System and method for invoking functionalities using contextual relations

• US 9,311,402 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semantinet Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semantinet Ltd.
• Inventors: Muskal, Tal, Keinan, Tal
• Primary Examiner(s): Badawi, Sherief
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMAN, SABANA
• Application Number:
  US12/809,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20100274804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,928 Days
• Field of Search: 707/769
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A method for obtaining contextually related instances. The method comprises providing a map of a plurality of contextual relations between a plurality of instance types and a plurality of functionalities. Each one of the functionalities is associated with one of the mapped contextual relations and configured for providing one or more instances of a respective type. The method further comprises receiving a contextual linkage between a known instance and a requested instance, identifying a match between the contextual linkage and a segment of the map, and obtaining the requested instance by using the known instance along with a group of which is selected from the functionalities; each member of the group is associated with a contextual relation in the segment.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining contextually related instances using one or more different functionality modules, comprising:

a) providing to a system comprising at least one server a plurality of different functionality modules and a graph mapping a plurality of contextual relations among a plurality of instance types, each said functionality module being associated with at least one of said plurality of contextual relations in said graph and configured for providing at least one instance of a respective type;

b) receiving a query defining contextual linkage between at least one known instance and at least one requested instance from a client connected to said system via a network, said at least one known instance is not directly associated with a type of said requested instance;

c) identifying, by said system, a match between said contextual linkage and a sub-graph of said graph, said sub-graph being associated with a group of said plurality of functionality modules; and

d) dividing said query to a number of single step queries;

e) iteratively executing at least some of said number of single step queries by said system, wherein one of said number of single step queries includes a first member of said group with said at least one known instance for obtaining at least one intermediate instance and another of said number of single step queries includes a second member of said group with said at least one intermediate instance for obtaining said at least one requested instance;

f) responding to said received query with said obtained at least one requested Instance;

wherein said functionality module implements at least one of a web service and a code script;

wherein members of said group are executed in an order matching dependencies in said sub graph.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a search query comprising said contextual linkage.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprises converting said contextual linkage to an additional graph before said matching.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said sub-graph is an ordered graph comprising a plurality of sub-graphs, said obtaining comprises executing each member of said group according to the order in said ordered graph.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one known instance appears in a document, further comprising selecting said contextual linkage according to at least on member selected from a group consisting of:

said document, a profile of a user accessing said document and a browsing history related to said document.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said document is selected from a group consisting of a webpage, a website, a database record, a screen display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each said contextual relation describes at least one of a social relation, a characterizing relation, an ownership relation, a property relation, and an identifying relation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of contextual relations defines at least one constrain, said executing comprises verifying said at least one known instance comply with said constrain.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said contextual linkage comprises a group of said plurality of contextual relations.

10. The method of claim 9, said obtaining comprises executing a first of said group for obtaining at least one intermediate instance and executing said at least one intermediate instance along a second of said group for obtaining said at least one requested instance.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising outputting an answer graph depicting a contextual relationship of at least one of said at least one intermediate instance and said at least one requested instance.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of contextual relations is a conditional contextual relation defining at least one required instance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of said plurality of functionality modules is configured for using said at least one required instance for obtaining said at least one requested instance.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of said plurality of contextual relations defines an inherence relation between one of said plurality of instance types to another of said plurality of instance types.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining comprises using at least one of said plurality of functionality modules for providing a member selected from a group consisting of an advertisement, a rich site summary (RSS), a media file, a link to a contextually related content, and a website;

wherein said member is contextually related to said at least one known instance.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of functionality modules is a search module configured for searching at least one instance of an associated said instance type in at least one database.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of functionality modules is a conversion module configured for converting at least one instance of an associated said instance type.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said a web service is selected from a group consisting of:

a representational state transfer (REST) module, a symbolic optimal assembly program (SOAP) module, and a module executing a database query.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said a code script is selected from a group consisting of:

a sub-graph in a transformation language that includes a set of instructions for processing a related data, an extensible style sheet language transformations (XSLT), a set of text transformations, a set of regular expressions, a script in a Python language, a script in a Roby language, a script in a JavaScript language, and a precompiled executable script.

20. A system for identifying a contextually related instance, comprising:

a graph for mapping a plurality of contextual relations among a plurality of instance types;

a list of a plurality of functionality modules, each said functionality module being associated with at least one of said plurality of contextual relations;

an input module configured for receiving from a client connected to the system via a network a query defining a contextual linkage between at least one known instance and at least one requested instance in said graph; and

a processor which selects a group of said plurality of functionality modules according to a match between said contextual linkage and a sub-graph of said graph, divides said received query to a number of single step queries, and iteratively executes at least some of said number of single step queries for obtaining said at least one requested instance, wherein one of said number of single step queries includes a first member of said group with said at least one known instance for obtaining at least one intermediate instance and another of said number of single step queries includes a second member of said group with said at least one intermediate instance said at least one requested instance;

wherein said functionality module implements at least one of a web service and a code script;

wherein members of said group are executed in an order matching dependencies in said sub graph.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of functionality modules is configured for communicating with a network node for said obtaining.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said network node is selected from a group consisting of a database, a list, and a web server.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of functionality modules is configured for generating said at least one requested instance according to said at least one known instance.

24. A method for obtaining a plurality of contextually related instances, comprising:

performing the following by a system which comprises at least one server;

identifying at least one object of interest of a first instance type in a data resource;

providing a query defining a contextual linkage between said first instance type and a second instance type;

identifying a match between said contextual linkage and a sub-graph of a graph comprising a plurality of contextual relations among a plurality of instance types;

selecting a group of a plurality of functionality modules, each said functionality module being configured for providing at least one instance of one of said plurality of instance types;

dividing said received query to a number of single step queries;

and

iteratively executing at least some of said number of single step queries,

wherein one of said number of single step queries includes

a first member of said group and used for acquiring at least one intermediate instance

wherein another of said number of single step queries includes

a second member of said group with said at least one intermediate instance and used for acquiring at least one instance of said second instance type;

wherein each of said plurality of functionality modules implements at least one of a web service and a code script;

wherein members of said group are executed in an order matching dependencies in said sub graph.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said data resource is selected from a group consisting of a webpage, a screenshot, a word processor document, and a graphic user interface.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said object of interest is selected from a group consisting of a word, a parse, a paragraph, a website, a link, a media file, and metadata element.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said data resource is accessed by a browsing user, said formulating is performed according to a user profile of said browsing user.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein said providing comprises selecting said contextual linkage according to said object of interest.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said data resource is a website, said providing comprises selecting said contextual linkage according to at least one characteristic of said website.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein said providing comprises providing a profile of a user accessing said data resource and defining said contextual linkage according to said profile.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein said data resource is a website, further comprising enhancing a display of said website with said at least one acquired instance.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said at least one acquired instance are displayed in association with said at least one object of interest.