Search Engine Social Entity Mapping for Information Retrieval

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Solution Overview

Problem

The vast amount of information available in social networks makes it difficult for users to find relevant and focused information, as well as connect with others who share similar interests, due to the sheer volume of data and diverse sources.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented system that monitors interaction data, such as search queries and click-through rates, to provide users with links to other users or groups with similar interests, using a database that maps search-related information to social network entities and employs a machine learning and reasoning component for probabilistic analysis to infer user actions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If social networks continuously grow with more users and information sources, then the quantity of available information increases, but the difficulty of finding relevant information increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequantity of informationVSAvoiddifficulty of finding relevant information

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces social network entities (users, groups, pages) as intermediaries between information sources and searchers. These entities organize and contextualize information, making it easier to find relevant content. The search system uses social relationships and interactions as mediators to bridge the gap between vast information quantities and user needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms by analyzing user interactions (clicks, likes, shares, comments) to continuously improve search results and recommendations. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from user behavior and adapt to evolving information needs, thereby reducing the difficulty of finding relevant information as the network grows.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If social networks provide more diverse data sources and types, then the versatility of information available increases, but the complexity of filtering and organizing information increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediversity of data sourcesVSAvoidcomplexity of filtering information

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the vast and diverse social network data into organized entities such as users, groups, pages, and posts. Each entity type has specific attributes and relationships, making the complex data structure manageable. This segmentation allows the search system to efficiently filter and organize information from diverse sources by categorizing them into meaningful units.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The search system is designed with universal components that can handle multiple types of data sources and formats. The entity graph and search algorithms are designed to work across different entity types (users, groups, pages) and data formats, providing a unified approach to filtering and organizing diverse information without requiring separate systems for each data type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the network grows with more weak links to external individuals, then access to different information increases, but the challenge of identifying relevant connections increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to informationVSAvoiddifficulty of identifying relevant connections

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual connection identification with automated computational mechanisms. The system uses algorithms to analyze user interactions, profile similarities, and network patterns to automatically identify relevant connections and recommend users or groups. This substitution of mechanical (manual) processes with computational ones enables the system to handle the increasing complexity of identifying relevant connections in a growing network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9396269B2Search engine that identifies and uses social networks in communications, retrieval, and electronic commerce

Publication Date: 2016.07.19 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Architecture that monitors interaction data (e.g., search queries, query results and click-through rates), and provides users with links to other users that fall into similar categories with respect to the foregoing monitored activities (e.g., providing links to individuals and groups that share common interests and/or profiles). A search engine can be interactively coupled with one or more social networks, and that maps individuals and/or groups within respective social networks to subsets of categories associated with searches. A database stores mapped information which can be continuously updated and reorganized as links within the system mapping become stronger or weaker. The architecture can comprise a social network system that includes a database for mapping search-related information to an entity of a social network, and a search component for processing a search query for search results and returning a link to an entity of a social network based on the search query.