System and process for searching a network

• US 20040030682A1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rehm, Eric Carl, Porter, Charles A., Reichhold, Jonathan David
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/908 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• 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 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/923 Intellectual property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system for searching a network for network based content related to a search query, such as multimedia and streaming media, includes an adapter (12) for formatting the search query, a first database (18) containing previous search results and a second database (16) for storing currently returnable metadata, a search processor (14), and at least one search engine kernel (20) comprising a search engine inherent database. The search engine (14) coordinates searching of the first database (18) and the second database (16), and provides the formatted search query to the search engine kernel (20). The search processor (14) also provides and receives search results to and from the first database (18) and the second database (16), and provides search results to the adapter (12). The system stores a predetermined amount of previous search results in the first database (18), such that search results for a current search are retrieved from the database (18), avoiding a search through search engine kernel (20), comprising searchable metadata.

Claims

1. A method for searching a network for network based content related to a search query, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said search query;

formatting said search query;

searching a database for said network based content related to said search query, said database comprising previous search results;

if no network based content related to said search query is found in said database, providing said formatted search query to at least one search engine;

retrieving search results from one of said database and said at least one search engine; and

formatting said retrieved search results.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of updating a history file comprising search results.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said step of formatting said search query comprises formatting said search query to a format compatible with said at least one search engine.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of updating said database to comprise most recent search results, wherein:

said most recent search results replace least recent search results; and

search results residing in said database for at least a predetermined amount of time are removed from said database.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said step of formatting said retrieved search results comprises formatting said retrieved search results to one of a user provided format and requested format.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said search query comprises at least one of multimedia and streaming media.

7. A system (200) for searching a network for network based content related to a search query, said system (200) comprising:

an adapter (12) for formatting said search query;

a first database (18) comprising search results;

a second database (16) comprising returnable metadata related to said search results generated from searchable metadata; and

a search engine (14) for;

coordinating searching of said first database (18);

coordinating searching of said second database (16);

providing and receiving said search results related to said search query to and from said first database (18) and said second database (16); and

providing search results related to said search query to said adapter (12).

8. A system in accordance with claim 7 further comprising a promoter (24) for modifying data collected for use in a future search query.

9. A system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said modifying comprises at least one of:

optimizing a format of said collected data for supporting said search engine (14), optimizing a selection of said collected data for supporting said search engine (14), and producing said collected data for conversion into a displayable format.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said format of said collected data for supporting said search engine (14) and said displayable format are different.

11. A system in accordance with claim 7, further comprising a search persistent database (22) for storing data formatted for use by said search engine (14) and said second database (16).

12. A system in accordance with claim 7, further comprising

a plurality of adapters (12);

a respective plurality of search engines (14);

and a load balancer (28) for approximately evenly distributing a processing load among each of said plurality of adapters (12) and said respective search engines (14).

13. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein communication between said adapter (12), said search engine (14), said first database (18), said second database (16), is in accordance with a system specific application programming interface protocol.

14. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said search query comprises at least one of multimedia and streaming media.

15. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein a third database (20) comprises said searchable metadata.

16. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said first database (18) comprises at least one of:

a key generated from prior search query corresponding to said metadata in said second database (16), and a score generated from prior search query corresponding to said metadata in said second database (16).

17. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein:

said search engine (14) returns a subset of data from said search results corresponding to said search query to said adapter (12) for formatting, and

said formatting is for generating a displayed page from a plurality of displayed pages corresponding to said search results corresponding to said search query.

18. A program readable medium having embodied thereon a program for causing a processor to search a network for network based content related to a search query, said program readable medium comprising:

means for causing said processor to receive said search query;

means for causing said processor to format said search query;

means for causing said processor to search a database for said network based content related to a search query, said database comprising previous search results;

if no network based content related to a search query is found in said database, means for causing said processor to provide said formatted search query to at least one search engine;

means for causing said processor to retrieve search results from one of said database and said at least one search engine; and

means for causing said computer to format said retrieved search results.

19. A program readable medium in accordance with claim 18, said program readable medium further comprising means for causing said processor to update a history file comprising search results.

20. A program readable medium in accordance with claim 18, wherein said means for causing said processor to format said search query comprises means for causing said processor to format said search query to a format compatible with said at least one search engine.

21. A program readable medium in accordance with claim 18, said program readable medium further comprising means for causing said processor to update said database to comprise most recent search results, wherein:

said most recent search results replace least recent search results; and

search results residing in said database for at least a predetermined amount of time are removed from said database.

22. A program readable medium in accordance with claim 18, wherein said means for causing said processor to format said retrieved search results comprises a means for causing said processor to format said retrieved search results to a user provided format and a requested data format.

23. A program readable medium in accordance with claim 18, wherein said means merges said retrieved search results from a plurality of search engines.

24. A program readable medium in accordance with claim 18, wherein said search query comprises at least one of multimedia and streaming media.

25. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:

a receive search query code segment for receiving a search query for searching a network for network based content related to said search query;

a format search query code segment for formatting said search query;

a search database code segment for searching a database for said network based content related to a search query, said database comprising previous search results;

if no network based content related to a search query is found in said database, a provide formatted search query code segment for providing said formatted search query to at least one search engine;

a retrieve search results code segment for retrieving search results from one of said database and said at least one search engine; and

a format retrieved search results code segment for formatting said retrieved search results.

26. A data signal in accordance with claim 25, further comprising an update history file code segment for updating a history file comprising search results.

27. A data signal in accordance with claim 25, wherein formatting said search query comprises formatting said search query to a format compatible with said at least one search engine.

28. A data signal in accordance with claim 25, further comprising an update database code segment for updating said database to comprise most recent search results, wherein:

said most recent search results replace least recent search results; and

search results residing in said database for at least a predetermined amount of time are removed from said database.

29. A data signal in accordance with claim 28, wherein said updating of said database adds recent search results from a plurality of search engines when said search query is located in said database.