Recommending queries when searching against keywords

• US 9,223,851 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zarzar Charur, Daniel G., Huentelman, Mark D., Avital, Noaa, Ge, Jun, Varland, Joel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): KUDDUS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/984,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence

Abstract

A query including one or more current search terms is received from a user and executed against a target database. When the query yields a number of results less than a defined search threshold (a.k.a. an “unsuccessful” search), the current search terms are compared with an associations database. The associations database includes associations between search terms in previously-executed queries that yielded less than a threshold number of results and replacement search terms that were substituted to generate a successful query yielding at least the threshold number of results. Upon finding a match between one or more of the search terms and the current search terms, the associations between the search terms and the replacement search terms are used to identify suggested replacement search terms and present them to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executing on a processor, comprising:

receiving a query comprising a current search term that is submitted for execution against a target database;

after receiving the query comprising the current search term that is submitted for execution, executing the query comprising the current search term against the target database;

displaying results for the current search term when the executing of the query against the target database yields a number of results at least reaching a current search threshold; and

when the executing of the query yields a number of results that does not at least reach the current search threshold;

presenting a replacement search term determined from a previous successful query that when previously executed against the target database secured a number of results that at least reached the current search threshold using an associations database;

receiving a selection of the replacement search term; and

generating a second query based on the replacement search term;

wherein the associations database is populated by;

identifying previously executed unsuccessful queries of the target database for which a number of results secured did not at least reach the current search threshold;

tracking subsequently entered queries for which a number of results secured reached the current search threshold; and

mapping search terms included in the previously executed unsuccessful queries to replacement search terms from the subsequently entered queries.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an image that is associated with the replacement term.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an indication that the query did not return results when the executing of the query yields the number of results less than the current search threshold upon finding a match between the search terms for previously executed unsuccessful queries and the current search term.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an indication to try another search as the query did not return results and did not find a match between the search terms for previously executed unsuccessful queries and the current search term.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the target database identifies images that are associated with search terms.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the search terms included in the previously executed unsuccessful queries have been manually associated with one or more of the replacement search terms yielding the successful query.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the search terms manually associated with one or more of the replacement search terms yielding the successful query include search terms included in a series of more than one previously executed unsuccessful query for which the number of results from the executing of the previously executed unsuccessful query is equal to a predetermined number.

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

storing previously executed unsuccessful queries of the target database for which a threshold number of results were not secured for search terms included in the previously executed unsuccessful queries;

identifying replacement search terms for the search terms in the previously executed unsuccessful queries that led to a successful query yielding the threshold number of results; and

creating the associations database including associations between the search terms included in the previously executed unsuccessful queries and the replacement search terms such that, upon a query being executed on the target database that fails to return the threshold number of results, the associations are available to present one or more of the replacement search terms to be used in place of the search terms of the query.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the associations database is edited to delete search terms that are classified as objectionable.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, excluding a signal, storing instructions executable by a computing system to generate a result, comprising:

receiving a submitted query from a user interface comprising a current search term to be executed against a target database;

displaying results when executing of the submitted query yields a number of results at least reaching a current search threshold; and

when executing the submitted query does not yield a number of results at least reaching a current search threshold;

presenting a replacement search term determined from a previous successful query that when previously executed against the target database secured the number of results that at least reached the current search threshold using an associations database;

receiving a selection of the replacement search term; and

generating a second query based on the replacement search term;

wherein the associations database is populated by;

identifying previously executed unsuccessful queries of the target database for which a number of results secured did not at least reach the current search threshold;

tracking subsequently entered queries for which a number of results secured reached the current search threshold; and

mapping search terms included in the previously executed unsuccessful queries to replacement search terms from the subsequently entered queries.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising presenting an image that is associated with the replacement search term.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising presenting an indication that the query did not return results when the executing of the query yields the number of results less than the current search threshold upon finding a match between the search terms and the current search term.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising presenting an indication to try another search as the query did not return results and did not find a match between the search terms and the current search term.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the search terms included in the previously executed unsuccessful queries have been manually associated with one or more of the replacement search terms yielding the successful query.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

storing previously executed unsuccessful queries of the target database for which a threshold number of results were not secured for search terms included in the previously executed unsuccessful queries;

identifying replacement search terms for the search terms in the previously executed unsuccessful queries that led to a successful query yielding the threshold number of results; and

creating an associations database including associations between search terms included in previously executed unsuccessful queries and the replacement search terms such that, upon a query being executed on the target database that fails to return the current search threshold number of results, the associations are available to present one or more of the replacement search terms to be used in place of the search terms.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the associations database is edited to delete search terms that are classified as objectionable.

17. A system, comprising:

a display;

a processor and a computer-readable medium;

the processor configured to perform actions, comprising;

storing previously executed unsuccessful queries of a target database for which a threshold number of results were not secured for search terms included in the previously executed unsuccessful queries;

tracking subsequently entered queries for which the threshold number of results were secured for search terms included in the subsequently entered queries;

identifying replacement search terms for the search terms in the previously executed unsuccessful queries from the search terms in the subsequently entered queries;

mapping search terms included in the previously executed unsuccessful queries to the replacement search terms in an associations database;

receiving a submitted query comprising a current search term to be executed against the target database;

displaying the results on the display when the executing of the query yields a number of results at least reaching the threshold; and

when executing the submitted query does not yield a number of results at least reaching a current search threshold;

presenting, on the display, a particular replacement search term determined from a previous successful query that when previously executed against the target database secured the number of results that at least reached the current search threshold using a mapping in the associations database;

receiving a selection of the particular replacement search term; and

generating a second query based on the particular replacement search term.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising presenting an image that is associated with the particular replacement term.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising presenting an indication that the query did not return results when the executing of the query yields the number of results less than the threshold upon finding a match between at least one of the replacement search terms and the current search term.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising presenting an indication to try another search as the query did not return results and did not find a match between at least one of the replacement search terms and the current search term.