Associating an entity with a search query

• US 9,336,211 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bousquet, Olivier Jean Andre, Brown, Randolph Gregory, Sandberg, Oskar, Gelly, Sylvain
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheema, Azam
• Application Number:
  US13/801,805
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for associating an entity with at least one search query. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for identifying multiple queries associated with an entity and identifying one or more of the queries as an entity search query that provides desired search results for the entity. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for identifying a particular entity and, in response to identifying the particular entity, identifying an entity search query corresponding to the particular entity.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving a query from a client device;

identifying search results responsive to the received query, the search results including one or more first search results about an entity and one or more additional search results about an additional entity;

providing the search results to the client device;

identifying that the entity is associated with the query;

providing, to the client device, an entity summary for the entity to display along with the search results in response to the query, the entity summary including an image related to the entity, a name of the entity, and a plurality of additional properties for the entity;

identifying that the additional entity is associated with the search query;

providing, to the client device, an additional entity summary for the additional entity for display along with the search results and the entity summary in response to the query, the additional entity summary including an additional image related to the additional entity, an additional name of the additional entity, and including an option to perform additional searching related to the additional entity;

identifying an additional entity search query for the additional entity based on a database mapping between the additional entity and the additional entity search query;

associating the additional entity search query with the option, of the additional entity summary, to perform additional searching related to the additional entity;

wherein selection of the option of the additional entity summary via the client device issues a search for the additional entity search query; and

wherein a quantity of the additional properties for the entity that are included in the entity summary is greater than a quantity of any additional properties for the additional entity that are included in the additional entity summary.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a score for the entity for the query; and

including the greater quantity of the additional properties for the entity in the entity summary based on the score.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein including the greater quantity of the additional properties for the entity in the entity summary based on the score

comprises:

identifying a second score for the additional entity for the query; and

including the greater quantity of the additional properties for the entity in the entity summary based on comparison of the score and the second score.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the score is based on a ranking of the search results that are associated with the entity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the database mapping between the additional entity and the additional entity search query based on entity ambiguity of the additional entity search query and search result document quality for search result documents, for the additional entity search query, that are associated with the additional entity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the database mapping between the additional entity and the additional entity search query based on entity ambiguity of the additional entity search query, popularity of the additional entity search query, and search result document quality for search result documents, for the additional entity search query, that are associated with the additional entity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the entity and the additional entity as associated with the query based on a query to entity mapping.

8. A system comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions;

one or more processors operable to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions include instructions to;

receive a query from a client device;

identify search results responsive to the received query, the search results including one or more first search results about an entity and one or more

additional search results about an additional entity;

provide the search results to the client device;

identify that the entity is associated with the query;

provide, to the client device, an entity summary for the entity to display along with the search results in response to the query, the entity summary

including an image related to the entity, a name of the entity, and a plurality of additional properties for the entity;

identify that the additional entity is associated with the search query;

provide, to the client device, an additional entity summary for the additional entity for display along with the search results and the entity summary

in response to the query, the additional entity summary including an additional image related to the additional entity, an additional name of the additional entity,

and including an option to perform additional searching related to the additional entity;

identify an additional entity search query for the additional entity based on a database mapping between the additional entity and the additional entity search query;

associate the additional entity search query with the option, of the additional entity summary, to perform additional searching related to the additional entity;

wherein selection of the option of the additional entity summary via the client device issues a search for the additional entity search query; and

wherein a quantity of the additional properties for the entity that are included in the entity summary is greater than a quantity of any additional properties for the additional entity that are included in the additional entity summary.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

identify a score for the entity for the query; and

include the greater quantity of the additional properties for the entity in the entity summary based on the score.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions to include the greater quantity of the additional properties for the entity in the entity summary based on the score include instructions to:

identify a second score for the additional entity for the query; and

include the greater quantity of the additional properties for the entity in the entity summary based on comparison of the score and the second score.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein identifying the score is based on a ranking of the search result documents that are associated with the entity.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

generate the database mapping between the additional entity and the additional entity search query based on entity ambiguity of the additional entity search query and search result document quality for search result documents, for the additional entity search query, that are associated with the additional entity.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further include instructions to:

generate the database mapping between the additional entity and the additional entity search query based on entity ambiguity of the additional entity search query, popularity of the additional entity search query, and search result document quality for search result documents, for the additional entity search query, that are associated with the additional entity.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify the entity and the additional entity as associated with the query based on a query to entity mapping.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a query from a client device;

identifying search results responsive to the received query, the search results including one or more first search results about an entity and one or more

additional search results about an additional entity;

providing the search results to the client device;

identifying that the entity is associated with the query;

providing, to the client device, an entity summary for the entity to display along with the search results in response to the query, the entity summary including an image related to the entity, a name of the entity, and a plurality of additional properties for the entity;

identifying that the additional entity is associated with the search query;

providing, to the client device, an additional entity summary for the additional entity for display along with the search results and the entity summary in response to the query, the additional entity summary including an additional image related to the additional entity, an additional name of the additional entity, and including an option to perform additional searching related to the additional entity;

identifying an additional entity search query for the additional entity based on a database mapping between the additional entity and the additional entity search query;

associating the additional entity search query with the option, of the additional entity summary, to perform additional searching related to the additional entity;

wherein selection of the option of the additional entity summary via the client device issues a search for the additional entity search query; and

wherein a quantity of the additional properties for the entity that are included in the entity summary is greater than a quantity of any additional properties for the additional entity that are included in the additional entity summary.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a score for the entity for the query; and

including the greater quantity of the additional properties for the entity in the entity summary based on the score.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein including the greater quantity of the additional properties for the entity in the entity summary based on the score comprises:

identifying a second score for the additional entity for the query; and

including the greater quantity of the additional properties for the entity in the entity summary based on comparison of the score and the second score.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein identifying the score is based on a ranking of the search results that are associated with the entity.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

generating the database mapping between the additional entity and the additional entity search query based on entity ambiguity of the additional entity search query and search result document quality for search result documents, for the additional entity search query, that are associated with the additional entity.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

generating the database mapping between the additional entity and the additional entity search query based on entity ambiguity of the additional entity search query, popularity of the additional entity search query, and search result document quality for search result documents, for the additional entity search query, that are associated with the additional entity.