Query routing

Abstract

A search query is submitted to one or more information sources associated with a category of the query. The category of the query is indicated by a query ontology that relates queries to query categories. The information sources represent information sources from which a high percentage of search results for queries associated with the category are retrieved. For instance, the category of the query is identified by identifying categories corresponding to variations of the query, where each variation represents a combination of the terms within the query, and where the categories of the variations are assumed to be the categories of the query. Information sources associated with the query categories are identified, and the query is submitted to the identified information sources. Submitting the query to the identified information sources may cause search results retrieved for the query to more closely reflect search results desired by a user that specified the query.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method for performing a search, the method comprising:
 receiving a search query including a plurality of terms;   identifying, using at least one processor, a combination of terms within the search query, wherein identifying the combination of terms comprises:
 identifying a first combination of terms within the search query, the first combination of terms including at least two terms of the search query; and 
 identifying a second combination of terms within the search query, the second combination of terms including at least two terms of the search query and being in an order different from the order of terms in the first combination of terms; 
   accessing information related to categories of search queries, wherein the accessed information comprises a plurality of terms related to the categories of search queries;   comparing the combination of terms within the search query with the accessed information related to categories of search queries, wherein comparing the combination of terms comprises:
 comparing the first combination of terms within the search query with the accessed information related to categories of search queries; and 
 comparing the second combination of terms within the search query with the accessed information related to categories of search queries; 
   based on the comparisons of the first and second combinations of terms with the accessed information related to categories of search queries, identifying a subset of the categories as being related to the search query; and   performing a search for the search query based on the identified subset of categories.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 maintaining a query ontology that includes multiple query categories and one or more queries associated with each of the multiple query categories, 
 wherein: 
 accessing information related to categories of search queries includes accessing the one or more queries associated with each of the multiple query categories in the query ontology; 
 comparing the combination of terms within the search query with the accessed information related to categories of search queries includes comparing the first and second combinations of terms with the one or more queries associated with each of the multiple query categories in the query ontology; and 
 identifying the subset of the categories as being related to the search query includes identifying a subset of the multiple query categories in the query ontology based on comparison results, the subset of the multiple query categories including one or more query categories in the query ontology that are associated with one or more queries that match the first and second combinations of terms. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein performing the search for the search query based on the identified subset of categories includes:
 identifying an information source corresponding to at least one category included in the identified subset of categories; and 
 performing a search on the identified information source such that search results from the information source are prioritized over search results from other information sources. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein performing the search on the identified information source such that search results from the information source are prioritized over search results from other information sources includes presenting search results from only the identified information source. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising displaying search results identified by performing the search. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the first combination of terms within the search query represents a combination of at least two consecutive terms from within the search query, the at least two consecutive terms being included in the first combination of terms in an order in which the at least two consecutive terms are included within the search query. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein identifying the first combination of terms within the search query includes identifying a combination of terms within the search query that includes two nonconsecutive terms from within the search query. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein identifying a first combination of terms within the search query that includes two nonconsecutive terms from within the search query includes identifying a combination of terms within the search query that includes a first term of the search query and a third term of the search query and does not include the second term of the search query. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21  wherein identifying the first combination of terms within the search query includes identifying a combination of terms within the search query that includes two terms from within the search query, the two terms included in the first combination of terms being in an order different than an order of the two terms within the received query. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 prompting a user to select at least one term from the plurality of terms related to the identified subset of categories; and 
 creating an updated search query comprising at least one term present in the received search query and the at least one selected term, 
 wherein performing a search for the search query based on the identified subset of categories comprises performing a search for the updated search query. 
 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the second combination of terms within the search query includes each of the terms included in the first combination of terms within the search query. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the second combination of terms within the search query includes at least one term that is not included in the first combination of terms within the search query. 
     
     
         33 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:
 receiving a search query including a plurality of terms;   identifying a combination of terms within the search query, wherein identifying the combination of terms comprises:
 identifying a first combination of terms within the search query, the first combination of terms including at least two terms of the search query; and 
 identifying a second combination of terms within the search query, the second combination of terms including at least two terms of the search query and the second combination of terms being in an order different from the order of terms in the first combination of terms; 
   accessing information related to categories of search queries, wherein the accessed information comprises a plurality of terms related to the categories of search queries;   comparing the combination of terms within the search query with the accessed information related to categories of search queries, wherein comparing the combination of terms comprises:
 comparing the first combination of terms within the search query with the accessed information related to categories of search queries; and 
 comparing the second combination of terms within the search query with the accessed information related to categories of search queries; 
   based on the comparisons of the first and second combinations of terms with the accessed information related to categories of search queries, identifying a subset of the categories as being related to the search query; and   performing a search for the search query based on the identified subset of categories.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33  further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:
 maintaining a query ontology that includes multiple query categories and one or more queries associated with each of the multiple query categories, 
 wherein: 
 accessing information related to categories of search queries includes accessing the one or more queries associated with each of the multiple query categories in the query ontology; 
 comparing the combination of terms within the search query with the accessed information related to categories of search queries includes comparing the first and second combinations of terms with the one or more queries associated with each of the multiple query categories in the query ontology; and 
 identifying the subset of the categories as being related to the search query includes identifying a subset of the multiple query categories in the query ontology based on comparison results, the subset of the multiple query categories including one or more query categories in the query ontology that are associated with one or more queries that match the first and second combinations of terms. 
 
     
     
         35 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein identifying the first combination of terms within the search query includes identifying a combination of terms within the search query that includes two nonconsecutive terms from within the search query. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein identifying the first combination of terms within the search query includes identifying a combination of terms within the search query that includes two terms from within the search query, the two terms included in the first combination of terms being in an order different than an order of the two terms within the received query. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33  further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:
 prompting a user to select at least one term from the plurality of terms related to the identified subset of categories; and 
 creating an updated search query comprising at least one term present in the received search query and the at least one selected term, 
 wherein performing a search for the search query based on the identified subset of categories comprises performing a search for the updated search query. 
 
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein the second combination of terms within the search query includes each of the terms included in the first combination of terms within the search query. 
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33  wherein the second combination of terms within the search query includes at least one term that is not included in the first combination of terms within the search query.