Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-25
2001-07-31
Alam, Hosain T. (Department: 2771)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269364
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of searchable knowledge bases. More particularly, this invention relates to the art of eliminating duplicate information, identifying missing information, and verifying the validity of information in a searchable knowledge base.
2. Background
Searchable knowledge bases, such as databases, are used in a wide range of applications. For instance, a database can be used for customer service support at a help desk. A help desk operator may use a customer's question as a query to a database of solutions or to a database of an index to solutions. In which case, a search engine may retrieve one or more solutions, or links to solutions, based on a comparison of the query to the database entries.
When database entries are retrieved, one or more of the entries, or the items of information to which the entries point, may be duplicates. For instance, a database may index items of information on a network, such as the internet. The same items of information may be accessible at multiple host systems, so that each duplicate item of information may be separately indexed in the database. In which case, a search engine may retrieve database entries that point to different locations, although the locations may contain duplicate information. Sorting through a list of duplicate information, or pointers to duplicate information, can be time consuming and misleading.
Furthermore, a knowledge base generally will not have a response for every query. For instance, certain queries may not retrieve any responses at all. Even if one or more responses are retrieved, the responses may still be invalid. That is, a response may have nothing to do with the subject matter of a query. For instance, a search engine may simply look for database entries which contain one or more of the same words as the query, and rank the entries based on the number of times one or more words from the query appear in the database entry. If a query is not carefully crafted to avoid potentially misleading words, responses to the query may be irrelevant. Also, words may have different meanings in different contexts, so even a carefully crafted query may retrieve responses that are not related to the topic of the query. A query for which no response, or only irrelevant responses, are retrieved may indicate a “hole” in the knowledge base. If “holes” are not identified as they are encountered, a potentially valuable source of information may be lost that could be used to improve the content of the database over time.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved method and apparatus to automatically eliminate duplicate database information and identify potential holes in a knowledge base.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, duplicate responses to a query are automatically determined and eliminated. In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, invalid responses to a query are automatically determined and eliminated. In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, an indication is generated if no responses are returned from a knowledge base for a query, in which case provision of a response is automatically facilitated so that at least one response will be returned from the knowledge base for future resubmissions of the query. In one embodiment, all three aspects of the present invention are performed for a given query.
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Cohen Paul M.
Gallagher William J.
Kennedy Raymond E.
Smith Chadd D.
Swanson Gary D.
Alam Hosain T.
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Intel Corporation
Ly Anh
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