Dynamic Search Refinement Using Lexical Suggestions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current search engines face challenges in providing relevant and manageable search results due to the vast and unstructured nature of the internet, leading to user frustration from the sheer volume and irrelevance of search results, as well as difficulties in articulating appropriate search terms without knowing the specific vocabulary of the information system.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a dynamic search environment to provide users with lexically-related search suggestions by interrogating a controlled-vocabulary database, offering semantically and lexically-related alternatives in real-time, allowing users to refine their search queries more effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional search engines index and search the vast body of content on the Internet, then the breadth and volume of searchable information increases, but the relevance and quality of search results deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary controlled-vocabulary database that sits between the user's search query and the vast Internet content. This intermediary layer provides pre-structured, lexically-related terms that mediate the search process, filtering and guiding queries to improve result relevance while maintaining access to large content volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-structuring and organizing vocabulary terms in a controlled-vocabulary database before searches are executed. This advance organization of lexically-related terms allows the system to quickly suggest and refine queries, improving result quality without requiring exhaustive searching of the entire content volume.
2Measurement precision
If users iterate through multiple search queries to find appropriate terms, then the precision of search results improves, but the time required for the search process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by providing users with immediate suggestions of lexically-related terms from the controlled-vocabulary database as they type their search query. This real-time feedback loop allows users to refine their search terms quickly based on system suggestions, achieving precise results without multiple iterative searches.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares and presents relevant vocabulary terms in advance as users begin typing their query. This preliminary presentation of possible search terms guides users toward appropriate vocabulary before they complete their search, reducing the need for iterative querying and saving time.
3Extent of automation
If search results are sorted by computational linguistic calculations, then the automation of result ranking improves, but the user's ability to find relevant information among numerous results deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing users with refined search queries and lexically-related term suggestions before the actual search is executed. This advance guidance ensures that the automated search process works with optimized queries, reducing the volume of irrelevant results and making it easier for users to find information among the returned results.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for dynamically refining and navigating between alternative search query elements are disclosed. The method and system are applicable to searching an information system such as the Internet, an intranet, or any database, lexicon, or collection of documents, disk drive, images or video or audio content. A user enters their search query into a search query receiver. As the user enters their search query, they see, in real-time in a dynamically-generated object, such as a drop-down menu, iFrame, or browser window, possible matches to their search query string, and more specifically, the user receives within the dynamic object alternative semantically- and lexically-related search elements that relate to the search query string and from which the user can either make a selection to further refine their search query, or the user can proceed to view search results based on the selected query element. The relation of alternate lexical elements is based on a controlled or structured vocabulary (for example a thesaurus).