Progressive relaxation of search criteria

• US 20040225643A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Dixon, Paul, Alpha, Shamim
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/832 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/8373 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

An efficient information search mechanism provides control over the relaxation of a search query to users that are requesting searches. Through such a mechanism, a user can specify a sequence of sub-queries that is associated with variations of the main search criteria, and specify a progression in which to execute the sub-queries. Hence, users can impart their priorities with respect to search term variations used in relaxing the main search criteria, which further allows the users to impart their notion of the relevance of results that may be returned by particular sub-queries. A query that includes a sequence of sub-queries is received and the sub-queries are executed, if at all, by a database server in an order based on the progression specified by the user. Response time and network loading are improved through reduction of unnecessary work by the database server and through reduction of computationally costly communications between client and server and associated processing.

Claims

1. A method for managing an information search, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a query that includes a sequence of sub-queries and specification of a progression in which to execute the sub-queries; and

executing one or more of the sub-queries in an order specified by the progression.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a request for a particular number of results from the search; and

wherein each sub-query of the one or more sub-queries is executed only if previously executed sub-queries do not fulfill the request for the particular number of results.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein all the sub-queries select data from a database based on respective search criteria, and wherein the progression corresponds to a relaxation of original search criteria associated with the information search.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the progression is specified by an end user that is requesting the information search.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the progression is specified through interaction with a user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of executing one or more sub-queries includes the steps of:

executing a first sub-query, according to the progression, of the sequence of sub-queries;

providing results from the execution of the first sub-query;

receiving a request to provide more results;

in response to receiving the request, executing a second sub-query, according to the progression, of the sequence of sub-queries; and

providing results from the execution of the second sub-query.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving includes receiving search criteria associated with the sequence of sub-queries and the progression in the form of an XML document.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving includes receiving a query from an application program that constructs the query based on a set of one or more rules, wherein the set is specified by an end user that is requesting the information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the application program is an electronic search engine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of receiving a set of search criteria specified by an end user and a request to construct a database query based on the search criteria;

and wherein the method further comprises the computer-implemented step of;

constructing a database query based on the search criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a query includes receiving a query that specifies search criteria in association with one or more sections of a document, and receiving a progression that specifies an order in which to execute sub-queries associated with the search criteria against the one or more sections of the document.

12. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

13. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

14. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

15. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

16. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

17. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

18. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

19. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

20. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

21. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

22. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 11.

31. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

32. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 13.

33. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 14.

34. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 15.

35. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 16.

36. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 17.

37. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 18.

38. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 19.

23. A method for managing a search for information, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

specifying search criteria related to the information being searched for;

specifying an order in which to execute sub-queries associated with the search criteria; and

transmitting the search criteria and the order, for execution of one or more of the sub-queries by a database server in the order specified.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the steps of specifying are performed by an end user that is requesting the search for information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the steps of specifying are performed through interaction with a user interface.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of specifying search criteria includes specifying a single set of values, and wherein the step of specifying an order includes specifying an ordered set of one or more rules associated with the set of values.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the ordered set of one or more rules includes a logical operator.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the steps of specifying include specifying in the form of an XML document.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of specifying search criteria includes specifying search criteria in association with one or more sections of a document, and wherein the step of specifying an order includes specifying an order in which to execute sub-queries associated with the search criteria against the one or more sections of the document.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the search criteria is specified in association with at least two particular sections of a document, and wherein the order specifies to execute sub-queries associated with the search criteria against the at least two particular sections of the document in a particular order.

39. A computer apparatus for managing an information search, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a query that includes a sequence of sub-queries and specification of a progression in which to execute the sub-queries; and

means for executing one or more of the sub-queries in an order specified by the progression.

40. A computer apparatus for managing a search for information, the apparatus comprising:

means for specifying search criteria related to the information being searched for;

means for specifying an order in which to execute sub-queries associated with the search criteria; and

means for transmitting the search criteria and the order, for execution of one or more of the sub-queries by a database server in the order specified.