Query disambiguation

Abstract

A search query is resolved prior to being submitted to one or more search engines. The query is resolved such that the query unambiguously corresponds to a category included in a query ontology that relates search queries to query categories. The query may be resolved by supplementing the query with additional information corresponding to the category. For example, the query may be formatted into a canonical form of the query for the category. Alternatively or additionally, the query may be supplemented with one or more keywords that are associated with the category and that represent words or phrases that appear in a high percentage of search results for queries from the category. Resolving the query yields search results that more closely reflect search results desired by a user submitting the query.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for resolving an ambiguous query, the method comprising:
 maintaining a query ontology that includes one or more query categories and one or more queries associated with each of the one or more categories, the one or more queries associated with a particular category included in the query ontology representing queries associated with that particular category;   receiving a query from a user;   comparing the received query against one or more of the queries that are included within the query ontology;   identifying, from within the query ontology, multiple categories that correspond to a query that matches the received query;   selecting one of the identified multiple categories;   identifying information associated with the selected category from within the query ontology; and   supplementing the received query with the identified information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 submitting the supplemented query to a search engine; and 
 receiving search results for the supplemented query from the search engine. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein submitting the supplemented query to a search engine comprises:
 identifying a search engine to handle the supplemented query based on the selected category; and 
 submitting the supplemented query to the identified search engine. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising reformulating the supplemented query to adhere to a syntax in which queries may be submitted to the search engine. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein selecting one of the identified multiple categories comprises enabling the user to select among the identified multiple categories. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein enabling a user to select among the identified multiple categories comprises making canonical forms of the received query for the identified multiple categories available for user selection as an identifier for one of the multiple categories. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein selecting one of the identified multiple categories comprises selecting, without user input, one of the identified multiple categories based on characteristics of the received query. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein selecting one of the identified multiple categories based on characteristics of the received query comprises selecting one of the identified multiple categories based on a category included in the query ontology that corresponds to only a portion of the received query. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein selecting one of the identified multiple categories comprises selecting, without user input, one of the identified multiple categories based on characteristics of the identified multiple categories. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein selecting one of the identified multiple categories based on characteristics of the identified multiple categories comprises selecting one of the identified multiple categories that has been selected most often. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein supplementing the received query with information associated with the selected category in the query ontology comprises formatting the received query into a canonical form of the received query for the selected category. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein supplementing the received query with information associated with the selected category in the query ontology comprises supplementing the received query with one or more keywords associated with the selected category in the query ontology. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein maintaining a query ontology comprises arranging one or more categories within the query ontology as nodes in a directed acyclic graph. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein identifying multiple categories included in the query ontology corresponding to the received query comprises identifying multiple categories included in the query ontology that are ancestor or child categories of categories included in the query ontology with which the received query is associated. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein:
 selecting one of the identified multiple categories comprises selecting a category included in the query ontology that is an ancestor or a child category of one of the identified multiple categories; and 
 supplementing the received query with information associated with the selected category in the query ontology comprises supplementing the received query with information associated with the selected ancestor or child category in the query ontology. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein supplementing the received query with the identified information comprises supplementing the received query with the identified information without user perception of the supplemented query. 
     
     
         17 . A machine-accessible medium that when accessed, results in a machine performing operations for resolving an ambiguous query, comprising:
 maintaining a query ontology that includes one or more query categories and one or more queries associated with each of the one or more categories, the one or more queries associated with a particular category included in the query ontology representing queries associated with that particular category;   receiving a query from a user;   comparing the received query against one or more of the queries that are included within the query ontology;   identifying, from within the query ontology, multiple categories that correspond to a query that matches the received query;   selecting one of the identified multiple categories;   identifying information associated with the selected category from within the query ontology; and   supplementing the received query with the identified information.   
     
     
         18 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 17  wherein supplementing the received query with information associated with the selected category in the query ontology comprises formatting the received query into a canonical form of the received query for the selected category. 
     
     
         19 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 17  wherein supplementing the received query with information associated with the selected category in the query ontology comprises supplementing the received query with one or more keywords associated with the selected category in the query ontology. 
     
     
         20 . A system for resolving an ambiguous query, the system comprising:
 means for maintaining a query ontology that includes one or more query categories and one or more queries associated with each of the one or more categories, the one or more queries associated with a particular category included in the query ontology representing queries associated with that particular category;   means for receiving a query from a user;   means for comparing the received query against one or more of the queries that are included within the query ontology;   means for identifying, from within the query ontology, multiple categories that correspond to a query that matches the received query;   means for selecting one of the identified multiple categories;   means for identifying information associated with the selected category from within the query ontology; and   means for supplementing the received query with the identified information.