Reference resolution

• US 9,430,586 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Coll, Alexander, Sankepally, Venkat, Som, Subhojit, Tian, Ze, Folta, Florin, Ke, Yan, Li, Jingfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Spieler, William
• Application Number:
  US14/243,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 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 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/295 Named entity recognition

Abstract

Methods, computer systems, and computer-storage media are provided for reference resolution. The present invention seeks to resolve entities in conversational search. To enable a more natural conversational search interaction, referential expressions such as pronouns are handled in queries. A component keeps track of previous queries and performs reference resolution based on an entity in the previous query and reformulates the query using an identifier for the referenced entity. Reference resolution may be performed for pronouns, plural pronouns, partial names, across domains, and on any device or platform.

Claims

1. One or more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by one or more computing devices, perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a search query;

parsing the search query to identify one or more of an entity identifier and a property identifier, wherein an entity identifier is a subject of the search query and a property identifier is a search category associated with the search query;

identifying an answer to the search query;

mapping each of the answer and the entity identifier to one or more conversational identifiers, wherein conversational identifiers include one or more of plural pronouns or partial names, and wherein a partial name includes a first name of an individual; and

displaying the answer to the search query to a user.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the search query is a text input or a voice input.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the answer is displayed in combination with one or more web search results.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the mappings to conversational identifiers are saved in a database.

5. The media of claim 1, further comprising resolving a subsequent search query across a different domain than a domain associated with the search query.

6. A computerized method, the method comprising:

receiving a search query;

identifying an answer to the search query;

mapping one or more entities of the search query to one or more conversational identifiers, wherein conversational identifiers include one or more of plural pronouns or partial names, and wherein a partial name includes a first name of an individual;

receiving a subsequent search query including at least one conversational identifier of the one or more conversational identifiers;

identifying an entity associated with the at least one conversational identifier;

augmenting the subsequent query to include the entity instead of the at least one conversational identifier; and

displaying an answer to the subsequent query and web results associated with the subsequent query to a user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the search query is a text input or a voice input.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one conversational identifier in the subsequent query is replaced with the entity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the entity is a full name of a person.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the answer to the subsequent query is a fact answer to the subsequent query and the web results include one or more web pages associated with the subsequent query.

11. One or more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by one or more computing devices, perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first search query, wherein the first search query is a voice input;

identifying an entity identifier and a property identifier of the first search query, wherein an entity identifier is a subject of the first search query and a property identifier is a search category associated with the first search query;

identifying at least one first answer to the first search query;

mapping each of the entity identifier and the first answer to one or more conversational identifiers, wherein conversational identifiers include one or more of plural pronouns or partial names, and wherein a partial name includes a first name of an individual;

receiving a second search query, wherein the second search query is a voice input;

identifying a context switch between the first search query and the second search query, wherein a context switch indicates a reassignment of a conversational identifier to a different entity identifier;

reassigning the conversational identifier to the different entity identifier;

augmenting the second search query such that the conversational identifier is replaced with the different entity identifier; and

displaying a second answer to the user, wherein the second answer is a response to the second search query.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the context switch reassigns a pronoun to a new entity.

13. The media of claim 11, wherein the second answer is a different domain than a first answer associated with the first search query.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein the first answer is a fact answer and the second answer is an image.