Technique for updating a context that facilitates evaluating qualitative search terms

• US 9,129,041 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Splunk Inc.
• Original Assignee: Splunk Inc.
• Inventors: Cormier, Michael E., Thackrey, William E., Cox, Earl D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chbouki, Tarek
• Application Number:
  US14/448,215
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24537 of operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24545 Selectivity estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2468 Fuzzy queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/36 Creation of semantic tools, e.g. ontology or thesauri
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that updates a context that facilitates evaluating qualitative search terms for an attribute during query processing. During operation, the system extracts a value for the attribute from each data item in a set of data items. Next, the system updates the context based on the extracted attribute values, wherein the context includes a concept-mapping for one or more qualitative search terms applied to the attribute, and wherein each concept-mapping associates a given attribute value with a numerical compatibility index that indicates a compatibility between the given attribute value and a corresponding qualitative search term.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for updating a concept-mapping function that facilitates evaluating a qualitative search term applied to an attribute during query processing, the method comprising:

extracting a value for the attribute from each data item in a set of data items; and

updating the concept-mapping function based on the extracted attribute values, wherein the concept-mapping function associates a given value for the attribute with a numerical compatibility index that indicates a compatibility between the given value and the qualitative search term as applied to the attribute, wherein the qualitative search term comprises one or more words that express a quality of the attribute value;

wherein updating the concept-mapping function comprises,

determining boundaries for the concept-mapping function based the extracted attribute values, and

within the determined boundaries, using a pre-specified distribution to update the concept-mapping function; and

wherein determining the boundaries for the concept-mapping function includes;

computing a mean attribute value and a standard deviation for the extracted attribute values; and

using the mean attribute value and the standard deviation to determine the boundaries for the concept-mapping.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the concept-mapping function includes using a pre-specified distribution obtained from a domain expert or a user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the concept-mapping function additionally includes using information obtained from a current version of the concept-mapping function.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein the concept-mapping function belongs to a set of concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms applied to the attribute;

wherein the set of concept-mapping functions define a context for the attribute; and

wherein updating the concept-mapping function additionally includes updating the set of concept-mapping functions in the context.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein a context for an attribute “

arrival time”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

early,”

“

on time,” and

“

late”

;

wherein a context for an attribute “

height”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

short” and

“

tall”

;

wherein a context for an attribute “

response time”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

slow” and

“

fast”

; and

wherein a context for an attribute “

speed”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

fast” and

“

slow”

.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing the concept-mapping function as an array of data values that maps attribute values to corresponding numerical compatibility indices.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing the concept-mapping function as a representation of mathematical function that maps attribute values to corresponding compatibility indices.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein instructions for updating the concept-mapping function are stored in a context associated with the concept-mapping function.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for updating a concept-mapping function that facilitates evaluating a qualitative search term applied to an attribute during query processing, the method comprising:

extracting a value for the attribute from each data item in a set of data items; and

updating the concept-mapping function based on the extracted attribute values, wherein the concept-mapping function associates a given value for the attribute with a numerical compatibility index that indicates a compatibility between the given value and the qualitative search term as applied to the attribute, wherein the qualitative search term comprises one or more words that express a quality of the attribute value;

wherein updating the concept-mapping function comprises,

determining boundaries for the concept-mapping function based the extracted attribute values, and

within the determined boundaries, using a pre-specified distribution to update the concept-mapping function; and

wherein determining the boundaries for the concept-mapping function includes;

computing a mean attribute value and a standard deviation for the extracted attribute values; and

using the mean attribute value and the standard deviation to determine the boundaries for the concept-mapping.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein updating the concept-mapping function includes using a pre-specified distribution obtained from a domain expert or a user.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein updating the concept-mapping function additionally includes using information obtained from a current version of the concept-mapping function.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9,

wherein the concept-mapping function belongs to a set of concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms applied to the attribute;

wherein the set of concept-mapping functions define a context for the attribute; and

wherein updating the concept-mapping function additionally includes updating the set of concept-mapping functions in the context.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9,

wherein a context for an attribute “

arrival time”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

early,”

“

on time,” and

“

late”

;

wherein a context for an attribute “

height”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

short” and

“

tall”

;

wherein a context for an attribute “

response time”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

slow” and

“

fast”

; and

wherein a context for an attribute “

speed”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

fast” and

“

slow”

.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises storing each concept-mapping in the context as an array of data values representing a function that maps attribute values to corresponding compatibility indices.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising storing the concept-mapping function as a representation of mathematical function that maps attribute values to corresponding compatibility indices.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein instructions for updating the concept-mapping function are stored in a context associated with the concept-mapping function.

17. A system for updating a concept-mapping function that facilitates evaluating a qualitative search term applied to an attribute during query processing, the method comprising:

at least one processor and at least one associated memory; and

a context-updating mechanism that executes on the at least one processor and is configured to;

extract a value for the attribute from each data item in a set of data items; and

update the concept-mapping function based on the extracted attribute values, wherein the concept-mapping function associates a given value for the attribute with a numerical compatibility index that indicates a compatibility between the given value and the qualitative search term as applied to the attribute, wherein the qualitative search term comprises one or more words that express a quality of the attribute value;

wherein while updating the concept-mapping function, the context-updating mechanism;

determines boundaries for the concept-mapping function based the extracted attribute values, and

within the determined boundaries, uses a pre-specified distribution to update the concept-mapping function; and

wherein while determining the boundaries for the concept-mapping function, the context-updating mechanism;

computes a mean attribute value and a standard deviation for the extracted attribute values; and

uses the mean attribute value and the standard deviation to determine the boundaries for the concept-mapping.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein while updating the context, the context-updating mechanism uses a pre-specified distribution obtained from a domain expert or a user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein while updating the concept-mapping function, the context-updating mechanism additionally uses information obtained from a current version of the concept-mapping function.

20. The system of claim 17,

wherein the concept-mapping function belongs to a set of concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms applied to the attribute;

wherein the set of concept-mapping functions define a context for the attribute; and

wherein while updating the concept-mapping function, the context-updating mechanism is additionally configured to update the set of concept-mapping functions in the context.

21. The system of claim 20,

wherein a context for an attribute “

arrival time”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

early,”

“

on time,” and

“

late”

;

wherein a context for an attribute “

height”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

short” and

“

tall”

;

wherein a context for an attribute “

response time”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

slow” and

“

fast”

;

wherein a context for an attribute “

speed”

includes concept-mapping functions for a set of qualitative search terms, including “

fast” and

“

slow”

.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the context-updating mechanism additionally stores the concept-mapping function as an array of data values that maps attribute values to corresponding numerical compatibility indices.