Adaptive probabilistic query expansion

• US 7,437,349 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SINOEAST CONCEPT LIMITED (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, John R., Naphade, Milind R., Basu, Sankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin; Jean B
• Application Number:
  US10/143,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• 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 method, system and computer program for adaptively processing a query search. An expanding operation is utilized to expand the query into sub-queries, wherein at least one of the sub-queries is expanded probabilistically. A retrieving operation retrieves the results of the sub-queries, and a merging operation is used to merge the sub-query results into a search result. An adapting operation is configured to modify the search such that the relevance of the search result is increased when the search is repeated.

Claims

1. A method for adaptively processing a query search, the method comprising:

probabilistically expanding the query to sub-queries;

retrieving sub-query results;

merging the sub-query results into a search result;

adapting the search such that the relevance of the search result is increased when the search is repeated; and

storing the search result in tangible computer readable memory; and

wherein expanding the query to sub-queries includes assigning a confidence level to the at least one of the sub-queries, wherein the confidence level is based on a probability of relevance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sub-queries is probabilistic.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adapting the search includes modifying the operation of expanding the query to sub-queries.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adapting the search includes modifying the operation of retrieving sub-query results.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adapting the search includes modifying the operation of merging the sub-query results.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising translating a content sub-query to a textual sub-query.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising translating a textual sub-query to a content sub-query.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein merging the sub-query results of the sub-queries includes normalizing the sub-query results.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein adapting the search is performed iteratively based on user feedback.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adapting the search further comprising iteratively repeating the expanding, retrieving, merging and adapting operations until the search result is accepted.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an initial search query from a user.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the search result to the user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving query feedback from the user.