ASSOCIATIVE SEARCH ENGINE

• US 20070244873A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Skillen, Richard, Livemore, Frederick
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• 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 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching 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

Abstract

This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlating the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user.

Claims

1. A method for operating an advertising machine implemented on at least one computer to provide advertisements via a communications link to a data processing device of a user, the method comprising:

receiving from the data processing device via the communications link a search request that includes a search argument;

searching at least one database using the search argument to produce search results;

selecting at least one advertisement from an advertisement database relating to the search argument using the user preferences; and

transmitting the search results together with the at least one advertisement via the communications link to the data processing device in a web page data format to enable the data processing device to display the search results in a first display portion and the at least one advertisement displayed in a second display portion.