Patent · US Expired

Supporting web-query expansion efficiently using multi-granularity indexing and query processing

US6480843B2 · kind B2 · utility

208Cited by
12References
50Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateNov 3, 1998
Grant dateNov 12, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 5, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99935
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for efficient query expansion using reduced size indices and for progressive query processing. Queries are expanded conceptually, using semantically similar and syntactically related words to those specified by the user in the query to reduce the chances of missing relevant documents. The notion of a multi-granularity information and processing structure is used to support efficient query expansion, which involves an indexing phase, a query processing and a ranking phase. In the indexing phase, semantically similar words are grouped into a concept which results in a substantial index size reduction due to the coarser granularity of semantic concepts. During query processing, the words in a query are mapped into their corresponding semantic concepts and syntactic extensions, resulting in a logical expansion of the original query. Additionally, the processing overhead is avoided. The initial query words can then be used to rank the documents in the answer set on the basis of exact, semantic and syntactic matches and also to perform progressive query processing.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.