Method and system for generation of hierarchical search results

• US 9,251,244 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rajaraman, Anand, Green, Nigel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAYE, CHELCIE L
• Application Number:
  US13/621,090
• Time in Patent Office: 1,235 Days
• Field of Search: 707/731, 707/728, 707/785
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

The system receives a query and then identifies classifications of the data that may satisfy the received query. The system then displays the identified classifications. In response to selection of a displayed classification, the system displays sub-classifications when the selected classification has sub-classifications and displays the data within the classification when the selected classification has no sub-classifications. In another aspect, the system generates search results for items that are hierarchically classified. For classifications within the hierarchy of classifications, the system generates a search entry containing terms describing the items within that classification. The system then receives a search criteria. The system selects as initial search results those search entries whose terms most closely match the received search criteria. The system can then adjust the initial search results based on the hierarchy of classifications.

Claims

1. A computing system for providing general purpose searching, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing system to provide;

a product database that contains entries for a plurality of items, the plurality of items being hierarchically classified;

a descriptor that contains a definition of hierarchical organization of the items in the product database, the definition including a hierarchy of classifications;

an index builder configured to;

read the descriptor and construct an index for the product database based at least in part on the definition in the descriptor, the constructed index containing at least one entry for each classification in the definition, the entry containing one or more words that appear in at least one of;

(a) the entries of the product database for the items within the classification or (b) the words in a name of the classification, and

read a special terms file to construct the index, the special terms file containing one or more words that are synonymous with the name of the classifications in the constructed index, wherein the index builder assigns a high priority to the one or more words that are synonymous with the name of the classification; and

a search engine configured to receive search criteria and return a set of results for the search criteria based at least in part on the constructed index, the set of results adjusted for the hierarchy of classifications.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions to cause the computing system to provide:

a hierarchical displayer configured to determine which highest level classification of the set of results is assigned a highest score in the index and display at least a name of the highest classification in response to the search criteria.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the index builder is further configured to read a priority descriptor file to construct the index, the priority descriptor file indicating how to score a presence of the search criteria in the entries of the constructed index.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the priority descriptor file assigns a higher priority to terms that appear in a classification name than terms that appear in a description of an item.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the special terms file further contains one or more terms that should be disregarded by the search engine when the one or more terms appear in a description of the items.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the entries of the index that contain words from all description fields of the items within a classification are assigned a lower priority than the entries that contain only words in the name of the classification.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions to cause the computing system to provide:

one or more logs that contain information about the search criteria and the set of results returned by the search engine.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory further includes instructions to cause the computing system to provide:

a log analyzer that analyzes the one or more logs to determine whether synonyms should be added to a search term in the search criteria.

9. A computer implemented method, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

reading a product database that contains entries for a plurality of items, the plurality of items being hierarchically classified;

reading a descriptor that contains a definition of hierarchical organization of the items in the product database, the definition including a hierarchy of classifications;

accessing a special terms file;

constructing an index for the product database based at least in part on the definition in the descriptor and the special terms file, the special terms file containing one or more words that are synonymous with the name of the classifications in the constructed index, the constructed index containing at least one entry for each classification in the definition, the entry containing one or more words that appear in at least one of;

(a) the entries of the product database for the items within the classification or (b) the words in a name of the classification;

assigning a high priority to the one or more words that are synonymous with the name of the classification;

receiving search criteria; and

obtaining a set of results for the search criteria based at least in part on the constructed index and the assigned high priority, the set of results adjusted for the hierarchy of classifications.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining which highest level classification of the set of results is assigned a highest score in the index; and

displaying at least a name of the highest classification in response to the search criteria.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein constructing the index further includes:

reading a priority descriptor file to construct the index, the priority descriptor file indicating how to score a presence of the search criteria in the entries of the constructed index.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein the priority descriptor file assigns a higher priority to terms that appear in a classification name than terms that appear in a description of an item.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the special terms file further contains one or more terms that should be disregarded by the search engine when the one or more terms appear in a description of the items.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a set of operations comprising:

accessing a product database that contains entries for a plurality of items, the plurality of items being hierarchically classified;

reading a definition of hierarchical organization of the items in the product database, the definition including a hierarchy of classifications;

accessing a special terms file, the special terms file containing one or more words that are synonymous with the name of the classifications in the constructed index, wherein the index builder is configured to assign a high priority to the one or more words that are synonymous with the name of the classification;

generating an index for the product database based at least in part on the definition and the special terms file, the constructed index containing at least one entry for each classification in the definition, the entry containing one or more words that appear in at least one of;

(a) the entries of the product database for the items within the classification or (b) the words in a name of the classification;

receiving a search request including search criteria; and

obtaining a set of results for the search criteria based at least in part on the constructed index, the set of results adjusted for the hierarchy of classifications.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the entries of the index that contain words from all description fields of the items within a classification are assigned a lower priority than the entries that contain only words in the name of the classification.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

providing one or more logs that contain information about the search criteria and the set of results returned by the search engine.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for:

analyzing the one or more logs to deter mine whether synonyms should be added to a search term in the search criteria.