Associating an entity with a search query

• US 9,355,140 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bousquet, Olivier Jean Andre, Sandberg, Oskar, Gelly, Sylvain, Brown, Randolph Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Liao, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/801,814
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for associating an entity with at least one search query. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for identifying multiple queries associated with an entity and identifying one or more of the queries as an entity search query that provides desired search results for the entity. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for identifying a particular entity and, in response to identifying the particular entity, identifying an entity search query corresponding to the particular entity.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

creating a query suggestion associated with a single entity, wherein the query suggestion includes first terms and wherein the first terms of the query suggestion include a first group of one or more of the first terms and a second group of one or more of the first terms;

wherein creating the query suggestion associated with the single entity includes;

identifying a plurality of entities associated with the first group of the first terms based on a mapping of the first group of the first terms to the entities, the entities including the single entity,

identifying the second group of the first terms based on at least one property of the single entity, and

creating the query suggestion associated with the single entity by annotating the first group of the first terms with the second group of the first terms;

identifying an entity search query associated with the single entity of the query suggestion, wherein the entity search query is identified based on a mapping of the single entity to the search query, and wherein the entity search query includes second terms, the second terms including at least one term that is not included in the query suggestion;

associating the query suggestion with the second terms of the entity search query so that a user selection of the query suggestion issues a search based on the second terms of the entity search query, including the at least one term that is not included in the query suggestion;

identifying a user selection of the query suggestion; and

in response to the user selection of the query suggestion, submitting the second terms of the entity search query, including the at least one term that is not included in the query suggestion, to a search system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a query, wherein the query suggestion is based on the query.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the query is a submitted search query, and further comprising providing the query suggestion in combination with search results responsive to the search query.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the query is a partial search query, and further comprising providing the query suggestion as an autocomplete query suggestion for the partial search query.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the query suggestion is responsive to a search query associated with the plurality of entities, the single entity being one of the entities.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or more second entity properties of a second entity of the entities associated with the first group of the first terms;

creating a second query suggestion associated with the second entity by annotating the first group of the first terms with the second entity properties;

identifying a second entity search query associated with the second entity of the second query suggestion, wherein the second entity search query is identified based on a mapping of the second entity to the second entity search query, and wherein the second entity search query includes at least one third term that is not included in the entity search query;

associating the second query suggestion with the second entity search query so that a user selection of the second query suggestion issues a search based on the second entity search query;

receiving a partial search query of the user;

identifying the query suggestion and the second query suggestion based on the partial search query; and

providing both the query suggestion and the second query suggestion as selectable query suggestions for the partial query.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

creating a query suggestion associated with a single entity, wherein the query suggestion includes first terms and wherein the first terms of the query suggestion include a first group of one or more of the first terms and a second group of one or more of the first terms;

wherein creating the query suggestion associated with the single entity includes;

identifying a plurality of entities associated with the first group of the first terms based on a mapping of the first group of the first terms to the entities, the entities including the single entity,

identifying the second group of the first terms based on at least one property of the single entity, and

creating the query suggestion associated with the single entity by annotating the first group of the first terms with the second group of the first terms;

identifying an entity search query associated with the single entity of the query suggestion, wherein the entity search query is identified based on a mapping of the single entity to the search query, and wherein the entity search query includes second terms, the second terms including at least one term that is not included in the query suggestion;

associating the query suggestion with the second terms of the entity search query so that a user selection of the query suggestion issues a search based on the second terms of the entity search query, including the at least one term that is not included in the query suggestion;

identifying a user selection of the query suggestion; and

in response to the user selection of the query suggestion, submitting the second terms of the entity search query, including the at least one term that is not included in the query suggestion, to a search system.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising receiving a query, wherein the query suggestion is based on the query.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the query is a submitted search query, and wherein the method further comprises providing the query suggestion in combination with search results responsive to the search query.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the query is a partial search query, and wherein the method further comprises providing the query suggestion as an autocomplete query suggestion for the partial search query.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the query suggestion is responsive to a search query associated with the plurality of entities, the single entity being one of the entities.

12. A computer implemented method, comprising:

creating a query suggestion associated with a single entity, wherein the query suggestion includes first terms and wherein the first terms of the query suggestion include a first group of one or more of the first terms and a second group of one or more of the first terms;

wherein creating the query suggestion associated with the single entity includes;

identifying a plurality of entities associated with the first group of the first terms based on a mapping of the first group of the first terms to the entities, the entities including the single entity,

identifying the second group of the first terms based on at least one property of the single entity, and

creating the query suggestion associated with the single entity by annotating the first group of the first terms with the second group of the first terms;

identifying an entity search query associated with the single entity of the query suggestion, wherein the entity search query is identified based on a mapping of the single entity to the search query, wherein the entity search query includes second terms, and wherein the first terms of the query suggestion include at least one term that is not included in the entity search query;

associating the query suggestion with the second terms of the entity search query so that a user selection of the query suggestion issues a search based on the second terms of the entity search query;

identifying a user selection of the query suggestion; and

in response to the user selection of the query suggestion, submitting the second terms of the entity search query to a search system without submission of the at least one term of the query suggestion that is not included in the entity search query.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying one or more second entity properties of a second entity of the entities associated with the first group of the first terms;

creating a second query suggestion associated with the second entity by annotating the first group of the first terms with the second entity properties;

identifying a second entity search query associated with the second entity of the second query suggestion, wherein the second entity search query is identified based on a mapping of the second entity to the second entity search query, and wherein the second entity search query includes at least one third term that is not included in the entity search query;

associating the second query suggestion with the second entity search query so that a user selection of the second query suggestion issues a search based on the second entity search query;

receiving a partial search query of the user;

identifying the query suggestion and the second query suggestion based on the partial search query; and

providing both the query suggestion and the second query suggestion as selectable query suggestions for the partial query.