Abstract: A method and system for determining relevance of a document to a query based on identifier match distance is provided. The relevance system analyzes a training set of queries and documents to determine the relationship between identifier match distance and relevance of a document to a query. The identifier match distance indicates the distance from the end of an identifier of a document to an identifier term that matches a query term. The relevance system generates a prior relevance probability that a document with a certain identifier match distance is relevant to a query. The relevance system uses the prior relevance probabilities to determine relevance of documents to queries based on identifier match distance.

Abstract: A relevance system determines the relevance of a query term to a document based on spans within the document that contain the query term. The relevance system aggregates the relevance of the query terms into an overall relevance for the document. For each query term, the relevance system calculates a span relevance for each span that contains that query term. The relevance system then aggregates the span relevances for a query term into a query term relevance for that document. The relevance system may aggregate the query term relevances into a document relevance.

Abstract: Data classification using stochastic key feature generation includes obtaining a set of training data having associated summaries. The set of training data and associated summaries are used to generate a key feature generation model. Another set of training data having associated categories is also obtained, and the key feature generation model is used to map this other set of training data to a set of vectors. A data classifier is then trained based on the set of vectors and the associated categories.

Abstract: A system and method for delivering detailed product information to a user in response to a request for a product is provided. The delivered product information can include products identified by crawling web sites and extracting product information. The detailed information can include the name of the product, a picture of the product, the price of the product, a description of the product, and/or other information specifying a product for sale.

Abstract: Categorizing page block functionality to improve document layout for browsing is described. In one aspect, document content is analyzed with respect to multiple block function criteria. Results of this analysis are used to assign a respective block function to blocks of the document content. These block function assignments are used to generate one or more customized document layouts for browsing by a user.

Abstract: System events preceding occurrence of a problem are likely to be similar to events preceding occurrence of the same problem at other times or on other systems. Thus, the cause of a problem may be identified by comparing a trace of events preceding occurrence of the problem with previously diagnosed traces. Traces of events preceding occurrences of a problem arising from a known cause are reduced to a series of descriptive elements. These elements are aligned to correlate differently timed but otherwise similar traces of events, converted into symbolic representations, and archived. A trace of events leading to an undiagnosed a problem similarly is converted to a symbolic representation. The representation of the undiagnosed trace is then compared to the archived representations to identify a similar archived representation. The cause of the similar archived representation is presented as a diagnosis of the problem.

Abstract: System events preceding occurrence of a problem are likely to be similar to events preceding occurrence of the same problem at other times or on other systems. Thus, the cause of a problem may be identified by comparing a trace of events preceding occurrence of the problem with previously diagnosed traces. Traces of events preceding occurrences of a problem arising from a known cause are reduced to a series of descriptive elements. These elements are aligned to correlate differently timed but otherwise similar traces of events, converted into symbolic representations, and archived. A trace of events leading to an undiagnosed a problem similarly is converted to a symbolic representation. The representation of the undiagnosed trace is then compared to the archived representations to identify a similar archived representation. The cause of the similar archived representation is presented as a diagnosis of the problem.

Abstract: System events preceding occurrence of a problem are likely to be similar to events preceding occurrence of the same problem at other times or on other systems. Thus, the cause of a problem may be identified by comparing a trace of events preceding occurrence of the problem with previously diagnosed traces. Traces of events preceding occurrences of a problem arising from a known cause are reduced to a series of descriptive elements. These elements are aligned to correlate differently timed but otherwise similar traces of events, converted into symbolic representations, and archived. A trace of events leading to an undiagnosed a problem similarly is converted to a symbolic representation. The representation of the undiagnosed trace is then compared to the archived representations to identify a similar archived representation. The cause of the similar archived representation is presented as a diagnosis of the problem.

Abstract: The described subject matter provides systems and procedures to make query similarity determinations, wherein the queries are used in information retrieval operations. A same document and/or multiple similar documents are identified that have been selected by a user in response to multiple queries. Responsive to identifying the same document and/or the similar documents, a query cluster is generated that indicates that the queries used to obtain the same and/or similar documents. This is accomplished in a manner that is independent of whether individual ones of the queries are compositionally similar with respect to other ones of the queries.

Abstract: A search system generates an index for databases by generatively sampling the databases and uses that index to identify and formulate queries for searching the databases. The generated index is referred to as a domain-attribute index and contains a domain-level index and site-level indexes. A site-level index for a database maps site attributes to distinct attribute values within the database. The domain-level index for a domain maps attribute values to database and site attribute pairs that contain those attribute values. To generate a site-level index for a database within a certain domain, the search system starts out with an initial set of the sample data for that domain. The search system generates sampling queries based on the sample data and submits the sampling queries to a database. The search system updates the site-level index based on the sampling results and uses the results to generate more sampling queries.

Abstract: A method and system for ranking objects of different object types based on their popularity is provided. A ranking system calculates the popularity of objects based on relationships between the objects. A relationship indicates how one object is related to another object. Thus, objects of one object type may have one or more relationships with objects of another object type. One goal of the ranking system is to rank the objects of the different object types based on their popularity. The objects and their relationships can be represented using a graph with nodes representing objects and links representing relationships between objects. The ranking system assigns a popularity propagation factor to each relationship to represent its contribution to the popularity of objects of that type.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying object information of an information page is provided. An information extraction system identifies the object blocks of an information page. The extraction system classifies the object blocks into object types. Each object type has associated attributes that define a schema for the information of the object type. The extraction system identifies object elements within an object block that may represent an attribute value for the object. After the object elements are identified, the extraction system attempts to identify which object elements correspond to which attributes of the object type in a process referred to as “labeling.” The extraction system uses an algorithm to determine the confidence that a certain object element corresponds to a certain attribute. The extraction system then selects the set of labels with the highest confidence as being the labels for the object elements.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to performing a query for a search term of a database containing a plurality of structured documents. Those structured documents that do not include the search term are ferreted or filtered out during an initial search. Matched structured documents which are those structured documents that do contain the search term are evaluated by ranking the individual elements based on how well each individual element matches the search term, and indicating to the user the ranking of the individual elements wherein the individual elements can be accessed by the user.

Abstract: In a computer booting process, a basic input-output system (BIOS) causes one or more auxiliary programs to be automatically executed. By doing so, the BIOS transfers control of the booting process to the auxiliary programs. Thereafter, it is up to the auxiliary programs to determine whether to continue execution, or to proceed with the booting process. Should the auxiliary programs determine that execution of the auxiliary programs should continue, the booting process is halted and the operating system is not loaded or executed. To determine whether execution of the auxiliary programs should continue, the auxiliary programs monitor for any user input. If any user input is received, unless the user input specifically indicates that execution of the auxiliary programs should not continue, the auxiliary programs will continue execution. Thus, the default is to continue execution of the auxiliary programs.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to performing a query for a search term of a database containing a plurality of structured documents. Those structured documents that do not include the search term are ferreted or filtered out during an initial search. Matched structured documents which are those structured documents that do contain the search term are evaluated by ranking the individual elements based on how well each individual element matches the search term, and indicating to the user the ranking of the individual elements wherein the individual elements can be accessed by the user.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to performing a query for a search term of a database containing a plurality of structured documents. Those structured documents that do not include the search term are ferreted or filtered out during an initial search. Matched structured documents which are those structured documents that do contain the search term are evaluated by ranking the individual elements based on how well each individual element matches the search term, and indicating to the user the ranking of the individual elements wherein the individual elements can be accessed by the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for clustering Web queries are described. In one aspect, one or more of a same document and a plurality of similar documents selected by a user in response to a plurality of queries is identified. Responsive to this identification, a query cluster is generated. The cleric the query cluster indicates that the queries are similar independent of whether individual ones of the queries comprise similar composition with respect to other ones of the queries.

Abstract: Vision-based document segmentation identifies one or more portions of semantic content of a document. The one or more portions are identified by identifying a plurality of visual blocks in the document, and detecting one or more separators between the visual blocks of the plurality of visual blocks. A content structure for the document is constructed based at least in part on the plurality of visual blocks and the one or more separators, and the content structure identifies the one or more portions of semantic content of the document. The content structure obtained using the vision-based document segmentation can optionally be used during document retrieval.

Abstract: In one aspect, this disclosure relates to a method and associated apparatus that allows a user to obtain a semi-structured data input and a workload input. An improved semi-structured data storage schema is selected for a relational schema in response to the semi-structured data input and the workload input. The semi-structured data is segmented based on the selected improved semi-structured data storage schema. In one aspect, the semi-structured data is XML data.

Abstract: In one aspect, this disclosure relates to a method and associated apparatus that allows a user to obtain a semi-structured data input and a workload input. An improved semi-structured data storage schema is selected for a relational schema in response to the semi-structured data input and the workload input. The semi-structured data is segmented based on the selected improved semi-structured data storage schema. In one aspect, the semi-structured data is XML data.