Bottleneck aware query alteration for search
Topics: Microsoft, Search Query Processing
This Microsoft patent describes a method and system used by search engines to improve search results by identifying and resolving “bottleneck terms” within a user’s search query. A bottleneck term is a specific word or phrase that is highly likely to return zero search results. Instead of running a doomed query and returning an empty page, the system proactively generates, evaluates, and optimizes alternative query candidates using a language model. By only running searches for altered queries that are proven to bypass the bottleneck without creating new ones, the system guarantees a better user experience while saving valuable computational resources.
