System, method and program product for key word searching where a key word is a homonym

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9639618-B2
Application number	US-44193206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2006
Priority date	May 25, 2006
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

System, method and program product for forming a search query. A user enters search terms. Icons that correspond to the respective search terms are automatically determined and displayed. The icons are not the search results. An indication is received from a user whether the icons represent a context intended by the search terms. If the user indicates that the icons represent the context intended by the search terms, a search that corresponds to the icons is conducted. The search query can be structured or unstructured. If the user indicates that one of the icons does not represent a corresponding search term entered by the user (for example, if the search term is a homonym), then the context of the corresponding search term is determined as well as another icon corresponding to the context of the corresponding search term entered by the user. A hierarchical relationship between the icons can be determined and displayed.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for forming a search query, the method comprising the steps of:
a computer receiving entry by a user of a plurality of key-word search terms for a 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;
the computer automatically determining that one but not the other of the different meanings is intended by the user based at least in part on another key-word search term of the plurality of key-word search terms being a common adjective for the one different meaning but not the other different meaning of the homonym;
the computer selecting one icon of two icons from computer memory to represent the intended meaning of the homonym as determined by the computer, the two icons representing the two respective different meanings of the homonym;
the computer 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;
the computer 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, the computer displaying (i) a second row consisting of the single icon modified by the specific attribute and (ii) 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;
the computer 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;
the computer displaying the one icon, the single icon and other icons representing meanings of the other respective key-word search terms; and
the computer querying the user whether the displayed icons correctly represent the key-word search as intended by the user, and if so, the computer initiating an electronic, key-word search based on meanings of the displayed icons.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electronic search is conducted through an unstructured database.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the step of the computer initiating the electronic key-word search comprises the steps of the computer requesting a database manager to search through a structured database with search terms based on the meanings of the displayed icons, and in response, the database manager 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 conducting the electronic search through the structured database with the changed search term; and further comprising the steps of:
subsequent to the step of the database manager conducting the electronic search through the structured database with the changed search term, the computer automatically generating a graphical representation of a search query used by the database manager to conduct the electronic search through the structured database with the changed search term; and
the computer automatically determining if the graphical representation of the search query used by the database manager to conduct the search through the structured database with the changed term complies with meanings, intended by the user, of the displayed key-word search terms.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:
subsequent to the step of the database manager conducting the electronic search through the structured database with the changed search term, the computer automatically generating a graphical representation of a search query used by the database manager to conduct the electronic search through the structured database with the changed search term; and
the computer automatically determining if the graphical representation of the search query used by the database manager to conduct the search through the structured database with the changed term complies with meanings, intended by the user, of the displayed key-word search terms.

5. A computer program product for forming a search query, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable hardware storage devices and program instructions, stored on the one or more storage devices, the program instructions being executable by a computer processor, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive entry by a user of a plurality of key-word search terms for a 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;
program instructions to automatically determine that one but not the other of the different meanings is intended by the user based at least in part on another key-word search term of the plurality of key-word search terms being a common adjective for the one different meaning but not the other different meaning of the homonym;
program instructions to select one icon of two icons from computer memory to represent the intended meaning of the homonym as determined by the computer, the two icons representing the two respective different meanings of the homonym;
program instructions to display 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;
program instructions to receive 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, display (i) a second row consisting of the single icon modified by the specific attribute and (ii) 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;
program instructions to receive 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;
program instructions to display the one icon, the single icon and other icons representing meanings of the other respective key-word search terms; and
program instructions to query the user whether the displayed icons correctly represent the key-word search as intended by the user, and if so, initiate an electronic, key-word search based on meanings of the displayed icons.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the electronic search is conducted through an unstructured database.

7. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising a database manager program stored on a computer-readable storage device, and wherein:
the program instructions to initiate the electronic key-word search comprises program instructions to request the database manager program to search through a structured database with search terms based on the meanings of the displayed icons, and in response, the database manager program 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 conducting the electronic search through the structured database with the changed search term; and
program instructions, responsive to the database manager conducting the electronic search through the structured database with the changed search term, to generate a graphical representation of a search query used by the database manager to conduct the electronic search through the structured database with the changed search term; and
program inst

Assignees

• Iqbal Mickey
• IBM

Inventors

• Iqbal Mickey

Classifications

• G06F16/34

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

• G06F16/248

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• G06F16/9535

  Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation · CPC title

• G06F16/338 Primary

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• G06F16/954 Primary

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