TRANSLATING A KEYWORD SEARCH INTO A STRUCTURED QUERY

摘要

Method and system to generate structured queries is described. The system may be configured to examine an input string submitted by a user via a search box and present suggestions that may include references to entities grouped by entity type. The search system examines the input string, determines one or more entity types that may correspond to the input string, and provides suggestions that may be the form of one or more of keywords and also in the form of values of or references to typed entities.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
detecting an input string in a search box, the search box presented on a display device as part of a user interface of a computing application, the computing application maintaining a plurality of profiles; selecting an entity type in response to the detecting, using at least one processor; determining a field, in profiles in the plurality of profiles, that corresponds to the selected entity type; using the input string, examining the field that corresponds to the selected entity type in those profiles from the plurality of profiles that represent respective entities of the selected entity type; including, into a list of suggestions, those profiles that represent respective entities of the selected entity type and also include the input string in the field in profiles in the plurality of profiles that corresponds to the selected entity type; causing presentation of the list of suggestions on a display device; detecting a selection, made by a user, from the list of suggestions, of an item of a specified entity type; and based on the specified entity type of the item selected by the user from the list of suggestions, causing presentation of an invitation, in the search box, to search for items of the specified entity type.