IP Library Granted Patent US 9,223,853
Granted Patent B2
US 9,223,853 · App. 13/720,407 · Granted Dec 29, 2015

Query expansion using add-on terms with assigned classifications

Inventors: Pushpraj Shukla (Kirkland, WA); Atul Kumar Gupta (Kirkland, WA); Yuan Wang (Sammimish, WA); Elliot Kuehl Olds (Bellevue, WA); Massimo Mascaro (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
G06F17/30672G06F17/30864
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,223,853
App. No.
13/720,407
Filed
Dec 19, 2012
Granted
Dec 29, 2015
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2161
USPC
707/759
Abstract

In various embodiments, systems and methods are provided for query expansion using add-on terms with classifications. A query is received. An add-on term is identified for the query. A classification is determined for the add-on term. The classification is a designation associated with the add-on term that is used to distinguish the add-on term from the query. An appended query is generated based on the add-on term. The appended query is generated by concatenating the query with the add-on term. The appended query is executed on a resource stack as a single reformulated query to identify one or more resources. Upon execution, the classification of the add-on term distinguishes the one or more resources identified for the add-on term based on tagging the one or more resources with the classification of the add-on term. The appended query is used to generate content items.

Claims (65)

1. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method for query expansion based on add-on terms with assigned classifications, the method comprising:

receiving a query;

identifying an add-on term for the query;

determining a classification for the add-on term;

generating an appended query by concatenating the query with the add-on term, wherein the add-on term comprises the classification; and

executing the appended query on a resource stack as a single reformulated query to identify one or more resources for the appended query, wherein executing the appended query comprises:

tagging an add-on meta-section of the one or more resources with the classification of the add-on term, wherein the classification distinguishes a query meta-section of the query from the add-on meta-section;

selecting at least a subset of add-on term meta-sections; and

accessing query meta-sections and the subset of add-on term meta-sections to generate content items.

2. The media of claim 1 , wherein the query is associated with a default classification different from the classification for the add-on term.

3. The media of claim 1 , wherein identifying the add-on term further comprises:

identifying a plurality of add-on terms for the query;

ranking the plurality of add-on terms based on a relevance threshold; and

selecting one or more add-on terms for the query.

4. The media of claim 3 , wherein identifying the plurality of add-on terms for the query includes identifying a reformulation of one or more terms in the query.

5. The media of claim 3 , wherein identifying the plurality of add-on terms for the query includes identifying one or more context-based add-on terms.

6. The media of claim 1 , wherein determining the classification for the add-on term further comprises:

identifying a strong type from a plurality of predetermined strong types within a type system; and

assigning the strong type to the add-on term.

7. The media of claim 1 , wherein tagging the one or more resources identified for the add-on term further comprises:

identifying a label for a meta-section in the one or more resources, wherein the meta-section includes an instance of the add-on term; and

appending the label with the classification of the add-on term.

8. The media of claim 1 , wherein retaining the classification of the add-on term comprises tagging meta-sections that contain the add-on term with the classification of the add-on term during execution.

9. A system for performing a method for query expansion based on add-on terms with assigned classifications, the system comprising:

a resource server configured for:

receiving an appended query that has been concatenated using a query and an add-on term, wherein the add-on term is assigned a classification; and

executing the appended query on a resource stack as a single reformulated query, wherein executing on the resource stack comprises:

identifying one or more resources for the appended query;

identifying query meta-sections and add-on term meta-sections in the one or more resources;

tagging the at least one meta-section that includes an instance of the add-on term with the classification of the add-on term, wherein the classification distinguishes the query meta-section identified for the query from the add-on meta-sections identified for the add-on term; and

generating a plurality of content items based on the one or more resources based on:

selecting at least a subset of add-on term meta-sections based on at least one feature of a plurality of features of the add-on term meta-sections; and

combining query meta-sections and the subset of add-on term meta-sections to generate content items.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the classification assigned to the add-on term is a predetermined strong type from a type system.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the each of the one or more resources includes an instance of the query and the add-on term of the appended query.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein tagging the at least one meta-section further comprises:

identifying a label for the at least one meta-section associated with the add-on term; and

appending the label with the classification of the add-on term.

13. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:

clustering the one or more resources based on the classification of a plurality add-on terms for the query; and

communicating for display the plurality of content items for the one or more resources in clusters of the plurality of add-on terms.

14. A method for query expansion using add-on terms with assigned classifications, the method comprising:

receiving a query, wherein the query is associated with a default classification;

identifying an add-on term for the query;

determining a classification for the add-on term, wherein the classification distinguishes query meta-sections from add-on term meta-sections;

generating an appended query by concatenating the query with the add-on term; and

executing the appended query on a resource stack as a single reformulated query, wherein executing the appended query on the resource stack comprises:

identifying one or more resources based on the appended query, wherein each of the one or more resources includes query meta-sections and add-on term meta-sections with each query meta-section and each add-on term meta-section having an instance of the respective query and the add-on term;

tagging the add-on term meta-sections with the classification of the add-on term to distinguish the add-on meta-sections from the query meta-sections;

selecting a subset of the add-on term meta-sections based on a plurality of features of the add-on term meta-sections, wherein a feature is restriction assigned to the add-on term meta-sections;

combining query meta-sections and the subset of add-on term meta-sections to generate a plurality of content items; and

communicating for display the plurality of content items.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein identifying an add-on term further comprises:

determining that the query term is associated with a ranker, wherein the ranker is vertical information domain; and

identifying the add-on terms based on a plurality of predetermined classifications for the ranker.

16. The method of 14 , further comprising:

tagging the query meta-sections with the default classification of the query to distinguish the query meta-sections from the add-on term meta sections.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein tagging the add-on term meta-sections with classification of the add-on term further comprises:

identifying a label for an add-on term meta-section in the one or more resources; and

appending the label with the classification of the add-on term.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

clustering the one or more resources based on the classification of a plurality add-on terms for the query; and

communicating for display the plurality of content items for the one or more resources in clusters of the plurality of add-on terms.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the query is an ambiguous name query.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the resource server does not execute the appended query on the resource stack more than once.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2015
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 039025/0454 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2013
From: SHUKLA, PUSHPRAJ; GUPTA, ATUL KUMAR; WANG, YUAN; OLDS, ELLIOT KUEHL; MASCARO, MASSIMO
To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029775/0557 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140172901A1 · Jun 19, 2014