Integrating Local and Global Search Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Generic public search engines lack the ability to identify and index local information and expert profiles behind firewalls, limiting their effectiveness in business contexts where relevant data and expertise may reside within non-public databases.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a local search engine with a global generic search engine to simultaneously search public and private information sources, using a software module or widget to access private information sources and combine results, including expert recommendations and documents, while leveraging user profiles and natural language processing for relevancy scoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a generic public search engine is used, then large scale indexing and statistical analysis capabilities are available, but local information and expert profiles behind firewalls cannot be accessed
Solution Approach 1:
The search system is divided into two independent components: a global generic search engine for public information and a local search engine for private information. Each component operates independently with its own indexing capabilities, allowing the system to access both public and private information sources without compromising the volume of indexed data or the accessibility of local information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the results from the global generic search engine and the local search engine into a unified result set. This combination allows users to benefit from both the large-scale indexing capabilities of public search engines and the access to local information and expert profiles behind firewalls, effectively resolving the information accessibility gap.
2Loss of information
If a local search engine is used, then access to private information sources is enabled, but large scale statistical analysis and vast number of results are not available
Solution Approach 1:
The search system is divided into two independent components: a global generic search engine for public information and a local search engine for private information. Each component operates independently with its own indexing capabilities, allowing the system to access both public and private information sources without compromising the volume of indexed data or the accessibility of local information.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated search system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it conducts searches on both public and private information sources, applies statistical analysis to query processing, and returns comprehensive results. This multi-functionality allows the system to leverage both the large-scale capabilities and the private information access in a single unified operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate search engines are used for public and private information, then specialized access to each source is achieved, but integrated search results combining both sources are not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the results from the global generic search engine and the local search engine into a unified result set. This combination allows users to benefit from both the large-scale indexing capabilities of public search engines and the access to local information and expert profiles behind firewalls, effectively resolving the information accessibility gap.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs an intermediary integration layer that receives results from both search engines, processes them according to relevancy criteria, and presents a unified result set to the user. This mediator handles the complexity of result integration, making the search process easy to operate while maintaining source-specific capabilities.
4Measurement precision
If expert profiles and local documents are searched, then relevant business expertise is identified, but the search system lacks the statistical tools and indexing scale of generic engines
Solution Approach 1:
The search system is divided into two independent components: a global generic search engine for public information and a local search engine for private information. Each component operates independently with its own indexing capabilities, allowing the system to access both public and private information sources without compromising the volume of indexed data or the accessibility of local information.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated search system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it conducts searches on both public and private information sources, applies statistical analysis to query processing, and returns comprehensive results. This multi-functionality allows the system to leverage both the large-scale capabilities and the private information access in a single unified operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for simultaneously searching public and private information sources are provided. When a user implements a key word search of a public search engine via a web browser, the same key word search is automatically simultaneously implemented of a private information source to locate at least one of user contacts and documents relevant to the key word search. The user contacts and/or the documents returned from the private information source may be scored for relevancy to the key word search. Public search results are returned to the user based on the key word search of the public search engine. In addition, up to N most relevant of the at least one of the user contacts and the documents obtained from the private information source may be returned to the user in a side bar of the web browser adjacent to the public search results.