Information providing method and system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to an information providing method, system and a computer program product. An information providing method is provided. The method includes receiving an information search request including a search condition, forwarding the information search request to a plurality of processing servers to search for information relating to the search condition, determining a merge attribute based on the found information relating to the search condition, the merge attribute having related attribute values, merging the found information based on the determined merge attribute of the found information to obtain search results, and providing the received search results to a user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An information providing method, comprising:
 receiving an information search request including a search condition;   forwarding the information search request to a plurality of processing servers to search for information relating to the search condition;   determining a merge attribute based on the found information relating to the search condition, the merge attribute having related attribute values, wherein the determining of the merge attribute comprises:
 performing at least one of the following: 
 A) pre-establishing a designated attribute from an attribute of the information relating to the search condition to be the merge attribute; or 
 B) selecting an attribute identifier by a user from an attribute of the information included in the search condition of the information search request; and
 determining the attribute corresponding to the selected attribute identifier to be the merge attribute; 
 
   merging the found information based on the determined merge attribute of the found information to obtain search results; and   providing the obtained search results to the user.   
     
     
         3 . The method as described in  claim 2 , wherein the merging of the found information based on the determined merge attribute of the found information comprises:
 selecting a first specified number of attribute values from the attribute values related to the merge attribute of the found information; and   for each selected attribute value, merging information related to the each selected attribute value into a search result.   
     
     
         4 . The method as described in  claim 3 , wherein the selecting of the first specified number of attribute values from the attribute values related to the merge attribute of the found information includes:
 ranking the found information based on a preset ranking rule;   ranking the attribute values of the merge attribute of the found information based on the ranked found information; and   selecting the first specified number of attribute values from the ranked attribute values.   
     
     
         5 . The method as described in  claim 2 , wherein the providing of the obtained search results to the user comprises:
 merging the obtained search results based on the attribute values related to the merge attribute of information included in each search result; and   providing the merged search results to the user.   
     
     
         6 . The method as described in  claim 5 , wherein the merging of the obtained search results based on the attribute values related to the merge attribute of information included in each received search result includes:
 selecting a second specified number of attribute values from the attribute values related to the merge attribute of information included in the each obtained search result; and   for each selected attribute value, merging the selected attribute value into one search result.   
     
     
         7 . The method as described in  claim 6 , wherein the selecting of the second specified number of attribute values from the attribute values related to the merge attribute of information included for each received search result comprises:
 ranking the information according to a preset ranking rule;   for each received search result, determining a first piece of information from the information included in the each search result;   ranking the determined first pieces of information based on a preset ranking rule;   ranking the attribute values related to the merge attribute of the determined first pieces of information based on the ranking results of the determined first pieces of information; and   selecting the second specified number of attribute values based on the ranking results of the attribute values.   
     
     
         8 . The method as described in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 before the providing of the obtained search results:
 ranking the information based on a preset ranking rule; 
 for each obtained search result, determining a first piece of information of the information contained in the each search result; 
 selecting a second specified number of attribute values of the merge attribute of the found information; 
 selecting from the found information the information relating to the obtained attribute values; and 
 merging the selected information based on the attribute values related to the merge attribute of the selected information to be the merged search results as the finally obtained search result. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method as described in  claim 8 , wherein the selecting of the second specified number of attribute values from the merge attribute of the found information includes:
 ranking the found information based on a preset ranking rule;   ranking the attribute values related to the merge attribute of the found information based on the ranked received information; and   selecting the second specified quantity of attribute values based on the ranking of the attribute values.   
     
     
         10 . The method as described in  claim 9 , wherein the providing of the obtained search results to the user includes:
 merging the obtained search results based on the attribute values related to the merge attribute of the information included in the obtained search results; and   providing the merged search results to the user.   
     
     
         11 . The method as described in  claim 2 , further comprises:
 before the sending of the obtained search results:
 for each obtained search result:
 ranking information included in the each search result based on a preset ranking rule; 
 determining a first piece of information up to a third specified quantity of the information included in the each search result; and 
 deleting information other than the determined information included in the each search result. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The method as described in  claim 2 , further comprises:
 before the providing of the obtained search results to the user:
 for each obtained search result:
 ranking the information included in the each search result based on a preset ranking rule; 
 determining a first piece of information up to a third specified quantity of the information included in the each search result; and 
 deleting information other than the determined information contained in the each search result. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The method as described in  claim 2 , wherein the information stored in the processing servers is pre-allocated to the plurality of processing servers based on information identifiers of the information. 
     
     
         14 . The method as described in  claim 2 , wherein the information stored in the processing servers is pre-allocated to the plurality of processing servers based on the attribute values related to the merge attribute of the information, the attribute values related to merge attribute of the information are the same being allocated to the same processing server. 
     
     
         15 . A processing server, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:
 receive an information search request including a search condition; 
 search within the processing server for information relating to the search condition; 
 determine a merge attribute based on the found information relating to the search condition, the merge attribute having related attribute values, wherein the determining of the merge attribute comprises to:
 perform at least one of the following: 
 A) pre-establish a designated attribute from an attribute of the information relating to the search condition to be the merge attribute; or 
 B) select an attribute identifier by a user from an attribute of the information included in the search condition of the information search request; and
 determine the attribute corresponding to the selected attribute identifier to be the merge attribute; 
 
 
 merge the found information based on the determined merge attribute of the found information to obtain search results; and 
 provide the obtained search results to the user. 
   
     
     
         16 . A merging server, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:
 receive an information search request including a search condition; 
 forward the information search request to a plurality of processing servers to search for information relating to the search condition; 
 receive search results sent by the plurality of processing servers; 
 merge the received search results based on attribute values related to a merge attribute of information included in each received search result including to:
 select a specified number of attribute values from attribute values related to a merge attribute of information included in the each received search result, wherein the merge attribute is A) a pre-established designated attribute from an attribute of the information relating to the search condition or B) an attribute corresponding to an attribute identifier, the attribute identifier being selected by a user from an attribute of the information included in the search condition of the information search request; and 
 for each selected attribute value, merge the selected attribute value into one search result; and 
 
 provide the search results to the user. 
   
     
     
         17 . A computer program product for providing information, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
 receiving an information search request including a search condition;   forwarding the information search request to a plurality of processing servers to search for information relating to the search condition;   determining a merge attribute based on the found information relating to the search condition, the merge attribute having related attribute values, wherein the determining of the merge attribute comprises:
 performing at least one of the following: 
 A) pre-establishing a designated attribute from an attribute of the information relating to the search condition to be the merge attribute; or 
 B) selecting an attribute identifier by a user from an attribute of the information included in the search condition of the information search request; and
 determining the attribute corresponding to the selected attribute identifier to be the merge attribute; 
 
   merging the found information based on the determined merge attribute of the found information to obtain search results; and   providing the obtained search results to the user.