Embedded Business Metadata for Search Precision

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current search methods on distributed Internet networks, such as the World Wide Web, often return inaccurate or irrelevant results due to the dynamic nature of web pages and the lack of standardized semantic meaning in tags, making it difficult for users to find specific business information efficiently.

Innovation Solution

The use of predetermined identifiers in a standardized format, such as markup language tags, to identify specific information types within web pages, allowing for precise and efficient searching and serving of data, eliminating the need for natural language interpretation and reducing ambiguity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If web pages are constantly crawled and cached to keep information updated, then the freshness of search results is improved, but the accuracy and reliability of search results deteriorates due to outdated or incorrect information being returned

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation freshnessVSAvoidsearch result accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments web page content into structured fields with predetermined identifiers (e.g., restaurant_name, address, phone_number, hours). This segmentation allows the system to track and update specific fields independently, maintaining freshness while preserving accuracy by updating only the necessary portions rather than replacing entire cached pages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of data organization from unstructured web page content to structured fields with standardized identifiers. This parameter change enables precise tracking of information freshness versus accuracy trade-offs, allowing the system to update specific parameters (like hours or phone numbers) without affecting other accurate information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If natural language processing is used to understand web page context and meaning, then the ease of operation for users is improved, but the manufacturing precision of search results deteriorates due to ambiguous or lost meaning during indexing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser search convenienceVSAvoidindexing accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces predetermined identifiers as intermediaries between the web page content and search queries. These identifiers act as a standardized language that bridges user-friendly natural language searches with precise data extraction, eliminating the need for complex natural language processing while maintaining both ease of operation and indexing accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the representation of web page information from natural language text to structured parameters with fixed identifiers. This parameter transformation enables exact matching during indexing while keeping the user interface simple and intuitive, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If metadata is added to web pages to provide context and improve search understanding, then the productivity of search processing is improved, but the loss of information increases due to extraneous or inappropriate metadata being included

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesearch processing efficiencyVSAvoidmetadata accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments metadata into a standardized set of predetermined identifiers that correspond to specific business information types. This segmentation filters out extraneous metadata while maintaining only the most relevant and accurate fields, improving processing efficiency without introducing information loss or noise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms metadata from unstructured or loosely defined data to structured parameters with predetermined identifiers. This parameter standardization improves search processing productivity by enabling rapid matching while preventing information loss through the use of well-defined, validated field types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Adaptability or versatility

If tags are used to associate multiple keywords with web pages, then the adaptability of search results is improved, but the measurement precision of search relevance deteriorates due to ambiguous or non-standardized tag meanings

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesearch result flexibilityVSAvoidtag semantic accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the nature of tags from free-form keywords to standardized predetermined identifiers with fixed meanings. This parameter transformation maintains the adaptability of searching across multiple attributes while dramatically improving measurement precision by eliminating semantic ambiguity through standardization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8762409B2Embedded business metadata
Publication Date: 2014.06.24 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P
  • US8762409B2 patent drawing
  • US8762409B2 patent drawing
  • US8762409B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A methodology is disclosed for improving searches of a distributed Internet network. A distributed Internet network is searched for a particular information type, searching for a field identified using a predetermined identifier indicating that the field comprises information of the particular information type. When the field identified using the predetermined identifier is found, an association of the contents of the field with the search results is made, and repeated using the same predetermined identifier. Information of a particular information type may then be served in a field identified using a predetermined identifier that identifies the field as containing information of the particular information type.