Method for obtaining search suggestions from fuzzy score matching and population frequencies

Abstract

A method for obtaining and providing search suggestions using entity co-occurrence is disclosed. The method may be employed in any search system that may include at least one search engine, one or more databases including entity co-occurrence knowledge and trends co-occurrence knowledge. The method may extract and disambiguate entities from search queries by using an entity and trends co-occurrence knowledge in one or more database. Subsequently, a list of search suggestion may be provided by each database, then by comparing the score of each search suggestion, a new list of suggestion may be built based on the individual and/or overall score of each search suggestion. Based on the user's selection of the suggestions, the trends co-occurrence knowledgebase can be updated, providing a means of on-the-fly learning, which improves the search relevancy and accuracy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 comparing, by a server, a search query against a first collection of data and a second collection data, wherein the search query is received over a network from a client;   identifying, by the server, a first entity in the search query based on the comparing;   identifying, by the server, a feature in the search query not identified as associated with the first entity;   associating, by the server, the feature with the first entity;   assigning, by the server, a first score to the first entity based on a second score assigned to the feature;   receiving, by the server, a first list based on from the first collection of data and a second list based on the second collection of data, wherein the first list comprises a second entity comprising a third score within a first distance from the first score, wherein the second list comprises a third entity comprising a fourth score within a second distance from the first score;   generating, by the server, a third list based on the first list and the second list, wherein the third list comprises the second entity and the third entity; and   providing, by the server, over the network, the third list to the client.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first collection of data or the second collection of data is stored in an in-memory database. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third score and the fourth score are based on a common score scale. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the third list ranks the second entity based on the third score and the third entity based on the fourth score in accordance with the common score scale. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the third score or the fourth score is a sum of a plurality of scores. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a network-based information retrieval system comprises the server. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the server is a first server, wherein at least one of the first collection of data or the second collection of data is stored on a second server, wherein the first server is computationally distinct from the second server. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a server configured to:
 compare a search query against a first collection of data and a second collection data, wherein the search query is received over a network from a client, 
 identify a first entity in the search query based on the comparison, 
 identify a feature in the search query not identified as associated with the first entity, 
 associate the feature with the first entity, 
 assign a first score to the first entity based on a second score assigned to the feature, 
 receive a first list based on from the first collection of data and a second list based on the second collection of data, wherein the first list comprises a second entity comprising a third score within a first distance from the first score, wherein the second list comprises a third entity comprising a fourth score within a second distance from the first score, 
 generate a third list based on the first list and the second list, wherein the third list comprises the second entity and the third entity, 
 provide, over the network, the third list to the client. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first collection of data or the second collection of data is stored in an in-memory database. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the third score and the fourth score are based on a common score scale. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the third list ranks the second entity based on the third score and the third entity based on the fourth score in accordance with the common score scale. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the third score or the fourth score is a sum of a plurality of scores. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein a network-based information retrieval system comprises the server. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the server is a first server, wherein at least one of the first collection of data or the second collection of data is stored on a second server, wherein the first server is computationally distinct from the second server. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage device storing a set of computer-executable instructions instructive to implement a method comprising:
 comparing, by a server, a search query against a first collection of data and a second collection data, wherein the search query is received over a network from a client;   identifying, by the server, a first entity in the search query based on the comparing;   identifying, by the server, a feature in the search query not identified as associated with the first entity;   associating, by the server, the feature with the first entity;   assigning, by the server, a first score to the first entity based on a second score assigned to the feature;   receiving, by the server, a first list based on from the first collection of data and a second list based on the second collection of data, wherein the first list comprises a second entity comprising a third score within a first distance from the first score, wherein the second list comprises a third entity comprising a fourth score within a second distance from the first score;   generating, by the server, a third list based on the first list and the second list, wherein the third list comprises the second entity and the third entity;   providing, by the server, over the network, the third list to the client.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein, in the method, at least one of the first collection of data or the second collection of data is stored in an in-memory database. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein, in the method, the third score and the fourth score are based on a common score scale. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 17 , wherein, in the method, the third list ranks the second entity based on the third score and the third entity based on the fourth score in accordance with the common score scale. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 18 , wherein, in the method, at least one of the third score or the fourth score is a sum of a plurality of scores. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 18 , wherein, in the method, the server is a first server, wherein at least one of the first collection of data or the second collection of data is stored on a second server, wherein the first server is computationally distinct from the second server.