Systems and methods for search query processing using trend analysis

• US 20050102259A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kapur, Shyam
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing search requests include analyzing received queries in order to provide a more sophisticated understanding of the information being sought. In one embodiment, queries are parsed into units, which may comprise one or more words or tokens of the query, and the units are related in concept networks. Trend analysis is performed by sorting the queries into subsets along a dimension of interest and comparing concept networks for different subsets. Trend information is usable to enhance a response of an automated search agent to a subsequently received query.

Claims

1. A method for processing queries, the method comprising:

receiving a set of previous queries, wherein each of the previous queries includes one or more units;

sorting the queries into subsets along a dimension;

generating one or more subset-specific concept networks for each subset of the queries; and

comparing corresponding subset-specific concept networks from at least two of the subsets, thereby generating trend information for a unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimension is a time dimension.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimension is defined by reference to one or more demographic characteristics of users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimension is a geographic dimension.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimension is a vertical dimension representing a user context of the query.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a subsequent query;

parsing the subsequent query into one or more constituent units; and

using the trend information in formulating a response to the subsequent query.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the trend information is used to resolve an ambiguous term of the query.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the trend information is used to suggest a related search.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the trend information is used to group response data.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the trend information is used to select an advertisement for display.

11. A system for processing queries, comprising:

a trend analysis module configured to sort a set of queries into a plurality of subsets along a dimension; and

a clustering module configured to generate respective concept networks for each of the plurality of subsets,

wherein the trend analysis module is further configured to compare the respective concept networks for at least two of the subsets, thereby generating trend information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the dimension is a time dimension.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the dimension is defined by reference to one or more demographic characteristics of users.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the dimension is a geographic dimension.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the dimension is a vertical dimension representing a user context of the query.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a response module configured to receive a subsequent query, to parse the subsequent query into one or more constituent units, and to formulate a response to the query based at least in part on the trend information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the response module is further configured to use the trend information to resolve an ambiguous term of the query.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the response module is further configured to use the trend information to suggest a related search.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the response module is further configured to use the trend information to group response data.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the response module is further configured to use the trend information to select an advertisement for display.