Method and apparatus for reconstructing a search query
AssigneeYahoo! Inc.
InventorDeepa Joshi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for reconstructing a full query based on a partial query are disclosed. Existing interfaces for search engines may be rigid and require users to submit full queries to perform searched. The methods and systems described herein may solve these problems by allowing a flexible way for users to submit a partial query and reconstruct a full query based on the partial query. A search may then be performed using the reconstructed query.
Claims14
A computer implemented method comprising:
- receiving at a server a partial query submitted at a remote user client system by a user seeking search results related to the submitted partial query, the partial query comprising one or more partial words forming an abbreviated or incomplete search query;
- storing information based on previously submitted queries received at the server;
- determining at the server a full query as the most frequently submitted, previously-submitted query received at the server that matches the partial words of the partial query;
- and
- at the server, submitting the full query to a search engine as a request for search results desired by the user;
- receiving, at the server, search results from the search engine that match the full query;
- and
- from the server, presenting the received search results to the user.
A database search system comprising:
- a query reconstruction server to:
- receive a partial query submitted at a remote user client system;
- store a query index which is based on previously submitted queries received at the database search system;
- determine a full query based on the partial query by comparing the submitted partial query to the query index of known search queries and by determining the full query by selecting a matching known query which is the most frequently-submitted query, and
- submit the full query to a search engine;
- and
- a web server to receive from the search engine search results matching the submitted partial query and present the search results to the user client system.
A method for determining a full query based on a partial query received at a database search system, the method comprising:
- receiving at a server of the database search system a partial query submitted at a remote user client system, the submitted partial query being an abbreviated or incomplete search query;
- at the server, comparing the partial query to an index of known search queries to determine matching known queries, the index being built using weighted, previously-submitted queries received at the server;
- at the server, determining a full query by selecting as the full query the matching known query with the largest weight;
- at the server, submitting the full query to a search engine as a request for search results;
- receiving, at the server, search results from the search engine that match the full query;
- and
- from the server, presenting the search results to the user client system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.