Creation and enrichment of search based taxonomy for finding information from semistructured data

Abstract

Techniques are provided for creating and updating a entity hierarchy (taxonomy) based on information captured about user interaction with a system. Techniques are also provided for using the taxonomy to determine the nature of entities represented by terms submitted to a search engine. Search logs analyzed for related sets of entities, and used to improve the taxonomy for storing information. Once the taxonomy is created, information across data sources are fetched and aggregated based on the taxonomy. When the system is queried, the query is modified to a predefined template, and the best fit result is promptly returned. A feedback mechanism is also provided to enhance taxonomy and entity data based on search volumes. This system enables search engines to provide accurate answers when entities, their attributes and relationships are involved.

1 . A method comprising:
 maintaining a taxonomy that includes entities for which users have searched, categories to which the entities belong, and attributes that are associated with the entities;   based on search engine usage information, determining that multiple users have selected a search results including a particular result term in response to being presented search results for a query including a particular query term,   in response to said determination, creating an alias mapping that maps the particular query term to a particular node of the taxonomy representing said particular result term,   receiving a particular query including said particular query term;   in response to receiving said particular query including said particular query term, and based on said alias mapping, determining that the particular node of the taxonomy is mapped to the particular query term;   generating a search result for the particular query that includes a value associated with the particular node.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the node represents an entity, a category, or an attribute of the taxonomy;
 wherein the value associated with said particular node comprises:
 if the node represents an attribute, the value of the attribute; 
 if the node does not represent an attribute, the value of an attribute of the node. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said alias mapping is a first alias mapping, the particular node is a first node, and the first node represents a first entity that belongs to a first category;
 wherein the method further comprises:
 creating a second alias mapping that maps said particular query term to a second node that represents a second entity that belongs to a second category that is different from the first category; 
 in response to receiving said particular query including said particular query term, and based on the second alias mapping, determining that the second node of the taxonomy is mapped to the particular query term; 
   wherein generating the search result for the particular query that includes a value associated with the first node, occurs in response to:
 choosing between a value of an attribute of the first entity belonging to the first category and a value of an attribute of the second entity belonging to a second category; and 
 based on priority information indicating that said first category is of greater priority than said second priority, selecting the value of the attribute of the first entity that belongs to the first category. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said search engine usage information is a first set of search engine usage information; and
 wherein said priority information is determined based on a second set of search engine information.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first set of search engine usage information is the second set of search engine usage information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said alias mapping that maps the particular query term to a particular node of the taxonomy representing said particular term is a first alias mapping, said particular results term is a first term, and said particular node is a first particular node; and
 the method further comprising creating a second alias mapping that maps the particular query term to a second particular node of the taxonomy.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said particular query term is a pronoun. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 maintaining a taxonomy that includes entities for which users have searched, categories to which the entities belong, and attributes that are associated with the entities;   mapping a particular attribute to a particular category of data stored in an attribute value source, wherein the attribute value source contains data maintained by a party that is not a search engine provider   in response to receiving a query, generating a search result for said query that includes the value of said attribute, wherein the value of said attribute is determined by retrieving data from the attribute value source.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said mapping of the particular attribute to the particular category of data occurs in response to determining, based on search engine usage information, that multiple users chose to view attribute value source data belonging to said particular category after viewing results for a query, the query including a query term that maps to said particular attribute. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the attribute value source is a first attribute value source;
 wherein said mapping of the particular attribute to the particular category of data stored in the first attribute value source occurs in response to a selection of the first attribute value source, wherein the first attribute value source is selected based on a result of comparing a confidence factor of the first attribute value source and a confidence factor of a second attribute value source.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 grouping a first set of attributes of said taxonomy into a first class;   grouping a second set of attributes of said taxonomy into a second class;   for each particular first class attribute of one or more attributes belonging to said first class, prior to receiving said query, gathering data for the particular first class attribute from a first attribute value source mapped to the particular attribute;   for each particular second class attribute of one or more attributes belonging to said second class, in response to receiving said query, gathering data for the particular second class attribute from a second attribute value source mapped to the particular attribute;   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 grouping a third set of one or more attributes of said first class into a first sub-class and a fourth set of one or more attributes of said first class into a second sub-class;   for each particular first sub-class attribute of one or more attributes belonging to said first sub-class, storing gathered data for the particular first class attribute in an indexed database;   for each particular second sub-class attribute of one or more attributes belonging to said second sub-class, storing gathered data for the particular second class attribute in a non-indexed flat file.   
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for performing the method recited in any one of  claims 1 - 12 .