Semantically associated text index and the population and use thereof

• US 8,799,265 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jolly Seven, Series 70 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Semanti Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Bruce, Frederick, Chad, Montgomerie, Scott, Yee, Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Leslie
• Application Number:
  US13/062,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 707/711, 707/741, 707/742, 707/706, 707/707
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/31 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

The construction of a semantically associated computer search database is disclosed. A text catalog containing the text particulars and contents of a plurality of electronic documents, a term association database which joins text search terms with their semantic meanings or definitions, and a content association database which contains records associating text search terms and their contextual definitions in respect of individual electronic documents are used to in conjunction provide a text index in which it is possible to search based upon the actual definitions or meanings of certain text or terms within the electronic documents, reducing or refining query search result sets. A method of operating a search engine with the index in question, as well as other e-commerce methods employing the index as a refining tool are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A text index, comprising a data structure stored in a memory for access by at least one application program being executed on a data processing system, for use in the preparation of semantically associated text searches of electronic documents in a search engine, said text index comprising:

one or more content records corresponding to an electronic document, the content records identifying one or more text terms present within the electronic document;

one or more term association records associating a text term present within the electronic document identified by a content record with a pre-determined semantic definition of the text term;

one or more content association records linking a term association record of the one or more term association records with a content record of the one or more content records;

wherein a user is enabled to provide one or more user-defined text search terms desired to be located within the text index;

wherein, for user-defined text search terms having term association records within the search index, the user is iteratively presented a list of one or more pre-determined semantic definitions associated with each of the one or more user-defined text search terms, enabling the user to select a pre-determined semantic definition of those one or more user-defined text search terms;

wherein the one or more content association records contained within the text index are searched using the user-defined text search terms to locate electronic documents previously catalogued as containing the one or more user-defined text search terms in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definitions, to form a semantically relevant results set;

wherein new term association records are updated or created during the use of the text index by enabling a user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with user-defined text search terms; and

wherein new content association records are updated or created during the use of the text index in a search, by associating a particular electronic document with the use-defined text search terms, and selected pre-determined semantic definitions of the user-defined text search terms, used to locate the particular electronic document.

2. The text index of claim 1 wherein the one or more content records are contained within a text catalog.

3. The text index of claim 1 wherein the one or more term association records are contained within a term association database.

4. The text index of claim 1 wherein the one or more content association records are contained within a content association database.

5. The text index of claim 1 wherein the one or more user-defined text search terms are associated with more than one pre-determined semantic definition.

6. The text index of claim 1 wherein the one or more user-defined text search term includes more than one user-defined text search term, and wherein the more than one user-defined text search term is associated with the same pre-determined semantic definition.

7. The text index of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more content records further comprises a location identifier for a respective one of the electronic documents.

8. The text index of claim 1 wherein the electronic document is accessible via the Internet.

9. The text index of claim 1 wherein the location identifier is a network URL.

10. The text index of claim 1 wherein the electronic document is a webpage.

11. The text index of claim 1, wherein upon a subsequent search of the text index seeking to locate a particular user-defined text search term or pre-determined semantic definition, the content association records are used to locate electronic document content that is semantically relevant to the user-defined text search term.

12. The text index of claim 1, wherein the pre-determined semantic definitions selected can be associated with the user-defined text search term in a new term association record within the text index.

13. A method of serving of semantically refined advertising content in websites, wherein a text index in accordance with claim 1 is used to identify semantically relevant advertising content, wherein the advertising content pieces are selected from the electronic documents indexed within the text index, and the text search terms used to identify semantically relevant advertising material are captured from user input or behavior on each respective website.

14. The text index of claim 2 wherein the text catalog is a part of a remainder of the text index.

15. The text index of claim 2 wherein the text catalog is stored on and accessed from a separate computer system.

16. A method of displaying semantically associated text search results using a text index comprising:

one or more content records corresponding to an electronic document, the content records identifying one or more text terms present within the electronic document;

one or more term association records associating a text term present within the electronic document identified by a content record with a pre-determined semantic definition of the text term;

one or more content association records linking a term association record of the one or more term association records with a content records of the one or more content records;

said method comprising;

enabling a user to select, in a search engine, one or more user-defined text search terms desired to be located within the text index;

for user-defined text search terms having term association records within the text index, iteratively presenting to the user a list of pre-determined semantic definitions associated with each of the one or more user-defined text search terms and enabling the user to select a pre-determined semantic definition of those one or more user-defined text search terms;

searching the content association records contained within the text index using the user-defined text search terms to locate electronic documents previously catalogued as containing the one or more user-defined text search terms in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definition, to form a semantically relevant results set;

displaying the semantically relevant results set to the user; and

updating or creating a new content association record during the use of the text index by associating a particular electronic document with the user-defined text search terms, and selected pre-determined semantic definition of the user-defined text search terms, used to locate the particular electronic document, and wherein one or more term association records are updated or created during the use of the text index by enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with user-defined text search terms.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions from the text index for association with user-defined text search terms where there are not already semantic associations represented by term association records.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein additional term association records are created within the text index corresponding to the user-defined text search terms and the pre-determined semantic definitions.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein a user interface displaying the semantically relevant results set uses a standalone computer software at a personal computer to connect to the text index.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein a user interface displaying the semantically relevant results set uses a browser plug-in in conjunction with the search engine, and the browser plug-in in addition operates in conjunction with the search engine connects by network to the text index.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising enabling the user to promote, demote or otherwise indicate the semantic relevance of one or more contents of the semantically relevant results set upon the display thereof, and adjusting the content association records of the text index with respect to the electronic document based upon such user input.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one user-defined text search term is associated with more than one pre-determined semantic definition within the text index.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein a display of the semantically relevant results set to the user enables the user to navigate directly to the electronic documents associated with the semantically relevant results set.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the electronic documents are webpages and navigation to those electronic documents is accomplished by presentation of hyperlinks to the locations of those webpages along with the remainder of the display of the semantically relevant results set.

27. The method of claim 16 wherein the user selects a pre-determined semantic definition for each text search term entered.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein the user does not select a pre-determined semantic definition for each user-defined text search term entered.

32. The method of claim 16 wherein a text catalog identifying the presence of text search terms within electronic documents is hosted within the remainder of the text index.

33. The method of claim 16 wherein a text catalog identifying the presence of text search terms within electronic documents is a separate data structure outside of the text index, operably connected thereto.

34. A computer readable memory having recorded thereon statements and instructions for execution by a data processing system to carry out the method of claim 16.

35. The computer readable memory of claim 34 wherein the statements and instructions for execution by the data processing system contained thereon are software for operation on a standalone computer.

36. The computer readable memory of claim 34 wherein the statements and instructions for execution by the data processing system contained thereon are embodied in a browser plug-in for use on an Internet browser program in conjunction with a search engine website system.

17. A method of displaying a semantically associated text search result from a search engine, using a text index comprising:

one or more content records corresponding to an electronic document, the content records identifying one or more text terms present within the electronic document;

one or more term association records associating a text term present within the electronic document identified by a content record with a pre-determined semantic definition of the text term;

one or more content association records linking a term association record of the one or more term association records with a content record of the one or more content records;

said method comprising;

enabling a user to select, in a search engine, one or more user-defined text search terms desired to be located;

for user-defined text search terms having term association records within the text index, iteratively presenting to the user a list of pre-determined semantic definitions associated each of the one or more user-defined text search terms and enabling the user to select a pre-determined semantic definition of each of the one or more user-defined text search terms;

searching the content association records contained within the text index using the user-defined text search terms to locate electronic documents previously catalogued as containing the one or more user-defined text search terms in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definition, to form a semantically relevant results set;

executing a text search against a search engine for the selected user-defined text search terms, to form a search engine results set;

ranking the search engine results set based upon the contents of the semantically relevant results set;

displaying the ranked search engine results set to the user; and

updating or creating a new content association record during the use of the text index by associating a particular electronic document with the user-defined text search terms, and selected pre-determined semantic definition of the user-defined text search terms, used to locate the particular electronic document, and wherein new term association records are updated or created during the use of the text index by enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with user-defined text search terms.

29. The method of claim 17 wherein a user interface comprises the addition of interface elements to a search engine interface that presents pre-determined semantic definitions from term association records for selection by the user within the search engine interface.

30. The method of claim 17 wherein the search engine enables the reordering of a display of the ranked search engine results set based upon the semantic ranking for reordered display of the search engine results set to the user.

31. The method of claim 17 wherein the search engine displays a ranking indicator for each record within the ranked search engine results set displayed to the user.

18. A method of displaying a semantically associated text search result from a search engine, using a text index comprising:

one or more content records corresponding to an electronic document, the content records identifying one or more text search terms present within the electronic document;

one or more term association records associating a text term present within the electronic document identified by a content record with a pre-determined semantic definition of the text term;

one or more content association records linking a term association record of the one or more term association records with a content record of the one or more content records;

said method comprising;

enabling a user to select, in a search engine, one or more user-defined text search terms desired to be located;

for user-defined text search terms having term association records within the text index, iteratively presenting to the user a list of pre-determined semantic definitions associated with each of the one or more user-defined text search terms and enabling the user to select a pre-determined semantic definition of those one or more user-defined text search terms;

searching the content association records contained within the text index using user-defined text search terms to locate electronic documents previously catalogued as containing the one or more user-defined text search terms in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definition, to form a semantically relevant results set;

executing a text search against the search engine for the selected user-defined text search terms, to form a search engine results set;

combining the search engine results set and the semantically relevant results set, to yield a combined results set;

displaying the combined results set to the user; and

updating or creating a content association record during the use of the text index by associating a particular electronic document with the user-defined text search terms, and selected pre-determined semantic definition of the user-defined text search terms, used to locate the particular electronic document, and wherein new term association records are updated or created during the use of the text index by enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with user-defined text search terms.

37. A data processing system for displaying a semantically associated text search result of a plurality of electronic documents, said data processing system comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor;

a display device operative to display data; and

a program module stored in the memory and operative for providing instructions to the at least one processor, the at least one processor responsive to the instructions of the program module,

wherein the program module is configured to access a text index comprising;

one or more content records corresponding to an electronic document, the content records identifying one or more text search terms present within the electronic document;

one or more term association records associating a text term present within the electronic document identified by a content record with a pre-determined semantic definition of the text term;

one or more content association records linking a term association record of the one or more term association records with a content record of the one or more content records;

wherein the program module is further configured for;

enabling a user to select, in a search engine, one or more user-defined text search terms desired to be located within the text index;

for user-defined text search terms having term association records within the text index, iteratively presenting to the user a list of pre-determined semantic definitions associated with each of the one or more user-defined text search terms and enabling the user to select a pre-determined semantic definition of those one or more user-defined text search terms;

searching the content association records contained within the text index using the user-defined text search terms to locate electronic documents previously catalogued as containing the one or more user-defined text search terms in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definition, to form a semantically relevant results set;

displaying the semantically relevant results set to the user; and

updating or creating a content association record during the use of the text index by associating a particular electronic document with the user-defined text search terms, and selected pre-determined semantic definition of the user-defined text search terms, used to locate the particular electronic document, and wherein new term association records are updated or created during the use of the text index by enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with user-defined text search terms.

38. The data processing system of claim 37 wherein the program module is further configured to execute a text search of the selected user-defined text search terms against a search engine to yield a search engine results set, and then order the returned search engine results set based upon the semantically relevant results set returned from the search of the text index, the re-ordered search engine results set being the semantically relevant results set displayed to the user.

39. The data processing system of claim 37 wherein the program module is a browser plug-in.

40. The data processing system of claim 37 wherein the program module is a standalone computer software and the data processing system itself is a personal computer operatively connected via a network to the text index.

41. A method of associating pre-determined semantic definitions with user-defined text search terms contained within at least one electronic document, the method comprising:

receiving user input in a search engine indicating at least one user-defined text search term desired to be located in at least one electronic document;

iteratively presenting to a user at least one pre-determined semantic definition for the at least one user-defined text search term from a plurality of term association records contained within a text index, each term association record corresponding to one pre-determined semantic definition for the user-defined text search term;

enabling the user to iteratively select the desired pre-determined semantic definition for each at least one user-defined text search term;

executing a text search for the user-defined text search terms against a text catalog containing the text contents of electronic documents, to return a text search result;

enabling the user to select one or more results from the text search result satisfying a search criteria of the user;

creating or updating content association records, based upon a positive selection of results from the text index search, within the text index for each user-defined text search term for which a pre-determined semantic definition was selected by the user, linking the electronic document with the selected pre-determined semantic definitions for the user-defined text search terms used to reach that result;

creating or updating term association records during the use of the text index by enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with user-defined text search terms; and

wherein the content association records created or updated within the text index are subsequently searched using user-defined text search terms to locate at least one electronic document previously catalogued as containing the one or more user-defined text search terms in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definitions to deliver semantically relevant text search results.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein more than one user-defined text search term corresponds to one pre-determined semantic definition.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein a user-defined text search term corresponds to more than one pre-determined semantic definition.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein a user interface with the user takes place through a browser plug-in on a Web browser at a personal computer of the user, operatively connected to a remainder of a website system.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein a user interface with the user takes place through a browser plug-in on a Web browser at a personal computer of the user, operating as an overlay to an Internet search engine with an appropriate application programming interface.

46. The method of claim 41 wherein a user interface with the user takes place through standalone computer software on a personal computer that is operatively connected to a remainder of the system via a computer network.

47. The method of claim 41 wherein the user is enabled to select a new pre-determined semantic definition for association with a text search term where the proper term association record does not already exist within the text index.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein a new term association record is created within the text index based upon the selection of a new pre-determined semantic definition for association with the user-defined text search term.

49. A data processing system for associating pre-determined semantic definitions with user-defined text search terms contained within at least one electronic document, said data processing system comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor;

a program module stored in the memory and operative for providing instructions to the at least one processor, the at least one processor responsive to the instructions of the program module;

the program module configured for;

receiving user input in a search engine indicating at least one user-defined text search term desired to be located in at least one electronic document;

iteratively presenting to a user at least one pre-determined semantic definition for at least one user-defined text search term from a plurality of term association records contained within a text index, each term association record corresponding pre-determined to one semantic definition for the at least one user-defined text search term;

enabling the user to iteratively select a desired pre-determined semantic definition for each at least one user-defined text search term;

executing a text search for the user-defined text search terms against a text catalog containing text contents of electronic documents, to return a text search result;

enabling the user to select one or more results from the text search result satisfying a search criteria of the user;

creating or updating content association records, based upon a positive selection of results from the text index search, within a text index for each user-defined text search term for which a pre-determined semantic definition was selected by the user, linking the electronic document with the selected pre-determined semantic definitions for the user-defined text search terms used to reach that result;

creating or updating term association records during the use of the text index by enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with user-defined text search terms; and

wherein the content association records created or updated within the text index are subsequently searched using user-defined text search terms to locate at least one electronic document previously catalogued as containing the one or more user-defined text search terms in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definitions to deliver semantically relevant text search results.

50. The data processing system of claim 49 wherein more than one user-defined text search term corresponds to one pre-determined semantic definition.

51. The data processing system of claim 49 wherein a user-defined text search term corresponds to more than one pre-determined semantic definition.

52. The data processing system of claim 49 wherein the user is enabled to select a new pre-determined semantic definition for association with a user-defined text search term where the proper term association record does not already exist within the text index.

53. The data processing system of claim 52 wherein a new term association record is created within the text index based upon the selection of a new pre-determined semantic definition for association with the user-defined text search term.

57. A computer readable memory having recorded thereon statements and instructions for execution by a data processing system to carry out the method of claim 50.

54. A method of providing combined search engine results, the method comprising:

enabling a user to enter user-defined search query parameters through a first search engine system and interface;

executing a search against the contents of a first content database using the user-defined search query parameters, to return a first results set;

passing the user-defined search query parameters from the first search engine system to at least one additional separate search engine system and executing searches against the content databases of said additional separate search engine systems to return at least one additional results set, based on a user selection of one or more of a plurality of pre-determined semantic definitions stored in association with the search query parameters and iteratively presented to the user;

returning the additional results sets to the first search engine system, the additional results sets including one of a plurality of electronic documents;

combining the first results set and the additional results sets for display to the user as a single end search result; and

updating or creating content association records, based on the user selection of the one or more pre-determined semantic definitions, which associate the selected one or more of the pre-determined semantic definitions for the user-defined search query parameters and selected one of the plurality of electronic documents;

updating or creating term association records, based on the use of search engine system by enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with the user-defined search query parameters; and

wherein the content association records created or updated are subsequently searched using user-defined search query parameters to locate at least one electronic document previously catalogued as containing the one or more user-defined search query parameters in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definitions to deliver a subsequent results set.

55. The method of claim 54 further comprising reordering the single end search result before display to the user.

56. The method of claim 54 wherein the search query parameters include semantically associated user-defined text search terms.