Universal search engine

• US 20030018468A1
• Filed: 07/20/2001
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, DeAnna G., Johnson, Bruce L., Leclerc, Paul
• Application Number:
  US09/910,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20030018468A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/8
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a universal search engine that is configured to search in any one of several different languages. The universal search engine can therefore be used in a method for conducting a search for stored information that comprises the steps of presenting a user interface to a user, receiving an identification of a particular search language in which to search, receiving a search query, and conducting a search of a database that contains information written in the identified language.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a search for stored information, comprising the steps of:

presenting a user interface to a user;

receiving an identification of a particular search language in which to search;

receiving a search query; and

conducting a search of a database that contains information written in the identified language.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a search site accessible via a network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the search site comprises a web site accessible via the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the search language is selected from a group of several different available languages which each pertain to a different language database.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving selection of a different search language in which to search.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of reconfiguring the user interface so it is presented in the different search language.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of translating the search query into the different language.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of conducting a search for the translated search query in a database containing information written in the different language.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising translating results located during the search into a language selected by the user.

10. A universal search engine, comprising:

means for interfacing with a user; and

means for searching one of several different available language databases in one of several different available search languages.

11. The search engine of claim 10, wherein the means for interfacing with a user comprises a web site accessible via the Internet.

12. The search engine of claim 10, further comprising means for receiving selection of a different search language.

13. The search engine of claim 10, further comprising means for reconfiguring the means for interfacing with a user when a different search language is selected.

14. The search engine of claim 10, further comprising means for translating a search query into a different language.

15. The search engine of claim 14, further comprising means for searching for the translated search query in a database containing information in the different language.

17. The software of claim 16, further comprising logic configured to receive selection of a different search language.

18. The software of claim 17, further comprising logic configured to reconfigure the user interface so as to be written in the different search language.

19. The software of claim 17, further comprising logic configured to translate the search query into the different language.

20. The software of claim 19, further comprising logic configured to search for the translated search query in a database containing information in the different language.

16. Search engine software stored on a computer readable medium, comprising:

logic configured to present a user interface to a user;

logic configured to receive an identification of a particular search language;

logic configured to receive a search query with the user interface; and

logic configured to search a database that contains information in the identified language.