Dynamically suppressing query answers in search

Abstract

A method for determining whether to dynamically suppress a candidate query answer designated for inclusion in search results includes instantiating a plurality of filtering rules for assessing suppression of a candidate query answer. The filtering rules include one or both of a pattern rule and a site rule. The method further comprises receiving a query, and, after receiving the query, retrieving one or more candidate query answers previously associated with the query. The method further comprises, for each candidate query answer, dynamically suppressing the candidate query answer from a curated position having enhanced prominence within search results relative to a plurality of other result entries, if either or both of a pattern rule and a site rule match the query. The method further includes returning search results including up to one candidate query answer in the curated position, responsive to a candidate query answer not being dynamically suppressed.

1 . A method for determining whether to dynamically suppress a candidate query answer designated for inclusion in search results, the method comprising:
 maintaining a query-answer mapping including, for each of a plurality of anticipated queries, a corresponding answer to the anticipated query;   instantiating a plurality of filtering rules for assessing suppression of any candidate query answer, the plurality of filtering rules including one or both of a pattern rule and a site rule;   maintaining a query blacklist including a plurality of computer-readable representations of blacklisted queries;   receiving a query;   recognizing a computer-readable entity description for the query;   after receiving the query:
 operating the query-answer mapping to retrieve a candidate query answer previously associated with the query; 
 dynamically suppressing the candidate query answer from a curated position having enhanced prominence within search results relative to a plurality of other result entries responsive to any of: 
 1) a computer-readable representation of the query matching a computer-readable representation of a blacklisted query from the query blacklist; 
 2) a computer-readable representation of the query matching a pattern rule from the filtering rule list; 
 3) a computer-readable representation of metadata for the candidate query answer matching a site rule from the filtering rule list; or 
 4) the candidate query answer being substantially similar to the computer-readable entity description; and 
 returning the search results, the search results including the computer-readable entity description and further including the candidate query answer in the curated position responsive to the candidate query answer not being dynamically suppressed. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a user disapproval signal pertaining to a query and adding the query to the query blacklist responsive to receiving the user disapproval signal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a plurality of user disapproval signals pertaining to one or more queries and adding a pattern rule to the filtering rule list, the pattern rule configured to match any subsequently received query consistent with the one or more queries. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assessing substantial similarity of the candidate query answer to the computer-readable entity description includes determining that a ratio of A) a length of a longest common subsequence between the entity description and the pre-processed answer, to B) a length of the pre-processed answer, exceeds a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assessing substantial similarity of the candidate query answer to the computer-readable entity description includes determining that a ratio of A) a length of a list of common tokens between the entity description and the pre-processed answer, to B) a length of the pre-processed answer, exceeds a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assessing substantial similarity of the candidate query answer to the computer-readable entity description includes determining that A) a length of a list of common tokens between the entity description and the pre-processed answer equals B) a length of the query. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assessing substantial similarity of the candidate query answer to the computer-readable entity description includes operating a natural language processing machine to assess a natural language similarity of the candidate query answer to the computer-readable entity description. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a site rule is configured to match a web site based on one or more of a timestamp of the website, a URL of the website, metadata of the website, and content of the website. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a pattern rule is configured to match a query based on parsing the query according to a regular expression specification. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a pattern rule is configured to match a query based on one or more of the query starting with a textual pattern, ending with the textual pattern, and containing the textual pattern. 
     
     
         11 . A method for determining whether to dynamically suppress a candidate query answer designated for inclusion in search results, the method comprising:
 instantiating a plurality of filtering rules for assessing suppression of any candidate query answer, including one or both of a pattern rule and a site rule;   receiving a query;   after receiving the query:
 retrieving a candidate query answer previously associated with the query; 
 dynamically suppressing the candidate query answer from a curated position having enhanced prominence within search results relative to a plurality of other result entries responsive to any of: 
 1) a computer-readable representation of the query matching a pattern rule from the filtering rule list; or 
 2) a computer-readable representation of metadata for the candidate query answer matching a site rule from the filtering rule list; and 
 returning the search results, the search results including the candidate query answer in the curated position responsive to the candidate query answer not being dynamically suppressed. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising recognizing a computer-readable entity description for the query, assessing whether the candidate query answer is substantially similar to the computer-readable entity description, and further dynamically suppressing one of 1) the computer-readable entity description or 2) the candidate query answer from search results based on the assessment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the candidate query answer is dynamically suppressed from the curated position within search results responsive to the candidate query answer being substantially similar to the computer-readable entity description. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the search results are configured for presentation with the computer-readable entity description in a second, different curated position having enhanced prominence within search results relative to the plurality of other result entries. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the computer-readable entity description is dynamically suppressed from the curated position within search results responsive to the candidate query answer being substantially similar to the computer-readable entity description, and the candidate query answer is not suppressed from search results. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the search results are configured for output via a speaker as an audio response including spoken recitation of the candidate query answer. 
     
     
         17 . A method for determining whether to dynamically suppress a candidate query answer designated for inclusion in search results, the method comprising:
 instantiating a plurality of filtering rules for assessing suppression of any candidate query answer, including one or both of a pattern rule and a site rule;   receiving a first query from a search application configured for query answering;   after receiving the first query:
 retrieving a candidate query answer previously associated with the first query; 
 dynamically suppressing the candidate query answer from a curated position having enhanced prominence within search results relative to a plurality of other result entries responsive to any of: 
 1) a computer-readable representation of the query matching a pattern rule from the filtering rule list; or 
 2) a computer-readable representation of metadata for the candidate query answer matching a site rule from the filtering rule list; 
 returning the search results including the candidate query answer in the curated position responsive to the candidate query answer not being dynamically suppressed; and 
   receiving a second query from a graphical application having a privileged display area for visually presenting an entity description, wherein the second query is identical to the first query;   after receiving the second query:
 recognizing a computer-readable entity description for the second query; 
 retrieving the candidate query answer previously associated with the first query and the second query; 
 dynamically suppressing the candidate query answer from the curated position having enhanced prominence within search results relative to the plurality of other result entries responsive to any of: 
 1) a computer-readable representation of the query matching a pattern rule from the filtering rule list; 
 2) a computer-readable representation of metadata for the candidate query answer matching a site rule from the filtering rule list for the site rule; or 
 3) the query answer being substantially similar to the computer-readable entity description; and 
 returning search results including the entity description designated for visual presentation in the privileged display area, and further including the candidate query answer responsive to the candidate query answer not being dynamically suppressed. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the candidate query answer is dynamically suppressed from the curated position within search results responsive to the candidate query answer being substantially similar to the computer-readable entity description. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the search results for the first query are configured for output via a speaker as an audio response including spoken recitation of the candidate query answer. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the computer-readable entity description is dynamically suppressed from the curated position within search results responsive to the candidate query answer being substantially similar to the computer-readable entity description, and the candidate query answer is not suppressed from the search results.