Enhancing search results using ontologies

Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with query processing in light of an ontology are described. One example system includes a data store that stores both data concerning entities and data concerning relationships between the entities. The data may be logically arranged as an ontology and thus may include nodes and labeled relationships. The system may also include a query processing logic that can control a search logic to search for documents relevant to a query. Control exercised by the query processing logic may depend, at least in part, on data in the ontology.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example systems, methods, and other embodiments of various aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments one element may be designed as multiple elements, multiple elements may be designed as one element, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa, and so on. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates basic ontology concepts.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of an ontology.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example query processing system that includes a query processing logic and a data store that stores an ontology.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example query processing system that includes a query processing logic, a search logic, and a data store that stores an ontology.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example query processing system that includes a data store that stores an ontology arranged with two or more views.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example computing environment in which portions of example systems and methods illustrated herein may operate.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example method associated with query processing with an ontology.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example method associated with query processing with an ontology.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example method associated with query processing with an ontology.

Claims

1. A system, comprising: a data store to store a first data set concerning one or more entities and to store a second data set concerning one or more relationships between the one or more entities, where members of the first data set and members of the second data set are logically arranged as an ontology; anda query processing logic to control a search logic to search for documents relevant to a query based, at least in part, on data in the ontology.

2. The system of claim 1, including the search logic, the query processing logic being operably connected to the search logic.

3. The system of claim 1, where the query processing logic controls the search logic based, at least in part, on information selected from the first data set.

4. The system of claim 3, the information being selected from the first data set based on traversing a relationship described in the second data set, the relationship being identified by an ontology relationship attribute in the query.

5. The system of claim 3, the information being selected from the first data set based on traversing a relationship described in the second data set, the relationship being selected based on the relationship being a labeled relationship logically connected to a member of the first data set, where the member stores data matching at least a portion of the query.

6. The system of claim 1, the ontology being arranged into two or more views.

7. The system of claim 6, where the query processing logic selects a view based on an ontology selection attribute in the query.

8. The system of claim 6, where the query processing logic selects a view based on semantic information associated with the query.

9. The system of claim 8, the semantic information including a context data.

10. The system of claim 9, the context data describing one or more of, a query provider identity, a query provider location, and a query provider task.

11. The system of claim 6, the query processing logic being configured to selectively provide information concerning one or more of, an ontology presence, and available ontology views.

12. The system of claim 6, the query processing logic being configured to selectively provide information concerning available ontology relationships.

13. A method, comprising: accessing an ontology;identifying information in the ontology, the information being related to a query for documents; andcontrolling a search logic to search for documents based on one or more of, the query, and identified information in the ontology.

14. The method of claim 13, including selecting an ontology to access based on ontology selection information provided in the query.

15. The method of claim 13, including selecting an ontology to access based on context information associated with the query.

16. The method of claim 13, including: providing information concerning one or more ontologies; andselecting an ontology to access based on a response to providing the information concerning the one or more ontologies.

17. The method of claim 13, where identifying information in the ontology related to the query includes traversing a labeled relationship in the ontology.

18. The method of claim 17, where information concerning the labeled relationship to traverse is provided as a query attribute in the query.

19. The method of claim 17, including selecting the labeled relationship to traverse based on context information associated with the query.

20. The method of claim 17, including selecting the labeled relationship to traverse based on the labeled relationship being logically connected to an ontology node storing data matching a query term.

21. The method of claim 17, including: providing information concerning one or more labeled relationships available in the ontology;selecting a labeled relationship based on a response to providing the information concerning the one or more labeled relationships available in the ontology; andtraversing the labeled relationship in the ontology starting at a location that stores data matching a query term.

22. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-executable instructions that if executed by a machine cause the machine to perform a method, the method comprising: accessing an ontology;identifying information in the ontology, the information being related to a query for documents; andcontrolling a search logic to search for documents based on one or more of, the query, and identified information in the ontology.

23. A system, comprising: means for storing an ontology;means for searching for documents; andmeans for selectively controlling the means for searching based, at least in part, on information stored in the ontology.