Method and system for providing relationships in search results

A computer program product for providing relationships in search results, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium;
• computer program instructions operative to:
• provide a search index including entities, and relations between the entities stored as facet entries for the entities;
• match entities in said search index with a user-provided query term;
• scoring an extent to which the matching entities match the user-provided query term;
• obtain search result entities including:
• a plurality of entities, matching the user-provided query term with highest scores, and
• related entities selected based on a count of the related entities in facet entries of the matching entities;
• retrieve index entries from the search index to determine relationships between the obtained search result entities, and store the relationships in a map;
• and
• provide the entities of the search results, including the entities matching the query term and the facet entities related to the matching entities, on a display along with indications of relationships between pairs of displayed search result entities, determined from the index;
• wherein said program instructions are stored on said computer readable medium.

A system for providing relationships in search results, comprising:

• a processor;
• a search index storing a plurality of entity index entries, each entity index entry including facets providing information on the entity type and related entities;
• a search engine for determining a plurality of entities in said search index that match a user-provided query term along with scores of an extent to which the entities match the user-provided query term, obtaining search result entities, which include a plurality of entities matching the user provided query term, with highest scores and related entities selected based on a count of the related entities in facet entries of the matching entities;
• a relationship determining mechanism for retrieving index entries to determine relationships between the obtained search result entities and storing the relationships in a map and;
• a display for providing the search results along with the determined relationships between pairs of displayed search result entities determined from the index.

A search engine, comprising:

• an input device configured to receive search query terms;
• a search index identifying entities and relations between the entities;
• a display;
• and
• a processor configured to determine a plurality of entities that match a search query term from the input device along with scores of an extent to which the entities match the query term, to obtain search result entities including a plurality of entities matching the search query term from the input device with highest scores and related entities selected based on a count of the related entities in facet entries of the matching entities in the search index, to determine and store a map of relationships appearing in the search index between the obtained search result entities, and to present the search results on the display along with indications of the determined relationships between pairs of displayed search result entities.