Internet search results annotation for missing search terms in referenced webpages and descendant webpages

• US 10,437,900 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Osann, Jr., Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phong H
• Application Number:
  US16/199,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20190095396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 317 Days
• Field of Search: 707706, 707722, 707723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

Internet search engines sometimes provide Internet search results referencing webpages that do not contain all search term elements submitted by a user. The user may then click on such Internet search results where the referenced webpages do not contain an important search term element. The present invention is directed to annotating Internet search results to indicate missing search term elements. This facilitates the user to avoid clicking on an Internet search result where the user'"'"'s search term elements are not present on the referenced webpage, and thereby prevents wasting the user'"'"'s time. Furthermore, frequently, search term elements are missing on a webpage referenced by an Internet search result but are found on a descendant webpage thereof. Accordingly, the present invention is further directed to annotating an Internet search result consistent with the presence or absence of search term elements on both a referenced webpage and one or more descendant webpages.

Claims

1. A system for performing an Internet search and for providing annotated Internet search results suitable for display to a user, wherein the system comprises:

one or more servers comprising one or more processors, wherein at least one of the one or more servers is connected to the Internet;

wherein the system receives from a user via a remote computer connected to the Internet, a search request comprising one or more search term elements;

wherein the system performs an Internet search based at least in part on the search request;

wherein the system transmits via the Internet, information comprising at least a plurality of Internet search results, including at least an automatically annotated Internet search result, wherein the transmitted information is suitable for display of a search results webpage on the remote computer connected to the Internet;

wherein each Internet search result so displayed on the remote computer is organized as a search result grouping referencing a webpage associated with the each Internet search result, and comprising at least one of;

a title, an Internet link, an excerpt, or a URL;

wherein the information comprising at least the plurality of Internet search results, including at least the automatically annotated Internet search result, is created by the one or more processors where the automatically annotated Internet search result indicates that at least one of the search term elements is missing if the at least one search term element is not present in the referenced webpage, and also not present in one or more descendant webpages of the referenced webpage;

wherein the annotation is automatically placed in the search result grouping corresponding to the annotated Internet search result so that the user readily associates the annotation with the annotated Internet search result; and

wherein whenever a specific Internet search result is so annotated, the annotation for the specific Internet search result warns the user that one or more search terms are missing in both a webpage referenced by the specific Internet search result and one or more descendent webpages of the referenced webpage, and thereby provides foreknowledge that the specific Internet search result is less relevant with regard to what the user seeks, thus preventing time lost by the user thereby speeding operation of the computer for Internet search.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein a font representing that text has been altered.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown with one or more lines merged with the text or superimposed thereupon.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown within a shaded area or with a reversed format.

5. A computerized method for operating an Internet search engine, utilizing:

one or more processors on one or more servers, where at least one of the one or more servers is connected to the Internet;

the Internet;

a remote computer connected to the Internet for;

receiving a search request from a user;

transmitting the search request to at least one of the one or more servers;

receiving annotated Internet search results from the one or more servers; and

displaying the annotated Internet search results to the user; and

wherein the computerized method comprises;

receiving from the user of the remote computer, the search request comprising one or more search term elements;

performing an Internet search based on, at least in part, the search request to produce a plurality of Internet search results;

outputting at least some of the plurality of Internet search results for display on the remote computer of the user;

wherein each Internet search result so displayed on the remote computer is organized as a search result grouping referencing a webpage associated with the each Internet search result, and comprising at least one of;

a title, an Internet link, an excerpt, or a URL;

wherein at least one of the Internet search results so displayed on the remote computer is automatically annotated to indicate that at least one of the search term elements is missing if the at least one search term element is not present in the referenced webpage, and also not present in one or more descendant webpages of the referenced webpage;

wherein the annotation is automatically placed in the search result grouping corresponding to the annotated Internet search result so that the user readily associates the annotation with the annotated Internet search result; and

wherein whenever a specific Internet search result is so annotated, the annotation for the specific Internet search result warns the user that one or more search terms are missing in both a webpage referenced by the specific Internet search result and one or more descendent webpages of the referenced webpage, and thereby provides foreknowledge that the specific Internet search result is less relevant with regard to what the user seeks, thus preventing time lost by the user thereby speeding operation of the computer for Internet search.

6. The computerized method of claim 5 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein a font representing that text has been altered.

7. The computerized method of claim 5 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown with one or more lines merged with the text or superimposed thereupon.

8. The computerized method of claim 5 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown within a shaded area or with a reversed format.

9. A computerized method for operating an Internet search engine, utilizing:

one or more processors on one or more servers, where at least one of the one or more servers is connected to the Internet;

the Internet;

a remote computer connected to the Internet for;

receiving a search request from a user;

transmitting the search request to at least one of the one or more servers;

receiving annotated Internet search results from the one or more servers; and

displaying the annotated Internet search results to the user; and

wherein the computerized method comprises;

receiving from the user of the remote computer, the search request comprising one or more search term elements;

performing an Internet search based on, at least in part, the search request to produce a plurality of Internet search results;

outputting at least some of the plurality of Internet search results for display on the remote computer of the user, including annotating at least one Internet search result responsive, at least in part, to the absence of at least one of the search term elements in one or more descendant webpages of a webpage referenced by the at least one Internet search result to indicate that the at least one of the search term elements is missing from the at least one Internet search result;

wherein each Internet search result so displayed on the remote computer is organized as a search result grouping referencing a webpage associated with the each Internet search result, and comprising at least one of;

a title, an Internet link, an excerpt, or a URL;

wherein the annotation is automatically placed in the search result grouping corresponding to the annotated Internet search result so that the user readily associates the annotation with the annotated Internet search result; and

wherein whenever a specific Internet search result is so annotated, the annotation for the specific Internet search result warns the user that one or more search terms are missing at least in one or more descendent webpages of a webpage referenced by the specific Internet search result, and thereby provides foreknowledge that the specific Internet search result is less relevant with regard to what the user seeks, thus preventing time lost by the user thereby speeding operation of the computer for Internet search.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one of the search term elements is missing in the referenced webpage.

11. The computerized method of claim 9 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein a font representing that text has been altered.

12. The computerized method of claim 9 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown with one or more lines merged with the text or superimposed thereupon.

13. The computerized method of claim 9 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown within a shaded area or with a reversed format.

14. A system for performing an Internet search and for providing annotated Internet search results suitable for display to a user, wherein the system comprises:

one or more servers comprising one or more processors, wherein at least one of the one or more servers is connected to the Internet;

wherein the system receives from a user via a remote computer connected to the Internet, a search request comprising one or more search term elements;

wherein the system performs an Internet search based at least in part on the search request;

wherein the system transmits via the Internet, information comprising at least a plurality of Internet search results, including at least an automatically annotated Internet search result, wherein the transmitted information is suitable for display of a search results webpage on the remote computer connected to the Internet;

wherein each Internet search result so displayed on the remote computer is organized as a search result grouping referencing a webpage associated with the each Internet search result, and comprising at least one of;

a title, an Internet link, an excerpt, or a URL;

wherein the information comprising at least the plurality of Internet search results, including at least the automatically annotated Internet search result, is created by the one or more processors wherein when a search term element is missing in a referenced webpage and also missing in all descendant webpages of the referenced webpage, the Internet search result is annotated differently than another Internet search result where at least one of the search term elements is missing in the referenced webpage but is present in one or more descendant webpages of the referenced webpage;

wherein the annotation is automatically placed in the search result grouping corresponding to the annotated Internet search result so that the user readily associates the annotation with the annotated Internet search result; and

wherein whenever a specific Internet search result is annotated to indicate missing search terms, the annotation for the specific Internet search result warns the user that one or more search terms are missing in a webpage referenced by the specific Internet search result and all descendent webpages of the referenced webpage, and thereby provides foreknowledge that the specific Internet search result is less relevant with regard to what the user seeks, thus preventing time lost by the user thereby speeding operation of the computer for Internet search.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein a font representing that text has been altered.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown with one or more lines merged with the text or superimposed thereupon.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown within a shaded area or with a reversed format.

18. A system for operating an Internet search engine, comprising:

one or more processors on one or more servers, where at least one of the one or more servers is connected to the Internet;

wherein the system utilizes;

the Internet; and

a remote computer connected to the Internet for;

receiving a search request from a user;

transmitting the search request to at least one of the one or more servers;

receiving annotated Internet search results from the one or more servers; and

displaying the annotated Internet search results to the user; and

wherein the system receives from the user of the remote computer, the search request comprising one or more search term elements;

wherein the system performs an Internet search based on, at least in part, the search request to produce a plurality of Internet search results;

wherein the system outputs at least some of the plurality of Internet search results for display on the remote computer of the user, including annotating at least one Internet search result responsive, at least in part, to the absence of at least one of the search term elements in one or more descendant webpages of a webpage referenced by the at least one Internet search result;

wherein each Internet search result so displayed on the remote computer is organized as a search result grouping referencing a webpage associated with the each Internet search result, and comprising at least one of;

a title, an Internet link, an excerpt, or a URL;

wherein the annotation is automatically placed in the search result grouping corresponding to the annotated Internet search result so that the user readily associates the annotation with the annotated Internet search result; and

wherein whenever a specific Internet search result is so annotated, the annotation for the specific Internet search result warns the user that one or more search terms are missing at least in one or more descendent webpages of a webpage referenced by the specific Internet search result, and thereby provides foreknowledge that the specific Internet search result is less relevant with regard to what the user seeks, thus preventing time lost by the user thereby speeding operation of the computer for Internet search.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one of the search term elements is missing in the referenced webpage.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein a font representing that text has been altered.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown with one or more lines merged with the text or superimposed thereupon.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the annotation comprises text representing the at least one search term element determined to be not present in the referenced webpage, and wherein that text is shown within a shaded area or with a reversed format.