Using geographic data to identify correlated geographic synonyms

• US 8,326,866 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Upstill, Trystan G., Baker, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US13/275,267
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769, 707/706, 707/707, 707/708, 707/758, 707/759, 707/919
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/919 Geographic

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that that uses geographic data to identify correlated geographic synonyms in search queries. A correlated geographic synonym occurs when two terms that are possible synonyms should not be considered synonyms because they are associated with related geographic context. During operation, the system receives a term and a possible synonym for the term. The system then determines whether the term and the possible synonym are both present in a geographic data set. If so, the system uses the geographic data set to determine whether the possible synonym is a correlated geographic synonym for the term.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a query term and a possible synonym for the query term;

determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term both share a parent in a geographic data set that includes a plurality of names of geographic entities and respective relationships between pairs of geographic entities;

determining a geographic proximity between respective geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term in response to determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term both share a parent in the geographic data set;

determining that the geographic proximity meets a proximity criteria; and

determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are synonyms based at least in part on determining that the geographic proximity meets the proximity criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a geographic density of a geographic region that includes the geographic location corresponding to the query term and the geographic location corresponding to the possible synonym for the query term;

adapting the proximity criteria based on the determined geographic density,

wherein determining that the geographic proximity meets the proximity criteria comprises determining that the geographic proximity meets the adapted proximity criteria, and

wherein determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are synonyms is based at least in part on determining that the geographic proximity meets the adapted proximity criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the geographic density comprises determining a density of city data in the geographic region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the geographic data set is a tree structure, and

different positions in the tree structure that share a same level correspond to different geographic locations that share a same geographic region type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein relative positions of geographic entity names in the tree structure are determined according to relationships between geographic locations corresponding to the names of the geographic entities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term share a parent in the geographic data set comprises:

determining a first position for the query term in the geographic data set

determining a second position for the possible synonym for the query term in the geographic data set; and

determining that the first position and the second position are at a same level in the tree structure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are in a same geographic region comprises determining that the geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are in a same state or a same country.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search query;

translating a first term of the search query in a first language to a different second language; and

using the translated first term as the query term.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are synonyms, obtaining search results for the search query using the query term and the possible synonym for the query term.

10. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving a query term and a possible synonym for the query term;

determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term both share a parent in a geographic data set that includes a plurality of names of geographic entities and respective relationships between pairs of geographic entities;

determining a geographic proximity between respective geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term in response to determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term both share a parent in the geographic data set;

determining that the geographic proximity meets a proximity criteria; and

determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are synonyms based at least in part on determining that the geographic proximity meets the proximity criteria.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a geographic density of a geographic region that includes the geographic location corresponding to the query term and the geographic location corresponding to the possible synonym for the query term;

adapting the proximity criteria based on the determined geographic density,

wherein determining that the geographic proximity meets the proximity criteria comprises determining that the geographic proximity meets the adapted proximity criteria, and

wherein determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are synonyms is based at least in part on determining that the geographic proximity meets the adapted proximity criteria.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the geographic density comprises determining a density of city data in the geographic region.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the geographic data set is a tree structure, and

different positions in the tree structure that share a same level correspond to different geographic locations that share a same geographic region type.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein relative positions of geographic entity names in the tree structure are determined according to relationships between geographic locations corresponding to the names of the geographic entities.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that the geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term share a parent in the geographic data set comprises:

determining a first position for the query term in the geographic data set

determining a second position for the possible synonym for the query term in the geographic data set; and

determining that the first position and the second position are at a same level in the tree structure.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that the geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are in a same geographic region comprises determining that the geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are in a same state or a same country.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a search query;

translating a first term of the search query in a first language to a different second language; and

using the translated first term as the query term.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are synonyms, obtaining search results for the search query using the query term and the possible synonym for the query term.

19. A computer program product, encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving a query term and a possible synonym for the query term;

determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term both share a parent in a geographic data set that includes a plurality of names of geographic entities and respective relationships between pairs of geographic entities;

determining a geographic proximity between respective geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term in response to determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term both share a parent in the geographic data set;

determining that the geographic proximity meets a proximity criteria; and

determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are synonyms based at least in part on determining that the geographic proximity meets the proximity criteria.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a geographic density of a geographic region that includes the geographic location corresponding to the query term and the geographic location corresponding to the possible synonym for the query term;

adapting the proximity criteria based on the determined geographic density,

wherein determining that the geographic proximity meets the proximity criteria comprises determining that the geographic proximity meets the adapted proximity criteria, and

wherein determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are synonyms is based at least in part on determining that the geographic proximity meets the adapted proximity criteria.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein determining the geographic density comprises determining a density of city data in the geographic region.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein:

the geographic data set is a tree structure, and

different positions in the tree structure that share a same level correspond to different geographic locations that share a same geographic region type.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein relative positions of geographic entity names in the tree structure are determined according to relationships between geographic locations corresponding to the names of the geographic entities.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein determining that the geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term share a parent in the geographic data set comprises:

determining a first position for the query term in the geographic data set

determining a second position for the possible synonym for the query term in the geographic data set; and

determining that the first position and the second position are at a same level in the tree structure.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein determining that the geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are in a same geographic region comprises determining that the geographic entities corresponding to the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are in a same state or a same country.

26. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a search query;

translating a first term of the search query in a first language to a different second language; and

using the translated first term as the query term.

27. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to determining that the query term and the possible synonym for the query term are synonyms, obtaining search results for the search query using the query term and the possible synonym for the query term.