Key word searching where a key word is a homonym

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10599696-B2
Application number	US-201715427233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2017
Priority date	May 25, 2006
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A method and system for forming a search query. Key-word search terms that include a homonym are received. One icon is selected to represent an intended meaning of the homonym. A first row of unique icons pertaining to an entity associated with a search query is displayed. Notification is received that a single unique object represented by a single icon of the unique icons in the first row is modified by a specific attribute and in response, a second row of the single icon modified by the specific attribute is displayed. Acceptance of the displayed single icon modified by the specific attribute is received for inclusion in the search query. The one icon and the single icon are displayed. In response to a user indicating that the displayed icons correctly represent a key-word search as intended by the user, the search based on meanings of the displayed icons is initiated.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for forming a search query, said method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a computer system, entry by a user of a plurality of key-word search terms for an electronic key-word search, wherein one key-word search term of the plurality of key-word search terms is a homonym that has two different but correct meanings in two respective different contexts;
said processor determining that one but not the other of the different meanings is intended by the user based at least in part on an other key-word search term of the plurality of key-word search terms;
said processor selecting one icon of two icons from computer memory to represent the intended meaning of the homonym as determined by the processor, the two icons representing the two respective different meanings of the homonym;
said processor displaying a first row of unique icons pertaining to an entity associated with the search query, each unique icon representing a respective unique object of the entity;
said processor receiving notification that a single unique object represented by a single icon of the unique icons in the first row is modified by a specific attribute and in response, said processor displaying a second row consisting of the single icon modified by the specific attribute, said second row being displayed simultaneously with the first row;
said processor receiving acceptance from the user of the displayed single icon modified by the specific attribute for inclusion in the search query of the single unique object modified by the specific attribute;
said processor displaying the one icon, the single icon and other icons representing meanings of the other respective key-word search terms; and
said processor querying the user whether the displayed icons correctly represent the electronic key-word search as intended by the user, and if so, said processor initiating the electronic key-word search based on meanings of the displayed icons.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the other key-word search term is a common adjective for the one different meaning but not the other different meaning of the homonym.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the other key-word search term is associated in a dictionary with the one different meaning but not the other different meaning of the homonym.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
said processor displaying a plurality of arrows pointing from the first row to the second row, said second row being displayed beneath the first row and simultaneously with both the first row and the plurality of arrows.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic key-word search is conducted through an unstructured database.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said initiating the electronic key-word search comprises requesting a database manager to search through a structured database with search terms based on the meanings of the displayed icons, and in response, said database manager (a) changing one of the search terms which was based on the meanings of the displayed icons to conform to a structure of the structured database, and (b) conducting the electronic key-word search through the structured database with the changed search term, wherein the method further comprises:
subsequent to said conducting the electronic key-word search through the structured database with the changed search term, said processor generating a graphical representation of a search query used by the database manager to conduct the electronic key-word search through the structured database with the changed search term; and
said processor automatically determining if the graphical representation of the search query used by the database manager to conduct the electronic key-word search through the structured database with the changed term complies with meanings, intended by the user, of the displayed key-word search terms.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
subsequent to said conducting the electronic key-word search through the structured database with the changed search term, said processor automatically generating a graphical representation of a search query used by the database manager to conduct the electronic key-word search through the structured database with the changed search term; and
said processor automatically determining if the graphical representation of the search query used by the database manager to conduct the electronic key-word search through the structured database with the changed term complies with meanings, intended by the user, of the displayed key-word search terms.

8. A computer program product, comprising one or more computer readable hardware storage devices, said one or more computer readable hardware storage device containing program code executable by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for forming a search query, said method comprising:
said processor receiving entry by a user of a plurality of key-word search terms for an electronic key-word search, wherein one key-word search term of the plurality of key-word search terms is a homonym that has two different but correct meanings in two respective different contexts;
said processor determining that one but not the other of the different meanings is intended by the user based at least in part on an other key-word search term of the plurality of key-word search terms;
said processor selecting one icon of two icons from computer memory to represent the intended meaning of the homonym as determined by the processor, the two icons representing the two respective different meanings of the homonym;
said processor displaying a first row of unique icons pertaining to an entity associated with the search query, each unique icon representing a respective unique object of the entity;
said processor receiving notification that a single unique object represented by a single icon of the unique icons in the first row is modified by a specific attribute and in response, said processor displaying a second row consisting of the single icon modified by the specific attribute, said second row being displayed simultaneously with the first row;
said processor receiving acceptance from the user of the displayed single icon modified by the specific attribute for inclusion in the search query of the single unique object modified by the specific attribute;
said processor displaying the one icon, the single icon and other icons representing meanings of the other respective key-word search terms; and
said processor querying the user whether the displayed icons correctly represent the electronic key-word search as intended by the user, and if so, said processor initiating the electronic key-word search based on meanings of the displayed icons.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the other key-word search term is a common adjective for the one different meaning but not the other different meaning of the homonym.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the other key-word search term is associated in a dictionary with the one different meaning but not the other different meaning of the homonym.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
said processor displaying a plurality of arrows pointing from the first row to the second row, said second row being displayed beneath the first row and simultaneously with both the first row and the plurality of arrows.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the electronic key-word search is conducted through an unstructured database.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein said initiating

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Iqbal Mickey

Classifications

• G06F16/9535

  Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation · CPC title

• G06F16/248

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• G06F16/954 Primary

  Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing · CPC title

• G06F16/34

  Browsing; Visualisation therefor (browsing or visualisation for clustering or classification G06F16/358) · CPC title

• G06F16/338 Primary

  Presentation of query results · CPC title