Multidimensional Search Architecture for Information Overload

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users are overwhelmed by the vast amount of information available through network communications, leading to inefficiencies in finding relevant content, as search engines often return millions of results, making it difficult for users to efficiently identify the information they seek.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a multidimensional search architecture that includes entity identification and association, where documents are marked with unique identifiers, and user feedback is used to refine search results, allowing for the presentation of relevant documents, entities, and individuals in response to a search query, and enabling the generation of updated queries based on user actions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If search engines return comprehensive results from vast information, then information completeness is improved, but user efficiency in finding relevant content deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoiduser efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments search results into multiple dimensions including traditional documents, entities, and people. This segmentation allows the system to maintain comprehensive information coverage while organizing results in a structured manner that improves user efficiency. Each dimension presents specific types of information separately, making it easier for users to find relevant content without being overwhelmed by the total volume of results.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces additional dimensions beyond traditional document search, specifically adding entity dimension and people dimension. This dimensional expansion transforms the search result space from a single list of documents into a multi-dimensional structure, allowing users to navigate information more efficiently while maintaining comprehensive coverage of available content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Measurement precision

If search engines provide detailed search results, then information relevance is improved, but information overload increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation relevanceVSAvoidinformation overload
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and separates specific types of information (entities and people) from the traditional document search results. By taking out these specific elements and presenting them in separate dimensions, the system maintains high information relevance for each category while reducing the overall information overload that users experience when all results are presented as a single comprehensive list.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Quantity of substance

If search engines return more results, then search coverage is improved, but user frustration increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesearch coverageVSAvoiduser satisfaction
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the large volume of search results into three distinct dimensions: documents, entities, and people. This segmentation maintains comprehensive search coverage across all available information while improving user satisfaction by allowing users to quickly identify and navigate to the specific type of information they need without sifting through millions of mixed results.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds dimensional structure to search results by introducing entity and people dimensions alongside traditional document results. This dimensional organization maintains extensive search coverage while significantly improving ease of operation, as users can efficiently navigate to relevant information by selecting the appropriate dimension rather than searching through a flat, overwhelming list.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS10990632B2Multidimensional search architecture
Publication Date: 2021.04.27 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US10990632B2 patent drawing
  • US10990632B2 patent drawing
  • US10990632B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Search results can include, not only responsive content, typically in the form of documents, but can also include information regarding responsive entities, including tasks relevant to those entities, and can include identifications of individuals from whom additional information can be obtained, or who are otherwise relevant to the search. An association between entities and documents referencing those entities is identified and maintained. Documents responsive to a user's search query are identified utilizing existing algorithmic mechanisms and such identified responsive documents are referenced to determine whether they are associated with one or more entities. Additionally, a people/query mapping is maintained associating individual people with specific queries. User actions directed to one or more people in response to a query are utilized as a feedback loop. User actions directed to one dimension of search results can be utilized to generate updated search queries providing updated search results in other dimensions.