Search Engine Answer Box Integration via External Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Search engines without answer box functionality cannot provide users with direct answers to their queries, requiring users to switch to different search engines for answer box features, which can disrupt the search experience.
Innovation Solution
A method where a search engine without answer box functionality can generate a search engine results page that includes an answer box by requesting and embedding answer box results from another search engine that does provide answer box functionality, allowing users to receive direct answers without switching engines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a search engine does not include answer box functionality, then the search engine can maintain simpler architecture and operations, but users cannot receive direct answers to their queries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the search engine requests answer box results from another search engine that provides this functionality. The first search engine acts as a mediator that combines its search results with answer box results from a second search engine, allowing users to receive direct answers without requiring the first search engine to build this capability internally. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining operational simplicity while enabling enhanced user experience through external collaboration.
2Ease of operation
If users switch to different search engines to access answer box features, then they can obtain direct answers, but the search experience becomes disrupted and less intuitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple search engines into a unified interface. The first search engine integrates answer box results from a second search engine into its own results pages, allowing users to receive direct answers within the same search session without switching engines. This consolidation eliminates the need for users to navigate between different search engines, thereby reducing time loss and maintaining search experience continuity while providing comprehensive answer box functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for providing answer box functionality to a third party search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, by a search engine, a search query, generating one or more search results that are responsive to the search query, generating an answer box request based on the search query, transmitting the answer box request to another search engine, receiving, in response to the answer box request, an answer box result from the other search engine, generating a search engine results page that includes one or more of the search results, and that includes an answer box that references information included in the answer box result, and providing the search engine results page.