Abstract: A server receives a query identifying one or more attributes of an entity. The server accesses a set of candidate templates for answering the query based on the one or more attributes of the entity, each candidate template having one or more fields, wherein each field is associated with at least one constraint. The server obtains a set of information that answers the query and selects a template from the set of candidate templates, where the selected template has a maximum number of fields with constraints that are satisfied by the set of information. The server then generates a phrase by adding the set of information to the one or more fields of the selected template, such that the phrase comprises an answer to the query. Finally, the server communicates the phrase to a client device.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for analyzing and responding to a query from a user. Consistent with certain embodiments, systems and methods are provided for receiving a query from the user and dividing the query into query segments based on a set of grammar rules. Further, systems and methods are provided for selecting a first segment from the query segments, receiving at least one tuple stored in association with the user, selecting a second segment from the at least one tuple. Additionally, systems and methods are provided for receiving information related to the first and second segments, and generating a response to the query based on the received information. In addition, systems and methods are provided for transmitting information to a display device for presenting the response to the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing a statement that references a particular attribute of a particular topic, in response to providing the statement, obtaining one or more query patterns that each include one or more query terms that are used in queries submitted to a search system in obtaining a value for the particular attribute of the particular topic, generalizing one or more of the query patterns, and associating the one or more generalized query patterns with one or more other topics that include the particular attribute.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method can include identifying one or more candidate topics from a query. The method can generate, for each candidate topic, a candidate topic-answer pair that includes both the candidate topic and an answer to the query for the candidate topic. The method can obtain search results based on the query, wherein one or more of the search results references an annotated resource. For each candidate topic-answer pair, the method can determine a score for the candidate topic-answer pair for use in determining a response to the query, based on (i) an occurrence of the candidate topic in the annotations of the resources referenced by one or more of the search results, and (ii) an occurrence of the answer in annotations of the resources referenced by the one or more search results, or in the resources referenced by the one or more search results.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for analyzing and responding to a query from a user. Consistent with certain embodiments, systems and methods are provided for receiving a query from the user and dividing the query into query segments based on a set of grammar rules. Further, systems and methods are provided for selecting a first segment from the query segments, receiving at least one tuple stored in association with the user, selecting a second segment from the at least one tuple. Additionally, systems and methods are provided for receiving information related to the first and second segments, and generating a response to the query based on the received information. In addition, systems and methods are provided for transmitting information to a display device for presenting the response to the user.

Abstract: A server receives a query identifying one or more attributes of an entity. The server accesses a set of candidate templates for answering the query based on the one or more attributes of the entity, each candidate template having one or more fields, wherein each field is associated with at least one constraint. The server obtains a set of information that answers the query and selects a template from the set of candidate templates, where the selected template has a maximum number of fields with constraints that are satisfied by the set of information. The server then generates a phrase by adding the set of information to the one or more fields of the selected template, such that the phrase comprises an answer to the query. Finally, the server communicates the phrase to a client device.

Abstract: A language processing system collects similar queries and respective responses and aggregated by responses. Incorrect responses are determined and filtered by the aggregation. The remaining responses are then used to query a high precision system for attributes of entities specified by the queries. The attribute type is determined from the responses of the high precision system, and corresponding parse rules are generated. The parse rules are then associated with an operation that yields a response that specifies an attribute of the attribute type.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing a statement that references a particular attribute of a particular topic, in response to providing the statement, obtaining one or more query patterns that each include one or more query terms that are used in queries submitted to a search system in obtaining a value for the particular attribute of the particular topic, generalizing one or more of the query patterns, and associating the one or more generalized query patterns with one or more other topics that include the particular attribute.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for analyzing and responding to a query from a user. Consistent with certain embodiments, systems and methods are provided for receiving a query from the user and dividing the query into query segments based on a set of grammar rules. Further, systems and methods are provided for selecting a first segment from the query segments, receiving at least one tuple stored in association with the user, selecting a second segment from the at least one tuple. Additionally, systems and methods are provided for receiving information related to the first and second segments, and generating a response to the query based on the received information. In addition, systems and methods are provided for transmitting information to a display device for presenting the response to the user.

Abstract: A method identifies pairs of first and second command inputs from respective user device sessions for which the first and second operation data are indicative of a first operation failure and a second operation success. The first operation data indicate a first operation performed on data from a first resource property in response to the first command input, and the second operation data indicate a second operation performed on data from a second resource property in response to the second command input. They system determines, from the identified pairs of first and second command inputs, command inputs for which a parsing rule that is associated with the second operation is to be generated.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for refining search results. In one aspect, a method includes presenting search results that are responsive to a search query on a search engine results page and each search result includes a snippet. The method also include receiving a refinement to the search query through the search engine results page and generating a request to update one or more of the snippets based on the refinement. The method also includes receiving one or more updated snippets in response to the request and updating one or more of the search results presented on the search engine results page using the one or more updated snippets.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method can include identifying one or more candidate topics from a query. The method can generate, for each candidate topic, a candidate topic-answer pair that includes both the candidate topic and an answer to the query for the candidate topic. The method can obtain search results based on the query, wherein one or more of the search results references an annotated resource. For each candidate topic-answer pair, the method can determine a score for the candidate topic-answer pair for use in determining a response to the query, based on (i) an occurrence of the candidate topic in the annotations of the resources referenced by one or more of the search results, and (ii) an occurrence of the answer in annotations of the resources referenced by the one or more search results, or in the resources referenced by the one or more search results.

Abstract: A method identifies pairs of first and second command inputs from respective user device sessions for which the first and second operation data are indicative of a first operation failure and a second operation success. The first operation data indicate a first operation performed on data from a first resource property in response to the first command input, and the second operation data indicate a second operation performed on data from a second resource property in response to the second command input. They system determines, from the identified pairs of first and second command inputs, command inputs for which a parsing rule that is associated with the second operation is to be generated.

Abstract: Systems and methods identify recent or ephemeral events involving entities that can be used to update a data graph or provide enhanced search results. For example, a computer-implemented method includes determining at least one search term for an entity in a data graph and determining a time period having an increase in queries for the at least one search term, the increase meeting a threshold. The method may include determining documents having dates associated with the time period, the documents being responsive to the at least one search term, and analyzing the documents to determine a subject, verb, object triple, where the search term corresponds to the subject or the object of the triple. The method may also include providing an update for the data graph based on the triple. The method may also include generating text describing the triple for inclusion in a search result for the search query.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing a statement that references a particular attribute of a particular topic, in response to providing the statement, obtaining one or more query patterns that each include one or more query terms that are used in queries submitted to a search system in obtaining a value for the particular attribute of the particular topic, generalizing one or more of the query patterns, and associating the one or more generalized query patterns with one or more other topics that include the particular attribute.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for refining search results. In one aspect, a method includes presenting search results that are responsive to a search query on a search engine results page and each search result includes a snippet. The method also include receiving a refinement to the search query through the search engine results page and generating a request to update one or more of the snippets based on the refinement. The method also includes receiving one or more updated snippets in response to the request and updating one or more of the search results presented on the search engine results page using the one or more updated snippets.

Abstract: Systems and methods identify recent or ephemeral events involving entities that can be used to update a data graph or provide enhanced search results. For example, a computer-implemented method includes determining at least one search term for an entity in a data graph and determining a time period having an increase in queries for the at least one search term, the increase meeting a threshold. The method may include determining documents having dates associated with the time period, the documents being responsive to the at least one search term, and analyzing the documents to determine a subject, verb, object triple, where the search term corresponds to the subject or the object of the triple. The method may also include providing an update for the data graph based on the triple. The method may also include generating text describing the triple for inclusion in a search result for the search query.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for information retrieval. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a fact query; determining an expected type of answer to the fact query; identifying search results responsive to the fact query; identifying phrases from the resources corresponding to the search results that correspond to a form of the expected type; determining a score for each of the identified phrases; and presenting an answer to the fact query using the scores.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for machine learning. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a collection of facts, each fact represented as an entity-attribute-value tuple; identifying expected values for one or more individual attributes, where the identifying expected values includes, for each particular attribute: identifying facts having the attribute, calculating a value score for facts of the collection of facts having the particular attribute for each particular value, calculating a global score for all facts of the collection having the attribute, and comparing the value score to the global score such that a value is identified as an expected value if the comparison satisfies a specified threshold.