Local context search results improvements

• US 9,600,567 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Maple, Elizabeth J., Pilot, Richard W., Ross, Martin A., Stirling, Craig H., Stirling, Ian T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamillapalli, Pavan
• Application Number:
  US15/145,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20160246877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 707/760
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A method, system, and/or computer program product handles a query generated by a user of one of multiple local network devices that are coupled to a network. Multiple system queries request states of the local network devices. Query statements, responsive to the system queries and being sent to a wide area network search engine, are intercepted. A natural language query, which is a logical query that is answered by one of the multiple query statements, is generated from one of the multiple query statements. An unstructured query, from a user, about a state of a particular device is received. The unstructured query from the user is compared with the natural language query in order to determine if a match between the query from the user with the natural language query exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for handling a query generated by a user of one of multiple local network devices, wherein the local network devices are coupled to a network, and wherein the method comprises:

identifying, by one or more processors, multiple system queries to local network devices on a network, wherein the multiple system queries request system states of the local network devices;

intercepting, by one or more processors, multiple query statements from the local network devices to a wide area network search engine, wherein the multiple query statements are in response to the system queries;

generating, by one or more processors, a natural language query from one of the multiple query statements, wherein the natural language query is a logical query that is answered by said one of the multiple query statements;

receiving, by one or more processors, a query from a user to the wide area network search engine, wherein the query from the user is an unstructured query about a state of a particular device from the local network devices; and

comparing, by one or more processors, the query from the user with the natural language query to determine if a match between the query from the user with the natural language query exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the query from the user matching the natural language query beyond the predetermined threshold value, returning said one of the multiple query statements to the user as a response to the query from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying other local network devices on the network;

acquiring updated query statements from the other local network devices; and

returning a most up-to-date query statement from the other local network devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said one of the multiple query statements is a cached result from a local networked device that is obtained prior to said intercepting the multiple query statements.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a proxy search engine, wherein the proxy search engine consolidates the multiple query statements, from the local network devices, with any previous query statements that have been stored in the wide area network search engine for other devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a new page of query statements about the local network devices; and

segregating the new page of query statements from query statements, about the local network devices, that are stored in the wide area network search engine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wide area network search engine is outside of the network, and wherein the network is a virtual network.

8. A system for handling a query statement generated by local network devices on a network, the system comprising:

a hardware identification device for identifying multiple system queries to local network devices on a network, wherein the multiple system queries request system states of the local network devices;

a hardware interception device for intercepting multiple query statements from the local network devices to a wide area network search engine, wherein the multiple query statements are in response to the system queries;

a hardware generation device for generating a natural language query from one of the multiple query statements, wherein the natural language query is a logical query that is answered by said one of the multiple query statements;

a hardware receiver for receiving a query from a user, wherein the query from the user is an unstructured query about a state of a particular device from the local network devices; and

a hardware comparison device for comparing the query from the user with the natural language query to determine if a match between the query from the user with the natural language query exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a hardware returning device for, in response to the query from the user matching the natural language query beyond the predetermined threshold value, returning said one of the multiple query statements to the user as a response to the query from the user.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a hardware query device for querying other local network devices on the network;

a hardware acquisition device for acquiring updated query statements from the other local network devices; and

a hardware returning device for returning a most up-to-date query statement from the other local network devices.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said one of the multiple query statements is a cached result from a local networked device that is obtained prior to said intercepting the multiple query statements.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a hardware creation device for creating a proxy search engine, wherein the proxy search engine consolidates the multiple query statements, from the local network devices, with any previous query statements that have been stored in the wide area network search engine for other devices.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a hardware creation device for creating a new page of query statements about the local network devices; and

a hardware segregation device for segregating the new page of query statements from query statements, about the local network devices, that are stored in the wide area network search engine.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the wide area network search engine is outside of the network, and wherein the network is a virtual network.

15. A computer program product for handling a query generated by a user of one of multiple local network devices that are coupled to a network, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

identifying multiple system queries to local network devices on a network, wherein the multiple system queries request system states of the local network devices;

intercepting multiple query statements from the local network devices to a wide area network search engine, wherein the multiple query statements are in response to the system queries;

generating a natural language query from one of the multiple query statements, wherein the natural language query is a logical query that is answered by said one of the multiple query statements;

receiving a query from a user to the wide area network search engine, wherein the query from the user is an unstructured query about a state of a particular device from the local network devices; and

comparing the query from the user with the natural language query to determine if a match between the query from the user with the natural language query exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code is further readable and executable by the processor to:

in response to the query from the user matching the natural language query beyond the predetermined threshold value, return said one of the multiple query statements to the user as a response to the query from the user.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code is further readable and executable by the processor to:

query other local network devices on the network;

acquire updated query statements from the other local network devices; and

return a most up-to-date query statement from the other local network devices.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said one of the multiple query statements is a cached result from a local networked device that is obtained prior to said intercepting the multiple query statements.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code is further readable and executable by the processor to:

create a proxy search engine, wherein the proxy search engine consolidates the multiple query statements, from the local network devices, with any previous query statements that have been stored in the wide area network search engine for other devices.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code is further readable and executable by the processor to:

create a new page of query statements about the local network devices; and

segregate the new page of query statements from query statements, about the local network devices, that are stored in the wide area network search engine.