Query method and apparatus, device, and storage medium

Abstract

Provided are a query method and apparatus, a device, and a storage medium. The method comprises: in a first page of a first digital assistant, presenting a first response in a first format, wherein the first response is generated on the basis of a first query request (210); presenting a first portion in the first response in a second format (220); and in response to receiving a first interaction request for the first portion, presenting a first interaction control, wherein the first interaction control is used for invoking a processing application different from the first digital assistant to process a second query request associated with the first portion (230).

Description

Methods, apparatus, devices, and storage media used for querying Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of data querying, and particularly to methods, apparatus, devices, and computer-readable storage media for querying. Background Technology

[0002] Machine learning technology has been widely used in various technical fields, and digital assistants can be used to respond to user queries. In existing technologies, digital assistants are provided to assist users with various task processing needs in different applications and scenarios. Digital assistants typically possess intelligent dialogue and task processing capabilities. Digital assistants can be invoked in response to user input. For example, during an interaction with a digital assistant, the user inputs interactive messages, and the digital assistant responds to the user's input by providing a response message.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a method for querying is provided. The method includes: presenting a first response in a first page of a first digital assistant using a first format, the first response being generated based on a first query request; presenting a first portion of the first response using a second format; and, in response to receiving a first interaction request for the first portion, presenting a first interactive control for invoking a processing application different from the first digital assistant to process a second query request associated with the first portion.

[0005] In a second aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus for querying is provided. The apparatus includes: a first response presentation module configured to present a first response in a first page of a first digital assistant using a first format, the first response being generated based on a first query request; a second response presentation module configured to present a first portion of the first response using a second format; and a first control presentation module configured to present a first interactive control in response to receiving a first interaction request for the first portion, the first interactive control being used to invoke a processing application different from the first digital assistant to process a second query request associated with the first portion.

[0006] In a third aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The device includes at least one processing unit; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the at least one processing unit. When executed by the at least one processing unit, the instructions cause the device to perform the method of the first aspect of this disclosure.

[0007] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that can be executed by a processor to implement the method of the first aspect of this disclosure.

[0008] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method of the first aspect of this disclosure.

[0009] It should be understood that the content described in this content section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0011] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented;

[0012] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of a query process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figures 3A and 3B illustrate schematic diagrams of example pages according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 4 shows a block diagram of a query apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0015] Figure 5 shows a block diagram of an electronic device in which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0017] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments". Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0018] In this document, unless explicitly stated otherwise, performing a step in response to A does not mean that the step is performed immediately after A, but may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0019] It is understood that the data involved in this technical solution (including but not limited to the data itself, the acquisition or use of the data) shall comply with the requirements of relevant laws, regulations and related provisions.

[0020] It is understood that before using the technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this disclosure, users should be informed of the types, scope of use, and usage scenarios of the personal information involved in this disclosure through appropriate means in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and user authorization should be obtained.

[0021] For example, in response to receiving a user's active request, a prompt message is sent to the user to clearly inform the user that the requested operation will require the acquisition and use of the user's personal information, thereby enabling the user to choose whether to provide personal information to the software or hardware such as electronic devices, applications, servers or storage media that perform the operation of the technical solution disclosed herein, based on the prompt message.

[0022] As an optional but non-restrictive implementation, in response to a user's active request, a prompt message can be sent to the user, such as a pop-up window, where the prompt message can be presented in text format. Furthermore, the pop-up window can also include a selection control allowing the user to choose "agree" or "disagree" to provide personal information to the electronic device.

[0023] It is understood that the above notification and user authorization process are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on the implementation of this disclosure. Other methods that comply with relevant laws and regulations may also be applied to the implementation of this disclosure.

[0024] As used in this paper, the term "model" refers to a model that learns the relationship between inputs and outputs from training data, enabling it to generate corresponding outputs for a given input after training. Model generation can be based on machine learning techniques. Deep learning is a machine learning algorithm that processes inputs and provides corresponding outputs using multiple layers of processing units. A neural network model is an example of a deep learning-based model. In this paper, "model" may also be referred to as a "machine learning model," "learning model," "machine learning network," or "learning network," and these terms are used interchangeably.

[0025] A neural network is a machine learning network based on deep learning. A neural network processes input and provides a corresponding output, typically consisting of an input layer, an output layer, and one or more hidden layers between the input and output layers. Neural networks used in deep learning applications often include many hidden layers, thus increasing the network's depth. The layers of a neural network are connected sequentially, so that the output of the previous layer is provided as the input to the next layer. The input layer receives the input to the neural network, while the output layer's output serves as the final output. Each layer of a neural network includes one or more nodes (also called processing nodes or neurons), each node processing the input from the layer above.

[0026] Machine learning typically comprises three phases: training, testing, and application (also known as inference). In the training phase, a given model is trained using a large amount of training data, iteratively updating parameter values ​​until the model can consistently generate inferences that meet the expected goals from the training data. Through training, the model can be considered to have learned the relationship between inputs and outputs (also known as an input-output mapping) from the training data. The parameter values ​​of the trained model are determined. In the testing phase, test inputs are applied to the trained model to test whether it can provide the correct output, thus determining the model's performance. The testing phase can sometimes be integrated into the training phase. In the application or inference phase, the trained model can be used to process actual model inputs based on the trained parameter values ​​to determine the corresponding model output.

[0027] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example environment 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. Environment 100 relates to a query platform 110. In this example environment 100, the query platform 110 may integrate a processing application 112 and a digital assistant 114 (it is understood that although only one processing application 112 and one digital assistant 114 are shown in the figure, there may actually be multiple processing applications 112 and multiple digital assistants 114). The processing application 112 can be any suitable application that can provide query services. The processing application 112 may also include a digital assistant. The digital assistant 114 may be created by user 130 and provided by default by the query platform 110, or it may be created by other users and shared with user 130. User 130 can interact with the processing application 112 and / or the digital assistant 114 via the query platform 110 and / or the attached devices of the query platform 110.

[0028] Digital assistant 114 can be configured to have intelligent dialogue and task processing capabilities. Digital assistant 114 is provided to assist users with various task processing needs in different applications and scenarios. During interaction with digital assistant 114, the user inputs interactive messages, and digital assistant 114 responds to the user's input by providing response messages. Interactive messages may include multimodal messages, such as text messages (e.g., natural language text), voice messages, image messages, video messages, etc. Typically, digital assistant 120 can support users inputting questions in natural language and perform tasks and provide responses based on its understanding of natural language input and logical reasoning capabilities. In some embodiments, query platform 110 may present a corresponding page 140 to user 130 based on user 130's actions, to output and / or receive information from user 130.

[0029] In some embodiments, the implementation of at least some functions of the processing application 112 and / or at least some functions of the digital assistant 114 may be based on a target model. In some embodiments, the target model may be a machine learning model, a deep learning model, a learning model, a neural network, etc. In some embodiments, the model may be based on a language model (LM). A language model, by learning from a large corpus, is capable of question-answering. The target model may also be based on other suitable models.

[0030] In some embodiments, query platform 110 communicates with server 120 to provide services to processing application 112 and / or digital assistant 114. Query platform 110 may operate on suitable electronic devices. These electronic devices can be any type of mobile terminal, fixed terminal, or portable terminal, including mobile phones, desktop computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, netbook computers, tablet computers, media computers, multimedia tablets, personal communication system (PCS) devices, personal navigation devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), audio / video players, digital cameras / camcorders, positioning devices, television receivers, radio receivers, e-book devices, gaming devices, or any combination thereof, including accessories and peripherals of these devices or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, query platform 110 may also support any type of user-facing interface (such as "wearable" circuitry). Server 120 may be various types of computing systems / servers capable of providing computing power, including but not limited to mainframes, edge computing nodes, computing devices in cloud environments, etc.

[0031] It should be understood that the structure and function of the various elements in environment 100 are described for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure.

[0032] In modern network communication technology, communication between users has shifted from traditional email and social platforms to instant messaging applications. With the development of artificial intelligence, instant messaging applications not only facilitate communication between people but are also gradually integrating human-bot interaction. Currently, most instant messaging applications offer basic functions such as text communication and file transfer, but there is still considerable room for improvement in enhancing information processing efficiency. In particular, a complete and intelligent interactive system has not yet been established in areas such as information retrieval, content highlighting, and quick operations.

[0033] Existing instant messaging applications have the following problems:

[0034] 1. Low information processing efficiency in chat scenarios: Instant messaging applications lack a quick and intuitive way to process specific text or information when handling chat content. This leads to users needing to perform multiple steps to find or execute specific commands during the chat process, reducing communication efficiency.

[0035] 2. Inconsistent access to and operation of key information: Users often encounter situations in chat where they need to look up additional information, such as names, locations, proper nouns, etc. Existing chat applications fail to provide a quick way to highlight or perform related operations, forcing users to leave the chat interface and affecting the continuity of communication.

[0036] 3. Lack of intelligent mutual recommendation mechanism: Although some communication applications integrate simple robot functions, in actual interaction, there is a lack of a mechanism that can combine artificial intelligence recommendation algorithms to enhance the interaction between humans and bots and provide users with more accurate information or suggestions.

[0037] In view of this, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, an improved solution for querying is provided. According to this solution, on a first page of a first digital assistant, a first response is presented using a first format, the first response being generated based on a first query request. A first portion of the first response is presented using a second format. In response to receiving a first interaction request for the first portion, a first interactive control is presented, the first interactive control being used to invoke a processing application different from the first digital assistant to process a second query request associated with the first portion. This improves the efficiency of user queries and ensures the continuity of information retrieval.

[0038] The following describes some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 2 shows a flowchart of a query process 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Process 200 may be implemented at a query platform 110. Process 200 is described below with reference to Figure 1. It should be noted that some operations described herein with reference to the query platform 110 may require the assistance of the server 120. Furthermore, the operations performed by the query platform 110 may specifically be performed by an electronic device running the query platform 110.

[0039] In box 210, on the first page of the first digital assistant, the query platform 110 presents a first response using a first format, which is generated by the first digital assistant based on a first query request. The first format can be, for example, any suitable format such as text or card format. The first page can be, for example, a conversation page between the user and the first digital assistant. The first query request can be, for example, a query request entered by the user. In some embodiments, the query platform 110 can determine user input received via an input box in the conversation page as a user-entered query request. In some embodiments, the query platform 110 can also provide at least one predetermined query request in the conversation page between the user and the first digital assistant, and in response to receiving a user selection for a predetermined query request, determine that predetermined query request as the first query request.

[0040] In box 220, query platform 110 presents the first part of the first response using a second format. The first part can be automatically identified by the digital assistant or determined in response to a selection request. For example, the first part could be keywords automatically identified by the digital assistant in the first response, which could be automatically highlighted in a second format (e.g., highlighted, italicized, bolded, underlined, etc.). The first part could also be a portion of the content selected by the user from the first response. Query platform 110 can, in response to receiving a user's selection request for a portion of the content, determine the portion corresponding to the selection request as the first part and highlight it in the second format.

[0041] Referring, to FIG3A, FIG3A illustrates a schematic diagram of an example page 300A (also referred to simply as Example 300A) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In Example 300A, operation controls 311 for creating a digital assistant and operation controls 312 for finding a digital assistant are presented in area 310, and the information stream of an instant messaging application is presented in area 320. In response to a user selecting any contact or group in the information stream of the instant messaging application, the query platform 110 may present a corresponding session window in area 330. For example, in response to a user activating digital assistant A through a preset operation (e.g., selecting digital assistant A from a contact list), the query platform 110 may present a session window in area 330 showing the user's interaction with digital assistant A.

[0042] The user can enter a first query request 331 in the conversation window, and the query platform 110 can present the first query request 331 and the first response 332 in the conversation window where the user interacts with the digital assistant A. The first query request 331 can be, for example, user input received by the query platform 110 via the input box 301. In response to receiving a selection request for text 333 (i.e., the text "Generate the corresponding image based on the text description" shown in the figure), the query platform 110 can identify text 333 as the first part and highlight the first part in a second format (e.g., highlight text 333).

[0043] In box 230, in response to receiving a first interaction request for the first part, query platform 110 presents a first interactive control (e.g., one or more interactive controls 340). The first interactive control is used to invoke a processing application to process a second query request associated with the first part. The first interaction request may include, for example, a triggering operation for the first part, such as a long press, hover, click, double-click, etc. The first interactive control may be used to invoke at least one processing application. Query platform 110 may directly identify the first part as the second query request. Query platform 110 may also fill the first part into a predetermined query template and determine the second query request based on the filled result.

[0044] The processing application can be selected by the query platform 110 from multiple processing applications integrated within the query platform 110 based on the first response and the first part. That is, the query platform 110 can select a processing application that can be invoked by the first interactive control from multiple processing applications integrated within the query platform 110 based on the first response and the first part. The processing application can include various types, such as a search engine, other digital assistants, and chat groups, etc. For example, if the first response is related to physics knowledge, the processing application can be the one determined by the query platform 110 from multiple processing applications to answer information related to physics knowledge.

[0045] In some embodiments, the query platform 110 may present a first interactive control in response to determining that the duration of a first interaction request meets a first time period. The first interactive control may, for example, be presented floating on top of a first page. Further, in some embodiments, the query platform 110 may hide the first interactive control in response to determining that no second interaction request for the first interactive control has been received within a second time period. Both the first and second time periods can be any suitable time period, such as 1 second, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, etc. The second interaction request may include, for example, a triggering operation on the first interactive control, such as a long press, hover operation, click operation, double-click operation, etc. For example, the query platform 110 may present the first interactive control in response to a hover operation on the first part lasting 3 seconds. The query platform 110 may hide the first interactive control in response to no click operation on the first interactive control received within 5 seconds. In this way, interactive controls can be automatically popped up and hidden, thereby facilitating user operation.

[0046] In some embodiments, the query platform 110 may also, in response to receiving a second interaction request for the first interactive control, present a second page of the processing application, and on the second page present a second response of the processing application to the first part (specifically, to the second query request associated with the first part). The second interaction request for the first interactive control may, for example, be a triggering operation on a target option among multiple options presented by the first interactive control. The second page may, for example, be a new session page corresponding to the user and the processing application.

[0047] Referring to Figures 3A and 3B, as shown in Figure 3A, the query platform 110 can respond to receiving a first interaction request for text 333 (i.e., the first part) and present an interactive control 340 (i.e., the first interactive control).

[0048] The interactive control 340 can display multiple options, each corresponding to a different processing application. The query platform 110 can, in response to a triggered operation on a target option, invoke the processing application corresponding to that target option to process the second query request associated with text 333. For example, the query platform 110 can, in response to a selection operation on the option "Expand Details," invoke the processing application corresponding to that option to process the second query request associated with text 333.

[0049] The query platform 110 may also present a page as shown in Figure 300B. A second page corresponding to the processing application for the target option may be presented in area 330 of Figure 300B. The second page may include, for example, a second query request 351 (associated with text 333) and a second response to the second query request 351 (including multiple media items and text 353 presented in area 352).

[0050] In some embodiments, the processing application may include a second digital assistant that is different from the first digital assistant (e.g., the option "Digital Assistant 123" shown in the interactive control 340 in FIG. 3A may correspond to the second digital assistant). The query platform 110 may forward contextual data from the first page to the second digital assistant so that the second digital assistant can provide a response based on the contextual data. The contextual data in the first page may include, for example, at least the first query request and the first response. In some embodiments, the contextual data may also include a predetermined number of historical query requests and historical responses from users and the first digital assistant. Thus, the second digital assistant can understand the contextual data of the second query request and provide a more accurate response based on the contextual data.

[0051] In some embodiments, the query platform 110 may also, in response to receiving a third interaction request on a second page, present a response from the second digital assistant to the third interaction request on the second page. For example, the query platform 110 may determine that a third interaction request has been received in response to receiving user input on the second page. The query platform 110 may also, for example, present options (also referred to as shortcuts) associated with the second query request and / or the second response on the second page. The query platform 110 may determine that a third interaction request has been received in response to receiving a selection action for an option. In this way, the desired processing application can be invoked in a more convenient and efficient manner.

[0052] In some embodiments, the processing application may include a search engine (e.g., the processing applications corresponding to the three options "Case Description," "Detailed Expansion," and "Similar Dialogues" shown in the interactive control 340 of Figure 3A). The query platform 110 can create search keywords using the first part and present search results matching the search keywords on the second page. The query platform 110 can create search keywords based on the first part based on predetermined keyword types, keyword templates, etc. It is understood that if the first part itself includes at least one keyword, the query platform 110 can also directly present search results matching the keyword on the second page. In this way, the capabilities of the search engine can be directly invoked to provide real-time search results.

[0053] In some embodiments, a search engine may be deployed within a data providing system, and the search results may point to data within that system. Specifically, multiple types of data providing systems may exist, and each system may provide corresponding data based on a search. For example, a data providing system may provide data of various types, such as text, images, audio, video, short videos, applications, rich media, etc., that match keywords. Alternatively and / or additionally, a data providing system may be broadly understood to include data from one or more websites, applications, tools, databases, etc., within the internet environment. In this case, the provided second response may include data with multiple contents and represented in multiple media types.

[0054] In some embodiments, the processing application may also include a chat application (e.g., the option "Chat with him" shown in the interactive control 340 in Figure 3A may correspond to a chat group in the chat application). The query platform 110 may forward the context data from the first page to the chat group and present messages from users in the chat group on a second page. This chat group may be pre-created or created in real time. For example, if the first query request indicates a query for physics knowledge, the chat group may be a pre-existing group of physics enthusiasts or a group of physics enthusiasts created in real time. In this way, answers to the desired query questions can be obtained from other users.

[0055] In some embodiments, the content of the second response may be determined based on the context associated with the first response and the first part. Specifically, the context associated with the first response may be obtained, that is, one or more rounds of previous interactions between the user and the first digital assistant may be obtained, as well as the first part selected by the user, to determine the user's specific question, thereby generating a second response that is more in line with the user's needs.

[0056] In some embodiments, the media type of the second response can be determined based on the interaction history in the first digital assistant. Specifically, the media type for presenting the second response can be determined based on the user's interaction history with the first digital assistant. For example, if the interaction history indicates that the user prefers to view text data, the second response can be presented in text format. If the interaction history indicates that the user prefers to view video data, the second response can be presented in video format. In this case, responses in video format can be searched first, and alternatively and / or additionally, a second response in video format can be generated based on various generation techniques (e.g., text-to-video, image-to-video, etc.). In this way, the second response can be presented according to the media type that is more conducive to user understanding.

[0057] In some embodiments, the query platform 110 may also return to the first page in response to receiving a fourth request to exit the processing application on the second page. Exemplarily, referring to Figures 3A and 3B, the query platform 110 may determine that a fourth request to exit the processing application has been received in response to receiving a trigger operation on the return control 360 in example 300B. The query platform 110 may then return to the first page shown in example 300A. In this way, it is convenient for the user to quickly exit the processing application when desired and return to the previous digital assistant.

[0058] It should be understood that the pages shown in the accompanying drawings (e.g., Figures 3A and 3B) are merely examples, and various page designs may actually exist. The various graphic elements on the page may have different arrangements and different visual representations, one or more elements may be omitted or replaced, and one or more other elements may also be present. The embodiments of this disclosure are not limited in this respect.

[0059] In summary, according to the embodiments of this disclosure, suitable processing applications can be recommended to the user based on the first part of the first response. This can improve the efficiency of user queries, provide more accurate results, and ensure the continuity of information retrieval.

[0060] According to some embodiments of this disclosure, an apparatus for querying is also provided. FIG4 shows a block diagram of an apparatus 400 for querying according to some embodiments of this disclosure. The apparatus 400 may be implemented as or included in a query platform 110. The various modules / components in the apparatus 400 may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0061] As shown in Figure 4, the device 400 includes a first response presentation module 410, configured to present a first response in a first format on a first page of a first digital assistant, the first response being generated based on a first query request. The device 400 also includes a second response presentation module 420, configured to present a first portion of the first response in a second format. The device 400 further includes a first control presentation module 430, configured to present a first interactive control in response to receiving a first interaction request for the first portion, the first interactive control being used to invoke a processing application different from the first digital assistant to process a second query request associated with the first portion.

[0062] In some embodiments, the apparatus 400 further includes: a second page presentation module configured to present a second page of the processing application in response to receiving a second interaction request for a first interaction control; and a third response presentation module configured to present a second response of the processing application to the first part on the second page.

[0063] In some embodiments, the processing application includes a second digital assistant that is different from the first digital assistant, and a third response presentation module is further configured to forward context data from the first page to the second digital assistant so that the second digital assistant provides a response based on the context data.

[0064] In some embodiments, the device 400 further includes: a fourth response presentation module configured to present a response from the second digital assistant to the third interaction request on the second page in response to receiving the third interaction request on the second page.

[0065] In some embodiments, the processing application includes a search engine, and a third response presentation module is further configured to: create search keywords using a first portion; and present search results matching the search keywords on a second page, wherein the search engine is deployed in a data provision system and the search results point to data in the data provision system.

[0066] In some embodiments, the processing application includes a chat application, and the third response presentation module is further configured to: forward context data from the first page to a chat group in the chat application; and present messages from users in the chat group on a second page.

[0067] In some embodiments, the apparatus 400 further includes a second page return module configured to return to the first page in response to receiving a fourth request for exiting the processing application on the second page.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first part is: automatically identified by the digital assistant, or determined in response to a selection request.

[0069] In some embodiments, a first digital assistant and a processing application are integrated into a query platform, and the processing application is selected by the query platform from a plurality of processing applications integrated into the query platform based on a first response and a first portion.

[0070] In some embodiments, the first interactive control is presented in response to determining that the duration of the first interactive request satisfies a first time period, and the first interactive control is presented in a floating manner on top of the first page.

[0071] In some embodiments, the apparatus 400 further includes a control hiding module configured to hide the first interactive control in response to determining that no second interaction request for the first interactive control has been received during a second time period.

[0072] In some embodiments, the content of the second response is determined based on the context associated with the first response and the first portion.

[0073] In some embodiments, the media type of the second response is determined based on the interaction history in the first digital assistant.

[0074] The units and / or modules included in device 400 can be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more units and / or modules can be implemented using software and / or firmware, such as machine-executable instructions stored on a storage medium. In addition to or as an alternative to machine-executable instructions, some or all of the units and / or modules in device 400 can be implemented at least partially by one or more hardware logic components. By way of example and not limitation, exemplary types of hardware logic components that can be used include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and so on.

[0075] It should be understood that one or more steps in the above methods can be performed by appropriate electronic devices or combinations of electronic devices. Such electronic devices or combinations of electronic devices may, for example, include the query platform 110 in Figure 1.

[0076] Figure 5 shows a block diagram of an electronic device 500 in which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. It should be understood that the electronic device 500 shown in Figure 5 is merely exemplary and should not constitute any limitation on the functionality and scope of the embodiments described herein. The electronic device 500 shown in Figure 5 can be used to implement the query platform 110 of Figure 1, and / or the apparatus 400 of Figure 4.

[0077] As shown in Figure 5, the electronic device 500 is in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Components of the electronic device 500 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 510, memory 520, storage devices 530, one or more communication units 540, one or more input devices 550, and one or more output devices 560. The processing unit 510 may be a physical or virtual processor and is capable of performing various processes according to programs stored in the memory 520. In a multiprocessor system, multiple processing units execute computer-executable instructions in parallel to improve the parallel processing capability of the electronic device 500.

[0078] Electronic device 500 typically includes multiple computer storage media. Such media can be any available media accessible to electronic device 500, including but not limited to volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. Memory 520 can be volatile memory (e.g., registers, cache, random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory), or some combination thereof. Storage device 530 can be removable or non-removable media and can include machine-readable media, such as flash drives, disks, or any other media capable of storing information and / or data and accessible within electronic device 500.

[0079] Electronic device 500 may further include additional removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile storage media. Although not shown in FIG. 5, disk drives for reading or writing from removable, non-volatile disks (e.g., "floppy disks") and optical disk drives for reading or writing from removable, non-volatile optical disks may be provided. In these cases, each drive may be connected to a bus (not shown) via one or more data media interfaces. Memory 520 may include computer program product 525 having one or more program modules configured to perform various methods or actions of various implementations of this disclosure.

[0080] The communication unit 540 enables communication with other computing devices via a communication medium. Additionally, the functionality of the components of the electronic device 500 can be implemented as a single computing cluster or multiple computing machines capable of communicating via communication connections. Therefore, the electronic device 500 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more other servers, network personal computers (PCs), or another network node.

[0081] Input device 550 can be one or more input devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, trackball, etc. Output device 560 can be one or more output devices, such as a monitor, speaker, printer, etc. Electronic device 500 can also communicate with one or more external devices (not shown) via communication unit 540 as needed. These external devices include storage devices, display devices, etc., and can communicate with one or more devices that enable user interaction with electronic device 500, or with any device that enables electronic device 500 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.). Such communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interfaces (not shown).

[0082] According to an exemplary implementation of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer-executable instructions thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the methods described above. According to an exemplary implementation of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, which is tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and includes computer-executable instructions, which are executed by a processor to implement the methods described above.

[0083] Various aspects of this disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses, devices, and computer program products implemented according to this disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0084] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine such that, when executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, they create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that causes a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a particular manner. Thus, the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0085] Computer-readable program instructions can be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby causing the instructions that execute on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0086] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. In some implementations as alternative applications, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than those marked in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0087] Various implementations of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed implementations. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical applications, or improvements to technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the various implementations disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method comprising: presenting, in a first page of a first digital assistant, a first response in a first format, the first response being generated based on a first query request; presenting a first portion in the first response in a second format; and in response to receiving a first interaction request for the first portion, presenting a first interaction control for invoking a processing application different from the first digital assistant to process a second query request associated with the first portion. 2.The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to receiving a second interaction request for the first interaction control, presenting a second page of the processing application; and presenting, in the second page, a second response of the processing application for the first portion. 3.The method of claim 2, wherein the processing application comprises a second digital assistant different from the first digital assistant, and presenting the second response in the second page comprises: forwarding context data in the first page to the second digital assistant to cause the second digital assistant to provide a response based on the context data. in response to receiving a third interaction request in the second page, presenting, in the second page, a response of the second digital assistant for the third interaction request. 5.The method of claim 2, wherein the processing application comprises a search engine, and presenting the second response in the second page comprises:

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: creating a search keyword with the first portion; and presenting, in the second page, search results matching the search keyword, the search engine being deployed in a data providing system, and the search results pointing to data in the data providing system. 6.The method of claim 2, wherein the processing application comprises a chat application, and presenting the second response in the second page comprises: forwarding context data in the first page to a chat group in the chat application; and presenting, in the second page, a message from a user in the chat group. in response to receiving a fourth request for exiting the application in the second page, returning the first page. 8.The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion is: identified automatically by the digital assistant, or determined in response to a selection request.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising: 9.The method of claim 1, wherein the first digital assistant and the processing application are integrated in a query platform, and the processing application is selected by the query platform from a plurality of processing applications integrated in the query platform based on the first response and the first portion. 10.The method of claim 1, wherein the first interaction control is presented in response to determining that a duration of the first interaction request satisfies a first time period, and the first interaction control is presented in a floating manner on top of the first page. in response to determining that a second interaction request for the first interaction control is not received within a second time period, hiding the first interaction control. ​ ​ ​ 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: ​ 12.The method of claim 2, wherein the content of the second response is determined based on a context associated with the first response and the first portion. 13.The method of claim 2, wherein a media type of the second response is determined based on an interaction history in the first digital assistant. 14.An apparatus for query, comprising: a first response presenting module configured to present a first response in a first page of a first digital assistant with a first format, the first response being generated based on a first query request; a second response presenting module configured to present a first portion in the first response with a second format; and a first control presenting module configured to present a first interaction control in response to receiving a first interaction request for the first portion, the first interaction control being used to invoke a processing application different from the first digital assistant to process a second query request associated with the first portion. 15.An electronic device, comprising: at least one processing unit; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the at least one processing unit, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the electronic device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13. 16.A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, the computer program being executable by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13. 17.A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13. ​ ​

Images