Associating an entity with a search query

• US 9,870,423 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bousquet, Olivier Jean Andre, Sandberg, Oskar, Gelly, Sylvain, Brown, Randolph Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheema, Azam
• Application Number:
  US15/098,055
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• 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 method implemented by one or more processors, comprising:

identifying a particular entity, the particular entity being a particular person, place, or thing;

identifying a plurality of search queries that are each associated with the particular entity;

determining a query score for each of the search queries, wherein the query score for a search query of the search queries is based on

entity ambiguity of the search query, wherein the entity ambiguity of the search query is based on a comparison of a quantity of search result documents, for the search query, that describe the particular entity to a quantity of the search result documents, for the search query, that do not describe the particular entity;

assigning a particular search query of the search queries to the particular entity based on the determined query scores;

receiving input, the input being provided via a user interface input device of a client computing device;

determining that the particular entity is associated with the input;

providing, for presentation via a user interface output device of the client computing device, content that includes a name of the particular entity and one or more additional properties of the particular entity, wherein providing the content is in response to the input and is in response to determining that the particular entity is associated with the input; and

in response to selection of the content at the client computing device, submitting the particular search query to a search engine based on the particular search query being assigned to the particular entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is a partial search query and the content is a query suggestion for the partial search query.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is a submitted search query.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content is an entity summary provided for presentation in a distinct manner from other search results that are responsive to the submitted search query.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the query score for the search query is further based on a similarity measure between the query and at least one property of the particular entity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one property of the particular entity includes a trusted name of the particular entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the query score for the search query is further based on search result document quality for the search result documents that are associated with the particular entity, and wherein the search result document quality is based on a document centric signal of the search result documents that are associated with the particular entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the query score for the search query is further based on at least one of:

popularity of the search query, and search result document quality for the search result documents, for the search query, that are associated with the particular entity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the query score for the search query is further based on popularity of the search query, and search result document quality for the search result documents, for the search query, that are associated with the particular entity.

10. A system, comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions;

one or more processors operable to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions include instructions to;

identify a particular entity, the particular entity being a particular person, place, or thing;

identify a plurality of search queries that are each associated with the particular entity;

determine a query score for each of the search queries, wherein the query score for a search query of the search queries is based on

search result document quality for search result documents, for the search query, that are associated with the particular entity, wherein the search result document quality is based on a document centric signal of the search result documents that are associated with the particular entity;

assign a particular search query of the search queries to the particular entity based on the determined query scores;

receive input, the input being provided via a user interface input device of a client computing device;

determine that the particular entity is associated with the input;

provide, for presentation via a user interface output device of the client computing device, content that includes a name of the particular entity and one or more additional properties of the particular entity, wherein providing the content is in response to the input and is in response to determining that the particular entity is associated with the input; and

submit, in response to selection of the content at the client computing device, the particular search query to a search engine based on the particular search query being assigned to the particular entity.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the input is a partial search query and the content is a query suggestion for the partial search query.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the input is a submitted search query.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the content is an entity summary provided for presentation in a distinct manner from other search results that are responsive to the submitted search query.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the query score for the search query is further based on a similarity measure between the query and at least one property of the particular entity.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one property of the particular entity includes a trusted name of the particular entity.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the query score for the search query is further based on entity ambiguity of the search query and wherein the entity ambiguity is based on a comparison of a quantity of the search result documents, for the search query, that describe the particular entity to a quantity of the search result documents, for the search query, that do not describe the particular entity.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the query score for the search query is further based on entity ambiguity of the search query and popularity of the search query.

18. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

identifying a particular entity, the particular entity being a particular person, place, or thing;

identifying a plurality of search queries that are each associated with the particular entity;

determining a query score for each of the search queries, wherein the query score for a search query of the search queries is based on

entity ambiguity of the search query, wherein the entity ambiguity of the search query is based on a comparison of a quantity of search result documents, for the search query, that describe the particular entity to a quantity of the search result documents, for the search query, that do not describe the particular entity;

assigning a particular search query of the search queries to the particular entity based on the determined query scores;

receiving input, the input being provided via a user interface input device of a client computing device;

determining that the particular entity is associated with the input;

providing, for presentation via a user interface output device of the client computing device, content that includes a name of the particular entity and one or more additional properties of the particular entity, wherein providing the content is in response to the input and is in response to determining that the particular entity is associated with the input; and

in response to selection of the content at the client computing device, submitting the particular search query to a search engine based on the particular search query being assigned to the particular entity.