Search Redirect Proxy for Charity Revenue Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current search engines do not provide a mechanism for redirecting search requests to benefit designated recipients, such as non-profit entities, while ensuring user privacy and efficient payment allocation to eligible recipients.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that redirects search requests over a network by storing recipient information in a database, forwarding search requests to a search engine, and allocating payments to designated recipients based on the occurrence of searches, with features like user interface for recipient selection, search query forwarding, and payment calculation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If search engines implement pay per click advertising and pay for placement, then advertising revenue is generated, but user privacy is compromised and the system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that sits between users and search engines, redirecting search requests through a proxy server. This intermediary handles the complexity of tracking and payment allocation without requiring the search engine itself to implement these features, thus generating advertising revenue while keeping the core search engine simple and user privacy relatively protected through the intermediary layer
2Measurement precision
If search engines track user searches for payment allocation, then payment accuracy to recipients is improved, but user privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy server acts as an intermediary that tracks search requests and allocates payments to recipients without the search engine needing to know recipient identities. The system maintains payment accuracy by tracking search occurrences through the intermediary layer while preserving user privacy by not requiring the search engine to access or store sensitive user information
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the search ecosystem into distinct functional components: the user agent, the proxy server (which handles tracking and payment logic), and the search engine (which only processes search queries). This segmentation allows precise payment tracking to be performed by the proxy server without compromising user privacy in the search engine's data handling
3Productivity
If a redirect system tracks search requests for payment allocation, then payment tracking efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy server implements self-service functionality by automatically tracking search requests, identifying recipients based on user-agent strings, and allocating payments without requiring manual intervention. The system uses automated cookie-based user identification and recipient matching, which improves payment tracking efficiency while keeping operational complexity manageable through automation
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is related to methods and systems for processing search requests and for performing searches over a network. In an embodiment, a recipient designation is received from a user over a network. The designation indicates that future searches performed by the user are to be associated with the recipient (even if the subject matter of the search is not related to the recipient). A search request is received from the user; causing a search to be performed in response to the search request. An identifier corresponding to the recipient is stored in association with an indication regarding the occurrence of the first search request.