a user query that contains a search term from a user; and

generating at the application server a search result containing an entity of the plurality of entities in the tag topological network layer, wherein the entity is found based on a distance measure of a tag vector, t_p, for the entity, p, wherein a function t_p(i) represents a measure of a weight of a tag, i, that is used to tag the entity, p, based on a normalized count of times tag, i, is used to tag the entity, p, wherein the entity contains a link to another entity in accordance with the tag topological network layer, wherein the link is created in accordance with the tag vector of the entity.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the generating the search result comprises:

converting the search term into a tag vector, wherein the entity is found based on a distance measure of the tag vector of the entity to the tag vector of the search term.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the distance measure is a Kullback-Leibler distance measure.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the distance measure is an earth mover distance measure.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the entity comprises a web page.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the tag vector of the entity comprises a distribution of the plurality of user provided tags provided by the plurality of different users.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the entity is accessible via an Internet.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the search result is provided to the user as a service feature.

18. An apparatus for using user provided tags for searching, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium in communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable medium has stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, comprising;

collecting a plurality of user provided tags associated with each one of a plurality of entities, wherein the plurality of user provided tags comprises semantic descriptions entered by a plurality of different users;

creating a tag topological network layer that is managed by a service provider, wherein the tag topological network layer predefines a next entity for each one of the plurality of entities based upon the plurality of user provided tags;

receiving a user query that contains a search term from a user; and

generating a search result containing an entity of the plurality of entities in the tag topological network layer, wherein the entity is found based on a distance measure of a tag vector, t_p, for the entity, p, wherein a function t_p(i) represents a measure of a weight of a tag, i, that is used to tag the entity, p, based on a normalized count of times tag, i, is used to tag the entity, p, wherein the entity contains a link to another entity in accordance with the tag topological network layer, wherein the link is created in accordance with the tag vector of the entity.