171 results about "Internet search engines" patented technology

Method of and system for delivering consumer product related information to consumers over the Internet. The system and method involves creating an UPN-encoded Consumer Product Information (CPIR) enabling Applet for each consumer product registered within a manufacturer-managed UPN / URL database management system. Each CPIR-enabling Applet is encapsulated within an executable file and then stored in the UPN / URL database management system. Each CPIR-enabling Applet is searchable and downloadable by, for example, (1) retailers purchasing products from an electronic-commerce enabled product catalog, (2) advertisers desiring to link consumer product information to Web-based product advertisements, or (3) anyone having a legitimate purpose of disseminating such information within the stream of electronic commerce. After downloading and extraction from its encapsulating file, the CPIR-enabling Applet is embedded within an HTML-encoded document associated with, for example, an EC-enabled store, on-line auction site, product advertisement, Internet search engine or directory, and the like. Upon encountering such an Applet-encoded HTML document on the WWW, the consumer need only perform a single mouse-clicking operation to automatically execute the underlying CPIR-enabling Applet (on either the client or server side of the network), causing a UPN-directed search to be performed against the manufacturer-defined UPN / URL Database, and the results thereof displayed in an independent Java GUI, without disturbing the consumer's point of presence on the WWW. Preferably, the CPIR-enabling Applets are realized using Java(TM) technology, although it is understood that alternative technologies can be used to practice the system and methods of the present invention.

Systems and methods allow a user of a text or graphics editor to quickly create multiple robust internet search queries by selecting and ranking groups or individual key words from a document. A user who is composing or reading a document can identify and link multiple sets of key words into separate search queries by highlighting and assigning either unique search numbers, colors or other readily ascertained indicators of their logical relation. Each individual search query is routed to selected internet search engines, and the results are returned to the user in the same viewed document. The user may select the form in which the results are displayed. For example, results may be listed within the document by way footnotes, endnotes, or separate hover or pull-down windows accessible from the search terms. In addition, the user can browse, sort, rank, edit or eliminate portions of the results.

An Internet search engine ranks search results based on popularity with mobile-device users. Geo-position data from cell phones and other mobile devices are collected into a device geo-position database. The geo-position data is compared to locations of businesses in a business database. When a mobile device's geo-position moves inside a business location, a traffic counter for that business location in the business database is updated. When an Internet user performs a local search, the result set is sorted based on a rank that is at least partially determined by the traffic counters. The popularity-ranked search results indicate which businesses received the most mobile-device visits, an indication of the business's overall popularity. The popularity ranking may be adjusted for business size by dividing the traffic counter by the square footage of the business and sorting the result set based on the mobile-device visits, or repeat visits, per square foot.

A system and method for enabling information providers using a computer network such as the Internet to influence a position for a search listing within a search result list generated by an Internet search engine. A database stores accounts for the network information providers. Each account contains contact and billing information for a network information provider. In addition, each account contains at least one search listing having at least three components: a description, a search term comprising one or more keywords, and a bid amount. The network information provider may add, delete, or modify a search listing after authenticated login. A search term relevant to the content of the web site or other information source to be listed is first selected. A search listing includes the search term and a description. A bidding process occurs when the network information provider enters a new bid amount for a search listing. The system and method then compares the bid amount with all other bid amounts for the same search term, and generates a rank value for all search listings having that search term. The rank value determines where the listing will appear on the search results list page that is generated in response to a query of the search term by a searcher.

A computer, terminal and a method for blocking the use and creating of vulgar and pornographic material in a responsive and interactive matter that comprehensively monitors computer operations for creation or transmission of vulgar and pornographic material. Data created by the keyboard, data passing through the clipboard, data selected by the mouse pointer, and data passing through the Internet interface are monitored for content and further operation of the computer terminal is blocked. The computer terminal may only be unblocked by a supervisory intervention, such as by entering of a password, or by restarting or resetting the terminal. Key word searches, such as those in Internet search engines, are also monitored, but the terminal adapts to monitor not only for words of a profane and vulgar nature, but also for words that are behaviorally tested to produce lists containing vulgar and profane items, e.g., Internet sites. The computer terminal and method can be modified to block other forms of communication or computer operation, such as blocking transmission of secret business data, blocking execution or opening of certain programs or files, and the like.

An invention for monitoring user choices and selections on a search result web page and providing alternative query expressions to further narrow and enhance the user's search. Monitoring and recording user choices and selections is achieved by a query manager. Query strings are then standardized. The search is performed on an Internet search engine, and each search result item in the result output set is then associated with a list of alternative standardized queries by an alternate query matching manager. Each search result item in the result output set that is associated with the alternate queries is then flagged. The resulting flagged list of alternative queries is displayed to the user by a page presentation manager using a graphical user interface for subsequent user selection. Upon selection of the graphical user interface for alternate query expressions, an alternate query selection manager retrieves and displays each alternate query to the user.

Filtering Internet content includes receiving a search query message comprising a search query to an Internet search engine. Data is received from the Internet search engine, responsive to the search query message. Filtering of the data produces a data subset. The filter selects data for inclusion in the data subset based upon occurrence of the data in a database. The database includes content selected for inclusion by designated users. The data subset is displayed in a browser.

A computer implemented method of generating keyword recommendations is provided, which includes providing keyword frequency data in computer readable media that indicate frequency counts of keywords used in past internet searches; providing keyword affinity data in computer readable media that indicate affinities between pairs of keywords used in past user internet searches; identifying keywords from the keyword frequency data that include the selected keyword; identifying keywords from the keyword affinity data that have an affinity to the selected keyword; and prioritizing the identified keywords based upon the keyword frequency.

Filtering Internet content includes receiving a search query message comprising a search query to an Internet search engine. Data is received from the Internet search engine, responsive to the search query message. Filtering of the data produces a data subset. The filter selects data for inclusion in the data subset based upon occurrence of the data in a database. The database includes content selected for inclusion by designated users. The data subset is displayed in a browser.

An effective and efficient process for providing access to, customizing, and updating various types of information provided via a computer network such as the Internet is disclosed. In the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, an individual or organization provides specific information to create a master information profile. Additionally, the owner of the information can then provide selectively tailored “views” of the information contained in the master information profile to selected individuals or groups. This allows selectively tailored information, formatted and presented on a web page, to be quickly and easily made available to selected groups, individuals and public Internet search engines such as Google and Yahoo.

A process for refining the results of a query to an internet search engine database by the use of user feedback is disclosed. It is a method to allow a user to rate the relevancy of URLs returned for a specific query. The relevancy ratings for a specific query are combined by the internet search engine with data from a user profile of personal information defined by the user. The internet search engine can determine which items of data in the profile are common between users who have rated a query result highly. The search engine can then modify the search algorithm to return those URLs rated highly by users with common profile attributes. The benefit to the internet is more efficient searching and retrieval of information for users.

A system and method of distributed metadata searching is disclosed. The present invention permits an extension of the searching and retrieval functions of existing Internet web search engines by utilizing computational resources embodied in user computer systems and search browsers. By distributing the searching and scanning functions to the user level, the present invention reduces the computational and communications burden on Internet web search engines and crawlers, resulting in lower computational resource utilization by Internet search engine providers. Given the exponential growth rate currently being experienced in the Internet community, the present invention provides one of the few methods by which complete searches of this vast distributed database may be performed. The present invention permits embodiments incorporating a Search Manger (1001) further comprising a Service Results Manager (1013), User Profile Database (1012), Service Manager(1013), and Service Database (1014); a Light Weight Application SCANNER (1002); and a Search Engine (1008). These components may be augmented in some preferred embodiments via the use of a Search Browser (1003), Internet Communications (1004); Web Site(s) (1005), Web Crawler(s) (1006), and a Repository Database (1007).

The present invention provides an internet search engine and associated website which provides users with ranked website search results. In an aspect of the present invention, the search engine and associated website provides a critical rating function. Critics can be human experts who review websites on the internet and rate and comment on them. Users apply to become critics, and their applications are reviewed for acceptability by other critics. Critics are selected in particular professions for their expertise in those areas. The critics provide a rating and comments in relation to a site, or to other online content, including text, audio and video, among other things. Ratings and comments are also available to users. In other words, the present invention provides for at least two levels of critical review: critics' review and users' review. In an aspect of the present invention, an advanced critic sorting mechanism is provided.

A method and apparatus (information processing system) for overcoming deficiencies and inefficiencies in the current paid search engine keyword bidding market, by providing keyword bidders with information they need to better optimize their use of paid search engines. The system accumulates bid amounts for a plurality of target keywords at one or more paid Internet search engines, and presents the bid amounts to a user, enabling the user to evaluate and optimize bids on those keywords. The system also presents bid amounts for a keyword at one or more paid Internet search engines, in a manner highlighting one or more selected bid amounts of interest to a potential bidder. This permits a bidder to identify the bidder's own bid, and / or to identify a differential in bid amounts that indicates an opportunity for bid optimization. The system further monitors keyword bids at one or more paid Internet search engines to identify bid changes of interest to a potential bidder.

A method and system for searching a document source. The method includes analyzing a query and then creating a query pattern. A document is search in a document source which match the query pattern. The retrieved documents are divided into subsets of similar documents, where each subset of the subsets of similar documents is described in terms of a subset pattern. An ordered list of clusters based on the subset pattern of each subset of similar documents is then retrieved. The ordered list of clusters includes separate clusters which contain similar documents retrieved in response to the query. A machine readable medium containing code for searching a document source is also provided.

A system and architecture for enhancing search results generated by an Internet search engine, so that those search results include enhanced buyer-oriented information, is disclosed. According to one aspect, a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine comprises one or more search results that are associated with one or more URLs in a set of URLs. For each such URL, seller-specific information, which may be based on and / or comprise ratings that are associated with registered selling entities that are associated with that URL, is presented in association with that URL's corresponding search result in the list of search results. A user who submitted query terms, based upon which the list of search results was generated, can use the presented rating information to determine which of the search results to investigate further.

A system for structuring digitally stored information and methods for searching the resulting structure are described. The structuring system comprises a database comprising a number of cells arranged in rows and columns for holding pieces of data representing the information. Only one piece of data may be stored in each cell and the pieces of data contained in cells in one row of the database constitutes a certain information. This information may be files on a computer hard disk, pages on the www etc. An index for each unique piece of data occurring in the database, where each index table providing information concerning all locations of that unique piece of data in the database, a main index listing once all the unique pieces of data in the database together with a corresponding index table identifier, the index table identifier providing a link to the corresponding index table for that particular piece of data, are also necessary elements in the structuring system, The structure of the database / index system in itself provides fast and simple access to the information contained therein. The information structuring system and the methods for structuring and searching digitally stored information may e.g. be used in a search engine for the Internet, in a mobile phone, WAP or as a search system for retrieving files and controlling the information stored in a LAN or computer hard disk.

A method for saving search query information on a server coupled to the Internet as a search folder. The method may include the steps of: identifying a user communicating with the server; storing the search query associated with the user in a data store on the server responsive to a user instruction to store the search query; and submitting the query to an Internet search engine for execution based on a triggering event. A data structure for storing the search folder is also described.

The present invention provides for a method of updating an internet search engine database with the results of a user's selection of specific web page listings from the general web page listing provided to the user as a result of his initial keyword search entry. By updating the database with the selections of many different users, the database can be updated to prioritize those web listings that have been selected the most with respect to a given keyword, and thereby presenting first the most popular web page listings in a subsequent search using the same keyword search entry.

Given a digital video clip, this invention describes how to efficiently compute the motion vectors and motion trajectory of each identified video object for facilitating various commonly encountered visual applications, such as video compression for transmission and archiving, security and surveillance monitoring, and search-by-query required in the Internet search engine or digital library.

A system and method for associating a personalized application tool and / or service in response to data supplied by any number of search requests is disclosed. The present invention in some preferred embodiments integrates a Session Manager (0701), Tool / Service Integrator (0702), Result Analyzer (0703), Registration Manager (0704), and a Request Server (0705) in conjunction with a DTD Schema (0707), a Tool / Services Database (0706), and an Optional Accounting Manager (0708). Several preferred embodiments of the present invention are configured to process user search requests (0711) comprising Internet search queries (0712) that are subsequently processed by an Internet Search Engine (0713) under control of a Session Manger (0701). The focus of the present invention is to permit brokering of search results post-processing tools and / or services, thus improving the overall efficiency of the searching and data analysis functions by a given user.

There are provided a keyword advertisement service method and a system including: a step of maintaining a search information database for storing at least one search listing in correspondence to a predetermined keyword; a step of receiving 5 information on predetermined bid participation cost in association with extracting the search listing from the advertiser; a step of extracting at least a part of the search listings corresponding to the keyword inputted for the search request; and a step of arranging the extracted search listings into a search result list by rolling the same and providing the search result list as a search result of the search request, wherein Step of extracting 0 at least the part of the search listings corresponding to the keyword inputted for the search request includes: a step of giving an extraction ranking to each of the search listings corresponding to the keyword based on the bid participation cost and a predetermined additional factor and a step of extracting search listings within a set-up ranking.

Method of and system for delivering consumer product related information to consumers over the Internet. The system and method involves creating an UPN-encoded Consumer Product Information (CPIR) enabling Applet for each consumer product registered within a manufacturer-managed UPN / URL database management system. Each CPIR-enabling Applet is encapsulated within an executable file and then stored in the UPN / URL database management system. Each CPIR-enabling Applet is searchable and downloadable by, for example, (1) retailers purchasing products from an electronic-commerce enabled product catalog, (2) advertisers desiring to link consumer product information to Web-based product advertisements, or (3) anyone having a legitimate purpose of disseminating such information within the stream of electronic commerce. After downloading and extraction from its encapsulating file, the CPIR-enabling Applet is embedded within an HTML-encoded document associated with, for example, an EC-enabled store, on-line auction site, product advertisement, Internet search engine or directory, and the like. Upon encountering such an Applet-encoded HTML document on the WWW, the consumer need only perform a single mouse-clicking operation to automatically execute the underlying CPIR-enabling Applet (on either the client or server side of the network), causing a UPN-directed search to be performed against the manufacturer-defined UPN / URL Database, and the results thereof displayed in an independent Java GUI, without disturbing the consumer's point of presence on the WWW. Preferably, the CPIR-enabling Applets are realized using Java™ technology, although it is understood that alternative technologies can be used to practice the system and methods of the present invention.

The present invention provides for a method of updating an internet search engine database with the results of a user's selection of specific web page listings from the general web page listing provided to the user as a result of his initial keyword search entry. By updating the database with the selections of many different users, the database can be updated to prioritize those web listings that have been selected the most with respect to a given keyword, and thereby presenting first the most popular web page listings in a subsequent search using the same keyword search entry.

A system and method for providing a user with an automatic and highly efficient method to find links to relevant reviews of restaurants in a given location by use of an automatically configured, sophisticated search algorithm, The system generates a webpage arranged to receive inquiries from a user and utilizes an algorithm to automatically generate a sophisticated search string of specialized criteria upon receipt of minimal input information from the user in the form of only the name and approximate location of the particular restaurant for which reviews are desired. The search string is automatically provided to a customized Internet search engine, which conducts the search and returns the results for automatic display on the webpage.

Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for creating a web site based on an emerging subject, which is also a search keyword, by analyzing search activities (or data) of Internet users of a popular Internet search engine. Analysis of search activity data of the Internet search engine can also provide search keywords that are most related to the emerging subject, and Internet sites with content relevant to the emerging subject. To create such a web site that is of interests to Internet users, the emerging subject and related search keywords mentioned above can be searched on Internet sites identified to have content relevant to the emerging subject. The search results are used to populate databases for this web site. After the web site is created and launched, users of the site can contribute to the content of the site. In addition, active users of the web site can engage in basic administration of the site, which reduces the need of intervention by paid administrators. Thus, by obtaining content from Internet sites, coupled with contributions made by users, it is possible to automatically create and maintain new custom created sites with minimal intervention by paid administrators.

Techniques for integrating instant messaging with Internet search features are provided. An instant messaging (IM) application allows users to launch a search of the Internet or the World Wide Web for information about another IM user or another topic. If an IM user wishes to locate information relating to a friend, a search is performed through a database of registered IM members to locate a user profile for the friend. If the friend's profile is found, the profile is displayed to the IM user. An IM application can also launch a Internet search for information relating to a topic or a friend. The IM application can link to an Internet search engine to search the Internet for web sites relating to the topic or person. Search results from an Internet search can be sorted based on information about a friend that is stored in the friend's user profile.

The search result clustering process includes the following steps: pre-recording one or several sorts relative to the key word(s) included in the indexed document; and classifying the documents of the search result based on the sorts relative to the key word(s) included search request. The said sorts may be any document classifying marks or key words, and each sort may have one set weight. The documents in the search result is set in the sort set of corresponding inquiry key words, and the grade of the clustering sort may be calculated based on the included document grade. The clustering process may be completed in high efficiency, and is suitable for clustering of search result in large scale document searching system. In addition, the grading of clustering sorts makes it possible to exhibit documents with higher grade to the user first.

A method of calling and setting up communication link from an Internet search engine and searching service. System components include: (a) a database; (b) a search engine; (c) a control server; (d) a client-side component; (e) a web server (hosting a web-site for a business or organization or individual who associates with the search result, the said client-side component also embedded in web pages of the said web-site); (f) a gateway transferring audio data into PSTN; (g) a client software or (h) an interface or (i) a call center or (0) an information appliance (such as an ordinary telephone, PC or PDA, taking / answering the call). Components set up instant online communication based upon the search terms entered into a search engine. Integrates VoIP techniques, search engine, audio CODEC, video CODEC, TCP / IP, database management technology, providing a communicating platform and data communicating services.