Automatic derivation of synonym entity names

• US 8,688,688 B1
• Filed: 08/05/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Murphy, Bruce, Gornisiewicz, Michal
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US13/204,498
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/714, 704/4, 704/10, 709/225
• US Class Current: 707/714
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/247 Thesauruses; Synonyms

Abstract

A synonym module analyzes a set of names for entities, such as names of streets and cities within a geographic database, and adds synonym names to the entities based on the analysis. More specifically, based on adjacencies of words within the names, the synonym module formulates a set of synonym rules specifying permissible ways of spelling a single word as multiple words (or vice-versa). The synonym module applies the synonym rules to the names, and if one of the rules matches a name, the synonym module adds an associated synonym name based on the name and on the rule matching the name. User queries for named entities in the database may then take into account not only the original names of the entities, but also any added synonym names.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for execution by a computer processor, the method comprising:

identifying a first geographic entity in a geographic database having an original name that includes a plurality of terms;

forming, by the computer processor, a name synonym rule by associating a sequence of adjacent terms in the original name of the first geographic entity with a single-word concatenation of the sequence of adjacent terms;

validating the name synonym rule by matching the single-word concatenation with a word in a dictionary;

using the single-word concatenation as a synonym name for the first geographic entity;

receiving a geographic query comprising a name;

determining that the name is the synonym name for the first geographic entity and that the name is an original name for a second geographic entity in the geographic database; and

providing a result set comprising the first geographic entity and the second geographic entity, wherein the second geographic entity is ranked higher than the first geographic entity.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dictionary is obtained by forming a set of possible name words from one or more terms that are used in names of a plurality of geographic entities in the geographic database.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of geographic entities from which the set of possible name words is obtained comprises a plurality of geographic entities of a particular type.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dictionary is a conventional electronic dictionary.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dictionary is obtained from a corpus of documents.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the validated name synonym rule to generate a synonym name for the second geographic entity, wherein the synonym name for the second geographic entity corresponds to the original name of the first geographic entity.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the original names are associated with corresponding different natural languages, the method further comprising:

identifying a first set of the original names of the geographic entities that are associated with a first one of the corresponding natural languages and a second set of the original names of the geographic entities that are associated with a second one of the corresponding natural languages; and

performing the forming, retaining, determining, and associating steps separately for the first set and for the second set.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable computer program instructions embodied therein that when executed by a computer processor cause the computer processor to perform actions comprising:

identifying a first geographic entity in a geographic database having an original name that includes a plurality of terms;

forming a name synonym rule by associating a sequence of adjacent terms in the original name of the first geographic entity with a single-word concatenation of the sequence of adjacent terms;

validating the name synonym rule by matching the single-word concatenation with a word in a dictionary;

using the single-word concatenation as a synonym name for the first geographic entity;

receiving a geographic query comprising a name;

determining that the name is the synonym name for the first geographic entity and that the name is an original name for a second geographic entity in the geographic database; and

providing a result set comprising the first geographic entity and the second geographic entity, wherein the second geographic entity is ranked higher than the first geographic entity.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the dictionary is obtained by forming a set of possible name words from one or more terms that are used in names of a plurality of geographic entities in the geographic database.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of geographic entities from which the set of possible name words is obtained comprises a plurality of geographic entities of a particular type.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the dictionary is a conventional electronic dictionary.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the dictionary is obtained from a corpus of documents.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, the actions further comprising:

using the validated name synonym rule to generate a synonym name for the second geographic entity, wherein the synonym name for the second geographic entity corresponds to the original name of the first geographic entity.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the original names are associated with corresponding different natural languages, the actions further comprising:

identifying a first set of the original names of the geographic entities that are associated with a first one of the corresponding natural languages and a second set of the original names of the geographic entities that are associated with a second one of the corresponding natural languages; and

performing the forming, retaining, determining, and associating steps separately for the first set and for the second set.

15. A computer system, comprising:

a computer processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by the computer processor, the computer program when executed by the computer processor causing the computer processor to perform actions comprising;

identifying a first geographic entity in a geographic database having an original name that includes a plurality of terms;

forming a name synonym rule by associating a sequence of adjacent terms in the original name of the first geographic entity with a single-word concatenation of the sequence of adjacent terms;

validating the name synonym rule by matching the single-word concatenation with a word in a dictionary;

using the single-word concatenation as a synonym name for the first geographic entity;

receiving a geographic query comprising a name;

determining that the name is the synonym name for the first geographic entity and that the name is an original name for a second geographic entity in the geographic database.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the dictionary is obtained by forming a set of possible name words from one or more terms that are used in names of a plurality of geographic entities in the geographic database.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of geographic entities from which the set of possible name words is obtained comprises a plurality of geographic entities of a particular type.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the dictionary is a conventional electronic dictionary.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the dictionary is obtained from a corpus of documents.

20. The computer system of claim 15, the actions further comprising:

using the validated name synonym rule to generate a synonym name for the second geographic entity, wherein the synonym name for the second geographic entity corresponds to the original name of the first geographic entity.

21. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the original names are associated with corresponding different natural languages, the actions further comprising:

identifying a first set of the original names of the geographic entities that are associated with a first one of the corresponding natural languages and a second set of the original names of the geographic entities that are associated with a second one of the corresponding natural languages; and

performing the forming, retaining, determining, and associating steps separately for the first set and for the second set.