Method and system for querying information

• US 9,430,568 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Xie, Yuheng, Ou, Wenwu
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, BAI DUC
• Application Number:
  US14/487,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

Performing a query includes receiving a user input, determining a first set of query keywords based at least in part on the user input, obtaining, based on at least some of the first set of query keywords, a user feedback log that includes historical query results, determining a second set of query keywords based on the user feedback log, and making a query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords.

Claims

1. A method of performing a query, comprising:

receiving a user input;

obtaining a user characteristic of a user who generated the user input;

determining a first set of query keywords based at least in part on the user input;

obtaining, based on at least some of the first set of query keywords, a user feedback log that includes historical query results;

determining at least one category among a plurality of categories of the user feedback log based on the user characteristic of the user;

determining a second set of query keywords based on the at least one category of the user feedback log, wherein the user feedback log includes selection frequencies, and wherein the determining of the second set of query keywords comprises;

generating the second set of query keywords based on the first set of query keywords and the at least one category, comprising;

determining a first keyword of the second set of query keywords that matches a second keyword of the first set of query keywords according to a selection frequency of the first keyword, comprising;

determining whether the selection frequency of the first keyword falls below or is equal to a threshold; and

in the event that the selection frequency falls below or is equal to the threshold, removing the first keyword from the second set of query keywords; and

making a query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning a query result; and

updating a user feedback database with the query result.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is partitioned into a plurality of partitioned words based on context, and the first set of query keywords includes the plurality of partitioned words.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first set of query keywords includes at least one of the follow:

one or more words that are adjacent to at least some of the plurality of partitioned words, one or more words that include at least a portion of the plurality of partitioned words, or one or more words that include at least a partitioned word in the plurality of partitioned words.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user feedback log includes a historical query result obtained using at least some of the first set of query keywords as a query target.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection frequency is determined based on at least one of the following:

click frequencies on the historical query results, display frequencies on the historical query results, reading time on the historical query results, or importance of the historical query results.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of query keywords includes one or more latent words that correspond to the first set of query keywords, the latent words having latent meanings with respect to the first set of query keywords.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein making the query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords includes sending the at least some of the second set of query keywords to a search engine.

9. A query system comprising:

an interface configured to receive a user input;

one or more processors coupled to the interface, configured to;

obtain a user characteristic of a user who generated the user input;

determine a first set of query keywords based at least in part on the user input;

obtain, based on at least some of the first set of query keywords, a user feedback log that includes historical query results;

determine at least one category among a plurality of categories of the user feedback log based on the user characteristic of the user;

determine second set of query keywords based on the at least one category of the user feedback log, wherein the user feedback log includes selection frequencies, and wherein the determining of the second set of query keywords comprises to;

generate the second set of query keywords based on the first set of query keywords and the at least one category, comprising to;

determine a first keyword of the second set of query keywords that matches a second keyword of the first set of query keywords according to a selection frequency of the first keyword, comprising to;

 

determine whether the selection frequency of the first keyword falls below or is equal to a threshold; and

 

in the event that the selection frequency falls below or is equal to the threshold, remove the first keyword from the second set of query keywords; and

make a query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords; and

one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, configured to provide the processors with instructions.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

returning a query result; and

updating a user feedback database with the query result.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the user input is partitioned into a plurality of partitioned words based on context, and the first set of query keywords includes the plurality of partitioned words.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first set of query keywords includes at least one of the follow:

one or more words that are adjacent to at least some of the plurality of partitioned words, one or more words that include at least a portion of the plurality of partitioned words, or one or more words that include at least a partitioned word in the plurality of partitioned words.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the user feedback log includes a historical query result obtained using at least some of the first set of query keywords as a query target.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the selection frequency is determined based on at least one of the following:

click frequencies on the historical query results, display frequencies on the historical query results, reading time on the historical query results, or importance of the historical query results.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the second set of query keywords includes one or more latent words that correspond to the first set of query keywords, the latent words having latent meanings with respect to the first set of query keywords.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein making the query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords includes sending the at least some of the second set of query keywords to a search engine.

17. A computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions when executed by one or more processors perform the following:

receiving a user input;

obtaining a user characteristic of a user who generated the user input;

determining a first set of query keywords based at least in part on the user input;

obtaining, based on at least some of the first set of query keywords, a user feedback log that includes historical query results;

determining at least one category among a plurality of categories of the user feedback log based on the user characteristic of the user;

determining a second set of query keywords based on the at least one category of the user feedback log, wherein the user feedback log includes selection frequencies, and wherein the determining of the second set of query keywords comprises;

generating the second set of query keywords based on the first set of query keywords and the at least one category, comprising to;

determining a first keyword of the second set of query keywords that matches a second keyword of the first set of query keywords according to a selection frequency of the first keyword, comprising;

determining whether the selection frequency of the first keyword falls below or is equal to a threshold; and

in the event that the selection frequency falls below or is equal to the threshold, removing the first keyword from the second set of query keywords; and

making a query based on at least some of the second set of query keywords.