Abstract: Various example embodiments are provided for inferring relationships between queries. In an example, queries are related based on the identification of common terms between the queries. Another example is to relate queries based on the identification that the queries are associated with a single search session.

Abstract: A system and method for providing search query refinements are presented. A stored query and a stored document are associated as a logical pairing. A weight is assigned to the logical pairing. The search query is issued and a set of search documents is produced. At least one search document is matched to at least one stored document. The stored query and the assigned weight associated with the matching at least one stored document are retrieved. At least one cluster is formed based on the stored query and the assigned weight associated with the matching at least one stored document. The stored query associated with the matching at least one stored document are scored for the at least one cluster relative to at least one other cluster. At least one such scored search query is suggested as a set of query refinements.

Abstract: A computer system, computer media, and computer-implemented method for generating product suggestions and providing product information are provided. The computer system includes a relevance engine, a product database, and a graphical user interface to respond to user queries and to provide product details associated with one or more products included in the user queries. The relevance engine determines which products are similar to products included in the user queries. The graphical user interface displays product suggestions that refine the user queries without executing the query on the product database, where a subset of the product suggestions are linked to product details pages. User selection of any of the product suggestions within the subset directs the user to a product details page for a specific product and bypasses a listing of results having many products that match the refined user queries.

Abstract: A combinatorial search method and system is implemented in a computer control system for utilizing state-space planning of operations for multi-step production processes. The planner considers various possible combinations of actions, searching for one that correctly transforms the initial state of the object (or commodity) into the specified desired final state, where each combination of actions the planner considers is called a search node. Each node contains a plan representing a series of actions of a plurality of machines on a single object and also containing the predicted state of the object with those actions applied either forward or backward. The state of the object consists of the set of attributes of the object.

Abstract: A particular method of content personalization based on user information includes receiving data representing an information retrieval task. The data is received at a server from a computing device associated with a user. The information retrieval task is executed to generate result information. Personalization information associated with the user that is relevant to the information retrieval task is retrieved. The personalization information associated with the user includes information associated with at least one of a genotype of the user and a phenotype of the user. The method includes modifying the result information based on the retrieved personalization information to generate personalized result information.

Abstract: A system for obtaining data from various sources. The data may be organized into cluster sets of related items. Elements of various kinds may be pulled from the data. The elements may be put together into sets of clusters for each kind of elements. The clusters may be refined relative to one another and in view of integrated properties of the cluster sets. Elements may be added or removed from the clusters during refinement. Examples of the elements may be people and events. Examples of cluster sets of such elements may be groups and goals, respectively.

Abstract: A user submits an unstructured query that is analyzed to determine a mapping from attributes to attribute values. One or more matching items from a structured data set are determined based on the attribute values of attributes associated with the items. The matching items are displayed. One or more refinement attributes are displayed, each with one or more attribute values. The attribute values in the refinements that correspond to the attribute values of the query are shown as selected. If the user selects any of the refinement attributes, the query is revised to incorporate the attribute values of the selected refinements. New matching items are determined using the revised structured query. The revised structured query and the new matching items are displayed. This process can be iterated, by modification of the query or the refinements. The matching items, the selected refinement attribute values and the query are synchronized.

Abstract: A data publication and subscription system includes one transmitter publishing data and one receiver subscribing to data, the data being described by one or more identifiers, the transmitters and receivers being interconnected via a network. The system includes an ontological knowledge base common to said transmitters and receivers, at least one data transmitter and receiver, each including a semantic module connected to said base and adapted to analyze a semantic request to find all identifiers semantically associated with this request, said transmitter publishing and said receiver subscribing to data via said identifiers found by the semantic module. The system applies notably to the connection of a plurality of different communications devices, each including data publication and subscription services.

Abstract: A data scheme and protocol (DSP) adapter which translates communications received from one or more application servers (FEs) into corresponding communications understandable by one or more repositories (BEs). The DSP adapter comprises an interface unit which receives a FE query from a FE. The DSP adapter comprises a processing unit which determines an FE query pattern fulfilled by the FE query and checks whether the FE query pattern exists for the FE query in an accessible memory. Where the FE query pattern does not exist in the accessible memory, the processing unit transforms the FE query pattern into a corresponding BE query pattern. Where the FE query pattern exists in the accessible memory, the processing unit obtains the corresponding BE query pattern from the accessible memory. A method for translating at a data scheme and protocol (DSP) adapter communications received from one or more application servers (FEs) into corresponding communications understandable by one or more repositories (BEs).

Abstract: Within a document collaboration system, such as a wiki application, a logging component operates in association with a server. The logging component automatically creates and maintains a log of interactions between the server and users of the document collaboration system. The content of the log has a predictable format. In one embodiment, an analysis component identifies, from the log, entries associated with a failed search for a document in the collaboration system database. The terms not represented in the database are identified from the failed search entry. In this manner, statistics related to frequently unsuccessful search terms are generated and utilized as a basis for identifying opportunities for effective expansion of the content of the collaboration application.

Abstract: A business intelligence (BI) server and repository are described which support a set of customized and/or calculated data members. In accordance with an embodiment, the BI server maintains a connection to a plurality of data sources which may store a set of dimension members. The data source can be relational, file storage based, multidimensional and other types. In accordance with an embodiment, the BI server can accept queries from the user that contain calculated members as a parameter. The calculated member is defined by an expression including multiple dimension members and one or more arithmetic operators. The BI server can parse and validate the query and rewrite the query for the data source. After the query is rewritten and optimized, it is executed against the data source and a set of results is received.

Abstract: Concepts are presented related to a search engine query. Users can subsequently navigate search results and/or reformulate a query at a conceptual level. In one instance, users can specify weight with respect to one or more concepts to capture interest or lack of interest with respect to search intent. Based on one or more weights, a search query can be modified and results presented to a user along with associated concepts to enable continued interaction. Additionally or alternatively, organization and/or presentation of search results as well as advertisements can be influenced by user-specified weights or other interactions with concepts.

Abstract: Generally described, embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to sort and/or filter information contained in a summary table based on related information that may not be included in the summary table. According to one aspect, a computer-readable medium having computer executable components for filtering or sorting information displayed in a summary table is provided. Included in the computer executable medium is a category receipt and identification component configured to receive selections of categories and identify related categories contained in a dataset represented by the summary table. Also included in the computer-readable medium is a filtering component and a sorting component, each configured to control the structure and criteria upon which information contained in a category displayed in the data summary table may be filtered or sorted.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically refining information extraction (IE) rules. A provenance graph for IE rules on a set of test documents is determined. The provenance graph indicates a sequence of evaluations of the IE rules that generates an output of each operator of the IE rules. Based on the provenance graph, high-level rule changes (HLCs) of the IE rules are determined. Low-level rule changes (LLCs) of the IE rules are determined to specify how to implement the HLCs. Each LLC specifies changing an operator's structure or inserting a new operator in between two operators. Based on how the LLCs affect the IE rules and previously received correct results of applying the rules on the test documents, a ranked list of the LLCs is determined. The IE rules are refined based on the ranked list.

Abstract: A set of personalized search widgets for providing a customized user interface are provided. Among the personalized search widgets include a related searches menu to depict related search terms according to popularity and type. A query builder for explicitly including or excluding particular terms from the query may be provided. The search widgets may further include a history of past searches received from a user, a selection of categories to be searched, and one or more category suggestions. Some widgets associated with sellers allow a user to filter results according to a trusted seller status of the seller or the identity of the seller, and provide to the user a tag cloud including feedback about the seller. The results of a search may be presented in a spreadsheet style format.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for use in searching a geographic database to retrieve geographic objects one cell from a neighborhood of cells at a time. A cell neighborhood can be defined using a grid of cells and an initial, or center, point. A first neighborhood is identified based on its proximity to the initial search point, and corresponds to a first geographic area defined using the initial point and a distance from the initial search point in a number of directions. In a case that more than one cell neighborhood is used, each subsequent cell neighborhood is defined so that it excludes cells belonging to a previously-searched cell neighborhood. A subsequent neighborhood corresponds to a geographic area that is a distance from the initial point greater than the distance associated with a previously-searched neighborhood.

Abstract: Exemplary methods and apparatuses are provided which may be implemented using one or more computing devices within a networked computing environment to identify certain shared search interests and to provide additional search capabilities based thereon to a plurality of users in a social search manner. For example, a “search crowd” capability and information may be provided based on a plurality of related search queries received from two or more users. A number of determining factors may be considered to identify, establish, maintain, and/or otherwise manage a search crowd and related information.

Abstract: A system, method, and medium are provided for providing a personalized answer to a user-defined search query by utilizing the user's search history. A search session is instantiated, and search queries, search results, user selections of search results, and other information is recorded. A search query is received and analyzed to determine whether the query reflects user intent to re-find a search result that the user previously was presented in response to a previously issued search query. Search results pages provided to the user in response to queries include a personalized history answer that represents a previously viewed search result that the user may be attempting to re-find.

Abstract: In most of the Internet search operations, unwanted search results can be eliminated to reduce the high volume of the Internet traffic, and make the search operation highly efficient, according to the present invention. The present invention proposes a two step approach. The first step is to achieve the high relevance of the search results by search region restricted search operation. The second step, further adds high degree of relevance to the search results by the contact address correlation with a reliable reference address or the legitimate contact address eliminating the spurious and unwanted sites from the search result list. The region restricted search does searching in a selected geographical region. Thus the region restricted search operation minimizes the search time and huge volume of Internet traffic, which is likely to impair the overall Internet performance.

Abstract: A search query for a search engine may be improved by incorporating alternate terms into the search query that are semantically similar to terms of the search query, taking into account information derived from the search query. An initial set of alternate terms that may be semantically similar to the original terms in the search query is generated. The initial set of alternate terms may be compared to information derived from the original search query. One example of such information is a set of documents retrieved in response to a search performed using the initial search query. One or more of the alternate terms may be added to the original search query based on their relationship to the information derived from the original search query.

Abstract: A system and method for context based query augmentation. A question is received over a network from a questioning user comprising an identification of a user and at least one question criteria. A first query is formulated so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data so as to identify user context data relevant to question criteria. The question is modified using the user context data to create at least one modified question having at least one additional criteria based on the user context data. A second query is formulated so as to search, via the network, for knowledge data, user profile data, social network data, spatial data, temporal data and topical data so as to identify knowledge data relevant to the identified user and the modified question criteria. The knowledge data is transmitted, over the network, to the questioning user.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for generating substitute titles for a content item in response to a user submitted title for the content item. A method receives a user generated title and generates a plurality of candidate substitute titles. A first quality score is calculated for the user generated title and a plurality of second quality scores are generated for the plurality of candidate substitute titles. The user generated title for the content item is replaced with at least one of the plurality of candidate substitute titles on the basis of the quality scores.

Abstract: As the result of a keyword search, real time and social news stream Web search results are retrieved and analyzed to build a topic model of n-grams. The n-grams of the topic model are treated as ad-based keywords to determine advertisements to be displayed in conjunction with the real time Web search results. The real time Web search results and the advertisements are then be presented or displayed for user consumption or review.

Abstract: A method includes defining a general query for extracting data from at least one data store operable to store workpiece data associated with the processing of workpieces in a manufacturing system. The general query specifies at least one ambiguous parameter having a plurality of potential values. Metadata associated with the workpiece data is accessed. The metadata is employed to identify a plurality of candidate values for the at least one ambiguous parameter. A plurality of atomic queries is generated. Each atomic query is associated with one of the candidate values. The plurality of atomic queries is executed to extract data from the at least one data store and generate an output report including the extracted data.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for acquiring ontological knowledge using query logs. In one embodiment, query logs are first utilized as a basis for identifying important contexts associated with terms belonging to a semantic category. Then, those contexts are as a basis for identifying new terms belonging to the same category or, in another embodiment, as a basis for removing extraneous or obsolete terms identified as being in the same category.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies are described herein for providing context-based services. In one embodiment, context-based output is provided. The context-based output can include context-based search results for a query. Contextual information can be used to improve access to real-time, social, and other content by enabling a search engine to better understand and/or to supplement queries based upon the context within which the query is received. The contextual information can include, but are not limited to, searches and content associated with the searcher, one or more locations associated with the searcher, the time of day at which a query is received, the device from which a query is received, an application running at the device from which the query is received, the capabilities of the device from which the query is received, and other variables.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for processing data, and more specifically to retrieving results for a query from one or more devices coupled to a network. A first device may receive an abstract query including logical fields defined by a first data abstraction model and retrieve query results stored in the first device. The query may be sent to one or more other devices via the network. The one or more other devices may be configured to convert the abstract query to local abstract queries including logical fields defined in local data abstraction models. The local queries may be issued against local databases to retrieve additional results for the query. The local queries may not include all the fields of the abstract query.

Abstract: Systems and methods for modeling information from a set of documents are disclosed. A tool allows a user to model concepts of interest and extract information from a set of documents in an editable format. The extracted information includes a list of instances of a document from the set of documents that contains the selected concept. The user may modify the extracted information to create subsets of information, add new concepts to the model, and share the model with others.

Abstract: Advertisements are selected for presentation on a search results page based on the presence or absence of user activity within the search results page. When a search results page is provided to an end user, the search results page is tracked for user activity. If user activity is detected, a user context is identified and new advertisements are selected for presentation on the search results page based on the user context. In some embodiments, the search results page provides search results in clusters, and the user context corresponds with a search result cluster selected by an end user. In some embodiments, dominant concepts in the user context are identified and used to select advertisements. Alternatively, if user activity is not detected within a predetermined period of time, new advertisements are selected based on the absence of user activity within the search results page.

Abstract: Query suggestions can be generated by identifying desirable sub-queries. Search engine data can be accumulated to determine usage characteristics for various queries. Potential sub-queries can be generated and ranked based on the usage data. After ranking potential sub-queries, the rankings can be used to select sub-queries when a search request is received. The selected sub-queries can be used directly as query suggestions, or the sub-queries can be used as input for another query suggestion engine.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for applying query-level and parameter-level display profiles to abstract queries are provided. Display profiles allow users to utilize existing abstract queries for purposes of data analysis. In one embodiment, display profiles are used to change the scope of an existing abstract query or incorporate existing data processing functions into the abstract query.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product allows a web service consumer to create an example query which illustrates the web service desired. The example query is compared, element by element, to potentially relevant web services. The difference between each element in the example query and any element in the web service being compared is quantified as a distance metric, based on the relationship between the elements. The relationships might be classified as: exact match, direct synonym, fuzzy synonym, hyponym, hypernym, or no match. The distance metric for each element in the example query is summed to calculate a total distance between the example query and the web service being compared. This sum is an expression of the difference between the example query and the web service being compared.

Abstract: Methods and computer-readable media are provided for receiving keyword expansions from expansion providers and selecting a set of keyword expansions that are used for advertisement selection. Keyword expansions that correspond to a particular search query or text from a browsed web page are received from an expansion provider. Feature data is extracted from each keyword expansion, and may include properties of the keyword expansion or the expansion provider. A score is assigned to each keyword expansion, and based on the score, a set of keyword expansions is selected from the keyword expansions received from the expansion provider. The set of keyword expansions is used to select relevant advertisements for presentation to the user.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and article of manufacture of the present invention detects the presence of references to the same concept in separate sections of text, and, with no input required from the reader, presents the reader with information concerning the detected references to the concept. The information provided may comprise information related to the location of the reference to the concept in other sections of text, and the reader also is provided the ability to move from one reference to a concept directly to another reference to the same concept.

Abstract: A query prefix is received from a user device. A user identifier is determined based on the user device. A user category is determined based on the user identifier. A node representing the query prefix is located in a query graph. Descendent nodes of the located node that represent queries are located. Each node has one or more user category specific frequency measures and each user category specific frequency measure is associated with a user category. The queries represented by the located nodes are ranked based on the associated user category specific frequency measure associated with the identified user category. The ranked queries are sent to the user device.

Abstract: Architecture that provides for greater interoperability between column stores and row stores by leveraging the advantages both have to offer. The architecture operates automatically (e.g., dynamically) to move between row oriented processing mode and batch processing mode, and the combination thereof, when it is more beneficial to run in one mode relative to the other mode, or both modes. The auto-switching of data processing between batch and row oriented mode occurs during the execution of a single query. The architecture can automatically modify an operator in the query tree and/or remove an operator if desired at runtime for more efficient processing. This approach also accounts for memory constraints for either of row or column processing.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing an index are described. A pulse in an inverted index refers to a group of items that do not occur in any other pulse in the index. When processing a query against an inverted index in which pulses are present, the query is processed against a single pulse. The end of the pulse is determined based on the characteristics of the pulse and the linked list nodes that comprise the postings lists from which the index was generated. In some embodiments, index updates are applied to the query result obtained from a single pulse to provide an efficient and up to date query result.

Abstract: A system and related techniques accept user-inputted search terms, for example to perform a search for files or other data or objects. Corresponding matches to those terms may be presented to the user in a “word-wheel”-type breakout list generated on the fly for groupings of hits by attributes or other criteria, as the system searches through the file system at the current level or point in the file system hierarchy. According to embodiments, when the search logic fails to locate a hit on the inputted search term at the current level or point in the file system hierarchy, an extension of the search to different levels or points in the file system hierarchy may be automatically generated, and for instance presented to the user as a selectable search box. That box may for example be highlighted to the user for easy selection. When the user does select the selectable search box, the user's search, for instance for files of type or extension “.doc” or “.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for refining a user's query. An entity index, generated from a corpus of text documents, is provided. The entity index includes a set of entity structures, each including a plurality of terms. Each of the terms of an entity structure is a feature of the same entity. Entity structures can be retrieved from the entity index which match at least a portion of the user's query. Clusters of the retrieved entity structures are identified which have at least one of their terms in common. A cluster hierarchy is generated from the identified clusters in which nodes of the hierarchy are defined by one or more of the terms of the retrieved entity structures. At least a portion of the cluster hierarchy is presented to the user for facilitating refinement of the user's query through user selection of a node which, when formulated as a search, retrieves one or more responsive documents from the corpus of documents.

Abstract: A method for retrieving based on a search term together with its corresponding meaning from a set of base documents those documents which contain the search term and in which the certain search term has the certain meaning to enable the building of an index on the retrieved documents. The method includes searching for those base documents among the set of base documents which contain the certain search term and evaluating the found base documents as to whether the search term contained in the found base documents, respectively, has a certain meaning. Evaluation includes generating a text document to represent elements surrounding the search term and their corresponding absolute or relative position with respect to the search term; inputting the text document into a trainable classifying apparatus; classifying the inputted text document to judge whether the search term has the inputted meaning.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program for storing a plurality of usage conditions to a data set for retrieval by a single query statement, comprising the steps of converting a usage condition into a first normal form representation, minimizing said first normal form representation, transforming said minimized first normal form representation into a second normal form representation, and storing said second normal form representation in said data set. The method wherein the steps comprising said storing step are repeated until each said usage condition is stored in to said data set and appropriate means and computer-readable instructions.

Abstract: A computer server system may include a plurality of database modules for storing user data for a plurality of users, and at least one processing module comprising a plurality of processing threads for processing jobs for users based upon respective user data. The computer server system may further include a database pool module connected between the plurality of database modules and the at least one processing module. The database pool module may be for selectively connecting the processing threads to corresponding database modules including respective user data for jobs to be processed, and determining when a database module becomes unresponsive and terminating processing thread connections to the unresponsive database module based thereon. The database pool module may also be for determining when the unresponsive database module becomes responsive and restoring processing thread connectivity thereto based thereon.

Abstract: Systems and methods of the present invention provide for the spinning and appraisal of a domain name. A list of keywords may be extracted from a domain name entered into a user interface on a client. These keywords may be compared to potential matches in a database and a result set may be compiled and displayed to the user. The client may also display a certified domain name appraisal using a plurality of logical groupings within a domain name appraisal process. This appraisal process may also include a multiplier derived from comparisons of registration statistics for various top level domains.

Abstract: Systems and methods of the present invention provide for the spinning and appraisal of a domain name. A list of keywords may be extracted from a domain name entered into a user interface on a client. These keywords may be compared to potential matches in a database and a result set may be compiled and displayed to the user. The client may also display a certified domain name appraisal using a plurality of logical groupings within a domain name appraisal process. This appraisal process may also include a multiplier derived from comparisons of registration statistics for various top level domains.

Abstract: A keyword search system including a text input unit for inputting subtexts obtained by dividing each text into parts, while associating the subtexts with an event through a process recorded in the text; a prediction device adjuster for adjusting a corresponding event prediction device to maximize the percentage of text in which the inputted event is identical to a prediction result in a first text group selected from the subtexts; a prediction processor for generating a prediction result for each section, by inputting each text in a second text group selected from the corresponding subtexts in the adjusted event prediction device; and a search unit for calculating the prediction precision for the second text group of the event prediction device using a comparison between the inputted event and the prediction result for each subtext, and searching for keywords in sections with a certain degree of prediction precision.

Abstract: A computer readable storage medium comprises executable instructions to receive a query referencing a set of members of an OLAP hierarchy. The query is parsed into a syntax tree. Changes to the OLAP hierarchy metadata are received. The syntax tree is refined in response to the changes. The query is evaluated to return results that are independent of the changes to the OLAP hierarchy metadata.

Abstract: A process includes receiving an archive of video data comprising a plurality of archive descriptor types, and applying a query to the archive. The query includes a number of N query descriptor types for a query object. The process further includes determining a difference between each query descriptor type and corresponding descriptor types of the archive, and storing each difference as a point in an N dimensional space. The process further includes identifying an archive object that is similar to the query object as a function of proximities of the differences to an origin of the N dimensional space.

Abstract: Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for performing searches based upon word relationships. A search term is received from a user in the form of at least one primary word. A data store is searched to determine if the primary word is associated with any content. If so, at least one reference to primary content that has been pre-defined as being related to the primary word is included in the search result. At least one reference to secondary content is included in the search result, if secondary content is found. Secondary contents are those that contain words that have been pre-defined as being related to the primary word. The search results are displayed to the user, with the primary references displayed along with the secondary references, if applicable, in a hierarchical fashion.

Abstract: A method for deriving probabilistic association scores based on image content is provided. A bipartite graph is constructed based on a database of image content and associated textual content. One partition of the bipartite graph contains image content and the other partition of the bipartite graph contains textual content. Weighted edges between nodes in the two partitions represent associations between the image content and textual content in the database. Random walks on the bipartite graph are performed to derive probabilistic association scores between image content and textual content. Association scores are used to automatically annotate images and detect spurious image tags.

Abstract: The system includes a query engine and an advertisement engine. The query engine is configured to receive a query from the user. The advertisement engine generates advertisement results corresponding to the query. The advertisement results are selected from entries in an advertisement database, where the entries include predicate values corresponding to a domain. The advertisement engine generates a diverse advertisement result that is a subset of the database entries that match the query. The diversity result varies at least one predicate by selecting entries for the list that include a proportional representation of each available predicate value in the database that matches the query.