Filtering search results

• US 20020103788A1
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goel, Surendra, Kellum, David E., Donaldson, Thomas E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Searching different data stores based on a classification of a search term may include receiving at least one search term and classifying the search term among at least first and second categories. When the search term is classified within the first category, the search term is compared to first electronic information within a first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist. When the search term is classified within the second category, the search term is compared to at least second electronic information within at least a second electronic information store that differs from the first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist. A result is displayed based on the matches that are determined to exist.

Claims

1. A method for searching different data stores based on a classification of a search term, the method comprising:

receiving at least one search term;

classifying the search term among at least first and second categories;

when the search term is classified within the first category, comparing the search term to first electronic information within a first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist;

when the search term is classified within the second category, comparing the search term to at least second electronic information within at least a second electronic information store that differs from the first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist; and

displaying a result based on the matches that are determined to exist.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the search term when the search term is classified within the second category comprises comparing the search term to the first electronic information within the first electronic information store and to the second electronic information within the second electronic information store.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

receiving at least one search term comprises receiving several search terms and grouping the search terms received as a single string;

classifying the search term comprises classifying the single string of search terms among at least first and second categories;

comparing the search term when the single string of search terms is classified within the first category comprises comparing the single string of search terms to the first electronic information within the first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist; and

comparing the search term when the single string of search terms is classified within the second category comprises comparing the single string of search terms to the second electronic information within the second electronic information store to determine whether matches exist.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first electronic information includes contents relating to non-offensive web sites and the second electronic information includes contents relating to offensive web sites.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed by a web host having members and the method further comprises:

automatically scanning contents of a web site when the web site is accessed by members of the web host;

classifying the contents of the web site among at least one of the first electronic information within the first electronic information store and the second electronic information within the second electronic information store;

storing the contents of the web site in the first electronic information within the first electronic information store when the contents of the web site are classified among the first electronic information; and

storing the contents of the web site in the second electronic information within the second electronic information store when the contents of the web site are classified among the second electronic information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first electronic information store is located on a first server and the second electronic information store is located on a second server that differs from the first server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first electronic information includes full text, titles, descriptions, and addresses of web sites such that the comparing the search term to the first electronic information within the first electronic information store comprises comparing the search term to the full text, the titles, the descriptions, and the addresses of web sites to determine whether matches exist.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second electronic information includes full text, titles, descriptions, and addresses of web sites such that the comparing the search term to the second electronic information within the second electronic information store comprises comparing the search term to the full text, the titles, the descriptions, and the addresses of web sites to determine whether matches exist.

9. A method of storing searchable contents into more than one distinct data store, the method comprising:

receiving content;

classifying the content among a first electronic information store and a second electronic information store; and

storing the content based on the classifying among the first electronic information store and the second electronic information store.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the classifying is based on content received from a listing service.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the classifying is based on the content itself.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first electronic information store includes non-offensive content.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second electronic information store includes offensive content.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first electronic information store is included on a first server and the second electronic information store is included on a second server that differs from the first server.

17. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a propagated signal.

18. The computer program of claim 17 wherein the propagated signal comprises a carrier wave.

20. The computer program of claim 19 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a propagated signal.

21. The computer program of claim 20 wherein the propagated signal comprises a carrier wave.

14. A system for storing searchable content, comprising:

a first electronic information store that includes content based on classifying the content as non-offensive; and

a second electronic information store that includes content based on classifying the content as offensive.

16. A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, for searching different data stores based on a classification of a search term, comprising instructions for:

receiving at least one search term;

classifying the search term among at least first and second categories;

when the search term is classified within the first category, comparing the search term to first electronic information within a first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist;

when the search term is classified within the second category, comparing the search term to at least second electronic information within at least a second electronic information store that differs from the first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist; and

displaying a result based on the matches that are determined to exist.

19. A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, for storing searchable contents into more than one distinct data store, comprising instructions for:

receiving content;

classifying content among a first electronic information store and a second electronic information store; and

storing the content based on the classifying among the first electronic information store and the second electronic information store.