System and method for refining search queries

• US 6,169,986 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1999
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Hamrick, Michael L., Kohn, Timothy R., Bowman, Dwayne E., Ortega, Ruben E., Spiegel, Joel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/411,441
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/2, 707/10, 707/4
• 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 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A search engine is disclosed which suggests related terms to the user to allow the user to refine a search. The related terms are generated using query term correlation data which reflects the frequencies with which specific terms have previously appeared within the same query. The correlation data is generated and stored in a look-up table using an off-line process which parses a query log file. The table is regenerated periodically from the most recent query submissions (e.g., the last two weeks of query submissions), and thus strongly reflects the current preferences of users. Each related term is presented to the user via a respective hyperlink which can be selected by the user to submit a modified query. In one embodiment, the related terms are added to and selected from the table so as to guarantee that the modified queries will not produce a NULL query result.

Claims

1. In a computer system that implements a search engine that is accessible to a community of users, a method of assisting users in refining search queries, the method comprising:

receiving a search query submitted by a user, the search query comprising at least one term;

using a history of search queries submitted to the search engine over a selected period of time by the community of users to identify at least one refinement to the search query; and

suggesting the at least one refinement to the user.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one refinement comprises using the history of search queries to identify an additional term that has appeared in combination with each term of the query submitted by the user relatively frequently over the selected period of time.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein suggesting the at least one refinement comprises presenting a plurality of augmented search queries to the user as respective hyperlinks that are selectable by the user to initiate corresponding searches.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one refinement comprises using the history of search queries to determine that none of the at least one refinement does produces a NULL search result.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the period of time is selected such that recent historical search queries are given more weight than aged historical search queries, so that suggested refinements tend to reflect current interests of the community of users.

6. A system for assisting users in refining search queries submitted to a search engine, comprising:

a first program module which processes query logs of the search engine to generate correlation data that reflects frequencies of occurrences of query terms within the same query; and

a second program module which uses at least the correlation data to suggest refinements to search queries received from users.

7. The system as in claim 6, wherein the first program module ignores query submissions that produced NULL search results.

8. The system as in claim 6, wherein the first program module generates the correlation data periodically from a most recent set of historical query submissions, so that refinements suggested by the second program module reflect current interests of users.

9. The system as in claim 6, wherein the second program module presents refinements to users using a user interface in which each suggested refinement is presented as a respective link that is selectable to initiate a refined search.

10. A method of facilitating refinement of search queries, comprising:

receiving a search query submitted by a user;

identifying a plurality of refined search queries, each of which comprises all terms of the query submitted by the user and an additional term; and

presenting each refined search query to the user as a respective link which is selectable to perform a corresponding search;

wherein the method allows the user to select a query refinement and initiate a refined search with a single selection action.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein identifying a plurality of refined search queries comprises using historical query data to identify refined queries that reflect current interests of users.

12. The method as in claim 10, wherein identifying a plurality of refined search queries comprises using a history of query submissions to determine that none of the refined search queries produces a NULL search result.