Selective Document Family Expansion in Search Results
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional search engines fail to include related documents that do not exactly match search criteria, missing context and relevant information, and often return entire document families regardless of user preference, resulting in cluttered search results.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allow users to selectively include entire document families associated with search results, providing options to expand partial document families and update search results dynamically based on user choice, enhancing search relevance and user control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional search engines only return documents that exactly match search criteria, then search precision is improved, but search completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by allowing users to selectively expand only specific document families that contain partially matched documents, rather than automatically including all document families. This enables users to obtain additional contextual information while maintaining control over the extent of expansion, thus balancing search precision with improved completeness.
2Loss of information
If search engines always return entire document families, then search completeness is improved, but result clarity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments document families into individual expandable units, allowing users to view only the documents that directly match search criteria initially, and selectively expand specific document families when needed. This segmentation maintains result clarity by default while enabling completeness on demand, resolving the contradiction between clarity and completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic search results that can be adjusted in real-time based on user interaction. The search results transition from a static complete match set to a dynamic structure where users can expand document families to reveal additional related documents, thereby adapting the level of completeness to user needs without compromising initial clarity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If users are given options to expand document families, then user control is improved, but system complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables users to perform self-service by allowing them to independently expand document families based on their own judgment of relevance. The system provides the capability and interface for users to control their own search results, reducing the need for complex automated decision-making algorithms while improving user control over the search process.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for expanding search results may include (1) determining that a user is attempting to perform a search, (2) presenting an option to the user to include, within results of the search, a document family associated with a found document, (3) determining that the user has selected to include the document family associated with the document, and (4) including the document family in the search results in response to determining that the user has selected to include the document family associated with the document. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.