US 11,921,789 B2
Search engine training apparatus and method and search engine trained using the apparatus and method
Ben C. Callanta, Elmhurst, IL (US); Deric A. Bertrand, Naperville, IL (US); Gracelyn R. Newhouse, Chicago, IL (US); John N. Rosensweig, Chicago, IL (US); Bina M. Vasavda, Lincolnshire, IL (US); Ross P. Kelly, Chicago, IL (US); Larry G. Kirby, Skokie, IL (US); Matthew T. Hayden, Chicago, IL (US); and Emily R. Rapport, Chicago, IL (US)
Assigned to MCMASTER-CARR SUPPLY COMPANY, Elmhurst, IL (US)
Filed by McMaster-Carr Supply Company, Elmhurst, IL (US)
Filed on Sep. 19, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/576,427.
Prior Publication US 2021/0089585 A1, Mar. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. G06F 16/9032 (2019.01); G06F 40/56 (2020.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01)
CPC G06F 16/90324 (2019.01) [G06F 40/56 (2020.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A training apparatus for training a search engine, the training apparatus comprising:
a memory that stores product information of a product in an on-line product catalog and historical interaction data of users with the search engine; and
a processor configured to:
execute a search argument simulator, the search argument simulator, when executed by the processor, configuring the processor to generate candidate synthetic search arguments that seek the product in the on-line product catalog based upon the product information or the historical interaction data stored in the memory and target information identifying the product sought by the synthetic search arguments and to select synthetic search arguments from the candidate synthetic search arguments that seek the product in the on-line product catalog based on similarities to search arguments in a historical record of user input search arguments, the search argument simulator being operable to transmit the synthetic search arguments to the search engine to train the search engine to respond to the synthetic search arguments with the target information,
execute an evaluator, the evaluator, when executed by the processor, configuring the processor to:
monitor a response by the search engine to the synthetic search arguments, the evaluator being configured to determine if the response by the search engine to the synthetic search argument includes the target information,
monitor a second response by the search engine to a user input search argument that seeks the product in the on-line product catalog, and
trigger retraining of the search engine if the search engine fails to identify the product sought by the user input search argument.