Patent ID: 7814096

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of providing a search result, comprising: receiving a user query; transforming the user query in accordance with a first transformation to generate a canonical form of the user query; transforming the canonical form of the user query in accordance with a second transformation to generate one or more synonymous forms of the canonical form of the user query; determining whether an equivalent query of the one or more synonymous forms is included in a pre-existing query set, wherein the pre-existing query set includes one or more pre-existing queries, the pre-existing queries included in the pre-existing query set are associated with an answer designated to the pre-existing query set, the association between the pre-existing query set with the answer is independent of words present in the answer; providing the answer; and determining from actions by the user, absent any active indication, whether the provided answer is correct or incorrect, wherein the association between the answer and the pre-existing query set is arbitrary.