Displaying search results

• US 20020103797A1
• 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 7,359,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Website search results obtained from searching multiple electronic information stores may be displayed transparently without distinguishing the electronic information store. The search may be performed by a web host and may include receiving at least one search term that then is compared with first electronic information within a first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, where the first electronic information includes content provided by an internal source. The search term also is compared with second electronic information within a second electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, where the second electronic information includes content provided by an external source. Results are displayed based on matches that are determined to exist with the first electronic information and the second electronic information. The results are combined in a single list of results.

Claims

1. A method for displaying web site search results obtained from searching multiple electronic information stores without distinguishing the particular electronic information stores in the display, the method comprising:

a web host receiving at least one search term;

the web host comparing the search term with first electronic information within a first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, the first electronic information including content provided by an internal source;

the web host comparing the search term with second electronic information within a second electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, the second electronic information including content provided by an external source; and

displaying results based on the matches that are determined to exist with the first electronic information and the second electronic information, wherein the results are combined in a single list of results comprised of the matches that are determined to exist with the first electronic information and the second electronic information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying results includes displaying results such that whether the results are obtained from the external source or the internal source is transparent to a user viewing the single list of results.

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;

comparing the search term with the first electronic information comprises comparing the single string of search terms with the first electronic information to determine whether matches exist; and

comparing the search term with the second electronic information comprises comparing the single string of search terms with the second electronic information to determine whether matches exist.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first electronic information further includes proprietary web content such that comparing the search term with the first electronic information includes comparing the search term with the proprietary web content within the first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second electronic information further includes non-proprietary web content such that comparing the search term with the second electronic information includes comparing the search term with the non-proprietary web content within the second electronic information store to determine whether matches exist.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the results include a ranked list of web site identifiers.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the results from the matches determined to exist with the internal source are ranked higher than the results from the matches determined to exist with the external source.

8. A method for displaying web site search results that are produced from searching multiple electronic information stores, the method comprising:

a web host receiving at least one search term;

the web host comparing the search term with first electronic information within a first electronic information store to produce first results based on matches that are determined to exist;

the web host sending the search term to a third party search service for use in comparing the search term to at least second electronic information within a second electronic information store to produce second results based on matches that are determined to exist;

the web host receiving the second results from the third party search service;

the web host combining the first results and the second results; and

displaying the combined first results and second results as a single list of results, the results including at least one web site identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the single list of results is transparent as to a source of the results.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second electronic information within the second electronic information store is maintained by the third party search service.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein combining the first results and the second results includes integrating the first results and the second results without displacing.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the first electronic information includes proprietary information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second electronic information includes information that is non-proprietary to a provider of the first electronic information.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second electronic information includes information that is proprietary to the third party search service.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the first electronic information within the first electronic information store is maintained by an internet service provider.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the results include identifiers for several web sites, and displaying the results includes ranking identifiers for the several web sites.

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

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

20. The computer program of claim 17 wherein displaying results includes displaying results such that whether the results are obtained from the external source or the internal source is transparent to a user viewing the single list of results.

17. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium for displaying web site search results obtained from searching multiple electronic information stores transparently without distinguishing the particular electronic information store, comprising instructions for:

receiving at least one search term;

comparing the search term with first electronic information within a first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, wherein the first electronic information includes content provided by an internal source;

comparing the search term with second electronic information within a second electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, wherein the second electronic information includes content provided by an external source; and

displaying results based on the matches that are determined to exist with the first electronic information and the second electronic information, wherein the results are combined in a single list of results comprised of the matches that are determined to exist with the first electronic information and the second electronic information.