Method and system for generating a set of search terms

• US 20040230574A1
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Overture Services Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kravets, Alexander N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• 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 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• 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 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and system for providing a set of search terms in response to a user input are disclosed. A first set of search terms is selected from a master set of search terms based upon a match between the input and the search terms or based upon a predefined association between the input and the search terms. A second set of search terms is selected from the first set of search terms in response to a value score that is established for each of the search terms. The value score is selected based at least in part upon the amount of revenue that each search term generates for the system'"'"'s operator.

Claims

1-23. -23 (Cancelled)

24. A method of generating terms in response to an input from a user, the method comprising:

(a) maintaining a master set of terms in a database;

(b) determining a value score for said terms in the master set, wherein the value score for said terms is determined by an amount of revenue generated by said terms;

(c) receiving the input from the user; and

,

(d) selecting a set of terms from the master set of terms in response to the input received from the user and in response to the value score.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the input from the user comprises a plurality of characters.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the input from the user comprises a voice input.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein (b) further comprises using statistical information to determine the value score.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein (d) comprises selecting terms that match the input.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein (d) comprises selecting terms that match a portion of the input.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein (d) comprises selecting terms that have the highest value score.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

selecting an alternate set of terms based on a partial input of the user.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising displaying the alternate set of terms to the user.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising displaying the selected set of terms and the alternate set of terms simultaneously.

34. A method of generating a term list in response to an input from a user, the method comprising:

(a) maintaining a master set of terms in a database;

(b) determining a value score for said terms in the master set, wherein the value score for said terms is determined by an amount of revenue generated by said terms;

(c) receiving the input from the user;

(d) selecting a first set of terms from the master set of terms in response to the input received from the user; and

(e) selecting a second set of terms from the first set of terms in response to the value score.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising providing a prompt to the user to allow the user to activate and deactivate displaying the second set of terms.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the value score is determined by a number of times that the term is used during a period of time.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein comprises selecting terms that match the input.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein comprises selecting terms that match a portion of the input.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein comprises selecting terms that have the highest value score.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein the input from the user comprises a plurality of characters.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein the input from the user comprises a voice input.

42. The method of claim 34, further comprising using statistical information to determine the value score.

43. A method of generating a term list in response to an input from a user, the method comprising:

(b) maintaining a master set of search terms in a database;

(c) determining a value score for said search terms in the master set, wherein the value score is determined by an amount of revenue generated by the search term;

(d) receiving the input from the user;

(e) selecting a first set of search terms from the master set of search terms in response to the input received from the user; and

(f) selecting a second set of search terms from the first set of search terms in response to the value score, wherein the second set of search terms comprises search terms that match only a portion of the input from the user.

44. The method of claim 58, wherein the value score is determined by a number of times that the search term is used during a period of time.