Simple web search

• US 9,262,529 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Palantir Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Colgrove, Caitlin, Martin, Gregory, Campanini, Javier
• Primary Examiner(s): Chau, Dung K
• Application Number:
  US14/487,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2448 for particular applications; for extensibility, e.g. user defined types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/953 Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A system of one or more computing devices is utilized for, among other purposes, creating a template-driven search interface and conducting searches thereon. In an embodiment, the system comprises: a template repository; search templates in the template repository, the search templates comprising at least: field specification data that specify search interface fields for obtaining search input data, and query specification data that specify how to generate structured queries based on the search input data obtained for the one or more of the search interface fields; a search field generator that generates search fields indicated by the field specification data; a template loading module, coupled to the template repository, that identifies available search templates in the template repository; and a search interface generator, coupled to the search field generator and template loading module, that generates different search interfaces depending on which template is selected.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

one or more computing devices configured to store a template repository;

search templates stored in the template repository, each of the search templates comprising at least;

field specification data that specifies search interface fields for obtaining search input data, the field specification data associating at least a particular search interface field of the search interface fields with a particular data structure type;

a search field generator in the one or more computing devices, the search field generator configured to generate the search interface fields indicated by the field specification data, including the particular search interface field;

wherein the search field generator is further configured to access ontological data to automatically identify properties defined to belong to objects of the particular data structure type, and to generate, based on the identified properties, a search interface field for each property, including the particular search interface field;

a search interface generator, coupled to the search field generator, configured to generate search interfaces that include specified search interface fields for selected search templates, the specified search interface fields generated by the search field generator, wherein the search interfaces are configured to receive search inputs via their included search interface fields;

wherein the generated search interfaces include at least a particular search interface configured to receive query value input specifying a query value via the particular search interface field;

at least one query formulation component configured to generate structured queries based on the search inputs, the structured queries including a particular structured query that comprises at least a particular query clause based on to the query value input and the particular search interface field;

a query relay component that is configured to access the ontological data and determine that a certain data structure type specified in the search inputs is only accessible through one or more search modules of a plurality of search modules;

the one or more search modules, configured to receive the structured queries and cause searches to be conducted based on the structured queries, the searches including at least a particular search that involves, based on the particular query clause, comparing the query value to values for the property in the objects of the particular data structure type.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a template loading module, coupled to the template repository, that is configured to identify available search templates in the template repository;

wherein the search interface generator is further configured to include in the search interfaces template selection controls for selecting from the available search templates in the template repository;

wherein the template loading module is configured to receive template selection input via the template selection controls and load selected search templates for the search interface generator.

3. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the search interface generator is configured to generate search interface provisioning instructions which, when executed by a client computing device, cause the client computing device to implement the search interface;

wherein the search interface generator is further configured to send the search interface provisioning instructions to the client computing device.

4. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the one or more search modules are a plurality of search adapters that are configured to cause the searches to be conducted against a plurality of data sources based on the structured queries, and further configured to return search results based on the searches;

wherein the search interfaces are configured to present the search results.

5. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the one or more search modules are configured to cause searches to be conducted against a plurality of data sources based on the structured queries;

wherein the ontological data includes metadata that describes types of data structures to which some or all of the plurality of data sources provide access, including the particular data structure type.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the search interface generator is configured to generate a different query formulation component for each different search template in the repository based on query specification data in the search templates.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the search field generator is further configured to access at least one data source described by the ontological data to determine specific values or objects found in the at least one data source, and to create a control in the particular search interface for selecting from the specific values or objects a particular value or object to enter as the query value input for the particular search interface field.

8. A method comprising:

generating, within a search interface, search interface fields specified by field specification data within a search template;

wherein the field specification data associates a particular search interface field of the search interface fields with a particular data structure type;

accessing ontological data to automatically identify properties defined to belong to objects of the particular data structure type;

accessing at least one data source described by the ontological data to determine specific values or objects found in the at least one data source;

generating, adjacent to the particular search interface field within the search interface, a control for selecting from the specific values or objects a particular value or object to enter as a query value input for the particular search interface field;

receiving the query value input specifying a query value via the particular search interface field from the search interface receiving an input indicating the particular value or object via the control;

generating a structured query that at least includes a particular query clause, the particular query clause generated based on the query value input, the structured query configured to, when executed by a search server, cause performance of a search that involves, based on the particular query clause, comparing the query value to values for a corresponding property in the objects of the particular data structure type;

sending the structured query to one or more search modules;

receiving search results responsive to the structured query;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the search template from a plurality of available search templates via one or more template selection controls that are configured to select from search templates for formulating searches;

responsive to the selection of the search template, presenting the search interface fields.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating search interface provisioning instructions which, when executed by a client computing device, cause the client computing device to display the search interface, the search interface further configured to present the received search results;

sending the search interface provisioning instructions to the client computing device.

11. The method of claim 8,

wherein the one or more search modules are a plurality of search adapters that are configured to cause the search to be conducted against a plurality of data sources based on the structured query, and further configured to return the search results;

wherein the search interface is further configured to present the search results from the plurality of data sources.

12. The method of claim 8,

wherein the one or more search modules are configured to cause the search to be conducted against a plurality of data sources based on the structured query;

wherein the ontological data includes metadata that describes types of data structures to which some or all of the plurality of data sources provide access, including the particular data structure type.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising streaming the search results from the one or more search modules to a client computing device that is presenting the search interface as the search results are being streamed, the search interface configured to aggregate the search results as they are received.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause:

receiving an indication of a search template, the search template comprising at least;

field specification data that specifies search interface fields for obtaining search input data, the field specification data associating at least a particular search interface field of the search interface fields with a particular data structure type;

accessing ontological data to automatically identify properties defined to belong to objects of the particular data structure type;

generating, based on the identified properties, a search interface field for each property, including the particular search interface field for a corresponding particular property;

generating a search interface that includes the search interface fields generated from the identified properties, wherein the search interface is configured to receive search inputs via the search interface fields;

wherein the search interface includes at least the particular search interface field configured to receive query value input specifying a query value;

receiving a query value input specifying a query value via the particular search interface field;

generating a structured query that at least includes a particular query clause, the particular query clause generated based on the query value input and the particular search interface field, the structured query configured to, when executed by a search server, cause performance of a search that involves, based on the particular query clause, comparing the query value to values for a corresponding particular property in the objects of the particular data structure type;

sending the structured query to one or more search modules;

receiving search results responsive to the structured query.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, further cause:

receiving a selection of the search template from a plurality of available search templates via one or more template selection controls that are configured to select from search templates for formulating searches;

responsive to the selection of the search template, presenting the search interface fields.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, further cause:

presenting the received search results in the search interface.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14,

wherein the one or more search modules are a plurality of search adapters that are configured to cause the search to be conducted against a plurality of data sources based on the structured query, and further configured to return the search results;

wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, further cause;

presenting the search results from the plurality of data sources.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14:

wherein the one or more search modules are configured to cause the search to be conducted against a plurality of data sources based on the structured query;

wherein the ontological data includes metadata that describes types of data structures to which some or all of the plurality of data sources provide access, including the particular data structure type.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, further cause:

receiving one or more streams of the search results from the one or more search modules;

aggregate the search results and presenting the aggregated search results as they are being received in the one or more streams.

20. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14, further comprising instructions for:

accessing at least one data source described by the ontological data to determine specific values or objects found in the at least one data source, and creating a control in the particular search interface for selecting from the specific values or objects a particular value or object to enter as the query value input for the particular search interface field.