Conversational Search Context Retrieval for Partial Query Continuation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing search systems struggle to utilize contextual data from previous conversational searches to enhance user experience, requiring extensive user input and failing to provide quick, accurate responses.

Innovation Solution

A conversational search system that retrieves and utilizes contextual data from previous user sessions by indexing tags such as time, location, and item labels, allowing for seamless continuation of searches based on partial information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If contextual data from previous sessions is not retrieved and utilized, then the system operates with simpler processing, but user experience deteriorates due to requiring extensive user input and failing to provide quick responses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser input requirementVSAvoidsystem processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by retrieving and storing contextual data from previous user sessions in advance. The search system captures search queries, results, and user interactions during prior sessions, stores them in a data repository, and makes them readily available for future queries. This preliminary data collection and storage enables the system to quickly access relevant context without requiring extensive user input during subsequent searches, thereby improving ease of operation while managing complexity through structured data organization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If contextual data from previous sessions is retrieved and utilized, then user experience is enhanced with quick and accurate responses, but system processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesearch response speedVSAvoidsystem processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies segmentation by dividing the search processing into distinct modules: a data repository for storing contextual data, a query analysis module for identifying relevant context, a data retrieval module for fetching stored information, and a result generation module for combining current query with historical context. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks, improving overall search response speed and accuracy while managing system complexity through modular design and clear separation of concerns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If extensive user input is required for each search, then search accuracy can be maintained, but user convenience deteriorates due to inability to provide quick responses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesearch accuracyVSAvoiduser input time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by analyzing user interactions, search queries, and result selections from previous sessions to infer user preferences, intent, and contextual information. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from past behavior and automatically incorporate relevant context into subsequent searches, maintaining search accuracy while reducing the need for extensive user input. The feedback mechanism continuously refines the system's understanding of user needs, enabling faster and more accurate responses over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12499109B2Retrieving context from previous sessions
Publication Date: 2025.12.16 GOOGLE LLC
  • US12499109B2 patent drawing
  • US12499109B2 patent drawing
  • US12499109B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for retrieving and using contextual data from previous conversation sessions in conversational searches. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a first query for a first user session, determining that the first query refers to one or more tags in a first repository, the first repository associating respective identifiers to respective tags, each identifier representing a corresponding user session, determining one or more particular identifiers associated with the one or more tags in the first repository, retrieving particular contextual data associated with the determined particular identifiers in a second repository, the second repository associating respective identifiers to respective contextual data associated with corresponding user sessions represented by the respective identifiers, and performing an action responsive to the first query based on the retrieved particular contextual data.