Context based interactive search

• US 8,341,167 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Podgorny, Igor A., Rohatgi, Amit, Coletta, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ortiz Ditren, Belix M
• Application Number:
  US12/363,630
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems

Abstract

A method for searching within a product context. The method includes receiving a first search phrase for a search within the product context, and evaluating the first search phrase based on the product context. Evaluating the first search phrase includes obtaining a plurality of keywords from the first search phrase, and identifying a facet using the plurality of keywords. The facet is contextually related to a keyword of the plurality of keywords, and the facet and the plurality of keywords are used to obtain a plurality of search terms. The evaluating the search phrase further includes applying a backward filter to revise the plurality of search terms into a second search phrase. The method further includes displaying the second search phrase.

Claims

1. A method for generating a related search phrase to search a data repository, comprising:

receiving a first search phrase for a search within a domain of a product;

evaluating the first search phrase based on the domain of the product, wherein evaluating the first search phrase comprises;

obtaining a plurality of user-submitted keywords from the first search phrase,

querying a keyword repository with at least two user-submitted keywords of the plurality of user-submitted keywords to obtain a derivative keyword of a plurality of derivative keywords, wherein the keyword repository relates each of the plurality of user-submitted keywords to at least one of the plurality of derivative keywords,

identifying a facet from a facet repository using the derivative keyword,

wherein the facet is a term that is contextually related to the plurality of user-submitted keywords based on historical usage by multiple users of the user-submitted keywords when searching in the domain of the product, and

wherein the facet, the derivative keyword, and the plurality of user-submitted keywords are used to obtain a plurality of search terms,

applying a backward filter to revise the plurality of search terms into a second search phrase, and

identifying a previously submitted question based on the facet, the derivative keyword, and the plurality of user-submitted keywords; and

displaying the second search phrase and the previously submitted question.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the first search phrase further comprises:

extracting the plurality of search terms from the plurality of user-submitted keywords and the facet, wherein the plurality of search terms are a subset of the plurality of user-submitted keywords.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the domain of the product is tax preparation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the facet is the term that is contextually related to the plurality of user-submitted keywords when a regulation from a legal authority relates the facet to a keyword of the plurality of user-submitted keywords.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the facet is the term that is contextually related to the plurality of user-submitted keywords when historical search phrases include the facet and a keyword of the plurality of user-submitted keywords.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a search term of the plurality of search terms is the derivative keyword, and wherein applying the backward filter comprises:

correcting a spelling of the search term.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the backward filter comprises:

ordering the plurality of search terms into the second search phrase, wherein a search term of the plurality of search terms is in a different position in the first search phrase than in the second search phrase.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein applying the backward filter further comprises:

adjusting a grammatical case of the search term according to a position of the search term in the second search phrase.

9. A computer system for generating a related search phrase to search a data repository, comprising:

a processor;

a keyword repository configured to relate each of a plurality of user-submitted keywords to at least one of a plurality of derivative keywords;

a facet repository configured to store a contextual relationship between a keyword of the plurality of user-submitted keywords and a facet, wherein the facet is a term that is contextually related to the plurality of user-submitted keywords based on historical usage by multiple users of the user-submitted keywords when searching in a domain of a product; and

a management engine executing on the processor and operatively connected to the facet repository, the management engine configured to;

receive a first search phrase for a search within the domain of the product;

evaluate the first search phrase based on the domain of the product, wherein evaluating the first search phrase comprises;

obtaining the plurality of user-submitted keywords from the first search phrase,

querying the keyword repository with at least two user-submitted keywords of the plurality of user-submitted keywords to obtain a derivative keyword of the plurality of derivative keywords, and

identifying the facet from the facet repository using the plurality of user-submitted keywords based on the contextual relationship between the facet and the user-submitted keywords,

wherein the facet, the derivative keyword, and the plurality of user-submitted keywords are used to obtain a plurality of search terms,

apply a backward filter to revise the plurality of search terms into a second search phrase, and

identifying a previously submitted question based on the facet, the derivative keyword, and the plurality of user-submitted keywords,

wherein the second search phrase and the previously submitted question are displayed in a user interface.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein evaluating the first search phrase further comprises:

extracting the plurality of search terms from the plurality of user-submitted keywords and the facet, wherein the plurality of search terms are a subset of the plurality of user-submitted keywords.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the domain of the product is tax preparation.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the facet is the term that is contextually related to the plurality of user-submitted keywords when a regulation from a legal authority relates the facet to the keyword.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the facet is the term that is contextually related to the plurality of user-submitted keywords when historical search phrases include the facet and one of the plurality of keywords.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein a search term of the plurality of search terms is the derivative keyword, and wherein applying the backward filter comprises:

correcting a spelling of the search term.

15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein applying the backward filter comprises:

ordering the plurality of search terms into the second search phrase, wherein the at least one search term of the plurality of search terms is in a different position in the first search phrase than in the second search phrase.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein applying the backward filter further comprises:

adjusting a grammatical case of the at least one search term according to a position of the at least one search term in the second search phrase.

17. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to:

receive a first search phrase for a search within a domain of a product;

evaluate the first search phrase based on the domain of the product, wherein evaluating the first search phrase comprises;

obtaining a plurality of user-submitted keywords from the first search phrase,

querying a keyword repository with at least two user-submitted keywords of the plurality of user-submitted keywords to obtain a derivative keyword of a plurality of derivative keywords, wherein the keyword repository relates each of the plurality of user-submitted keywords to at least one of the plurality of derivative keywords,

identifying a facet from a facet repository using the derivative keyword,

wherein the facet is a term that is contextually related to the plurality of user-submitted keywords based on historical usage by multiple users of the user-submitted keywords when searching in the domain of the product, and

wherein the facet, the derivative keyword, and the plurality of user-submitted keywords are used to obtain a plurality of search terms,

applying a backward filter to revise the plurality of search terms into a second search phrase, and

identifying a previously submitted question based on the facet, the derivative keyword, and the plurality of user-submitted keywords; and

display the second search phrase and the previously submitted question.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein evaluating the first search phrase further comprises:

extracting the plurality of search terms from the plurality of user-submitted keywords and the facet, wherein the plurality of search terms are a subset of the plurality of user-submitted keywords.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the domain of the product is tax preparation.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the facet is the term that is contextually related to the plurality of user-submitted keywords when a regulation from a legal authority relates the facet to a keyword of the plurality of user-submitted keywords.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the facet is the term that is contextually related to the plurality of user-submitted keywords when historical search phrases include the facet and a keyword of the plurality of user-submitted keywords.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein a first search term of the plurality of search terms is the derivative keyword, and wherein applying the backward filter comprises:

correcting a spelling of the first search term;

ordering the plurality of search terms into the second search phrase, wherein a second search term of the plurality of search terms is in a different position in the first search phrase than in the second search phrase; and

adjusting a grammatical case of the second search term according to a position of the second search term in the second search phrase.