Technique for updating a context that facilitates evaluating qualitative search terms

摘要

The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that updates a context that facilitates evaluating qualitative search terms for an attribute during query processing. During operation, the system extracts a value for the attribute from each data item in a set of data items. Next, the system updates the context based on the extracted attribute values, wherein the context includes a concept-mapping for one or more qualitative search terms applied to the attribute, and wherein each concept-mapping associates a given attribute value with a numerical compatibility index that indicates a compatibility between the given attribute value and a corresponding qualitative search term.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for updating a concept-mapping function that facilitates evaluating a qualitative search term applied to an attribute during query processing, the method comprising:
extracting a value for the attribute from each data item in a set of data items; and updating the concept-mapping function based on the extracted attribute values, wherein the concept-mapping function associates a given value for the attribute with a numerical compatibility index that indicates a compatibility between the given value and the qualitative search term as applied to the attribute, wherein the qualitative search term comprises one or more words that express a quality of the attribute value; wherein updating the concept-mapping function comprises,
determining boundaries for the concept-mapping function based the extracted attribute values, andwithin the determined boundaries, using a pre-specified distribution to update the concept-mapping function; and wherein determining the boundaries for the concept-mapping function includes:
computing a mean attribute value and a standard deviation for the extracted attribute values; andusing the mean attribute value and the standard deviation to determine the boundaries for the concept-mapping.