Patent ID: 7281002
Filing Date: 2007-10-09
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method for data retrieval, said method comprising assembling an ordered set of objects from a collection of objects to satisfy a query, each object in the collection being an item returned from the query, said items being in a plurality of categories, and categories selected are determined by the connections between said categories in a category graph, at least one object in said query including at least one of a maximum, a minimum, and a desired duration, said step of assembling comprising the steps of: searching for a list of related objects and obtaining a rank-ordered list of said related objects, said related objects being search results that match the query and are mapped to the same category or mapped to multiple categories wherein the multiple categories are connected in a category graph; selecting any target objects from the rank-ordered list, each target object being a member of a selected subset of the search results; mapping the related objects in the rank-ordered list into categories; connecting the categories into paths in a graph, said graph having a node for each category and edges based upon category relationships, terminating a graph traversal of said categories based upon reaching target objects if there are target objects, and if there is no target objects then terminating said graph traversal within a proximity in the graph near the most relevant category; choosing a best path in the graph based upon a path evaluation criterion; selecting particular objects in categories on the best path based upon an object selection criterion; sorting the particular objects on the best according to a comparison function, each particular object being an object included in search results that meets the object selection criterion; and obtaining said ordered set of objects satisfying said query.