Internet-based search system and method of use

• US 20070244900A1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jeff Budge, Kevin Hopkins
• Original Assignee: Jeff Budge, Kevin Hopkins
• Inventors: Hopkins, Kevin, Budge, Jeff
• Application Number:
  US11/359,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244900A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

An Internet-based search system and method of use. The system in its various embodiments includes an electronic database. The database includes one or more topical categories of information and wherein the categories are further divided into datasets of one or more pre-selected web locations. The invention also includes an Internet remote in communication with the database. The Internet remote includes in its various embodiments, a title bar, one or more advertising windows, a channel selector, a navigation palette, a navigation panel, and an optional set of additional links. In operation, a user selects a channel from the channel selector, which then causes the display of one or more categories in the navigation palette. Upon selection of the desired category, one or more subcategory bars appear in the navigation panel, the selection of which causes the display of one or more links to either a website, or a particular page within a website. Alternatively, the user may enter a search term and, upon selection of a web site, that search term is passed to the selected site employing its own search function. In either circumstance, when the user selects a link, that link displays in a separate companion web browser such that both the remote and companion browser are simultaneously viewable.

Claims

1. An Internet-based search, navigation, and web-page and web-site display system, comprising:

a) an electronic database, wherein the database includes one or more topical categories of information and wherein the categories are further divided into datasets consisting of one or more pre-selected web locations, which in some cases are further subdivided into one or more subcategories of information;

b) an optional collection of datasets so defined, contained within an electronic database, wherein the pre-selected web locations are organized within the datasets topically, alphabetically, by relevance, according to some other organizing methodology, or in some combination thereof;

c) one or more optional indexes to the datasets contained within an electronic database, in which keyword terms are associated with one or more datasets, portions of datasets, collections of datasets, or some combination thereof;

d) a navigation palette functioning as an Internet remote that operates in communication with the electronic database, wherein the Internet remote includes one or more of the following;

i) a title bar;

ii) one or more advertising windows;

iii) a channel selector;

iv) an optional navigation palette;

v) a site-link display panel (navigation panel);

vi) an optional set of subcategory bars;

vii) one or more search boxes; and

viii) an optional set of links to web sites or web pages within web sites;

e) one or more optional launching web pages, advertisements, web page links, email links, and/or computer icons (hereafter, “

launching page”

) containing one or more dataset links, dataset keywords, advertisements, web-site referral, affiliate, or associate program links, geographic maps, graphic illustrations, search boxes, or some combination thereof, the activation of any of which causes the Internet remote to launch and display its content in a format defined by the electronic database and according to the manner in which the Internet remote was launched and/or the tool by which it was launched.

f) a companion browser that is capable of displaying a web site or web page corresponding to a link presented or a search term entered within the Internet remote and/or alaunching page when the user activates the link or enters the search term.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the web locations so referred are web sites, web pages within web sites, or some combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the web locations are web-based video programs, video channels, web sites containing video content, or some combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the web locations are web sites internal to a private, educational, nonprofit, or government entity (“

intranets”

), web pages within web sites internal to a private, educational, nonprofit, or government entity, or some combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the web locations are web sites, email messages, weblogs, other web content, or some combination thereof created and posted to the Internet by a private individual or company.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the web locations are links to documents, files, or other materials on the user'"'"'s computer hard drive, on a remote computer, or on a computer network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the web locations are web sites, web pages within web sites, or some combination thereof, in which the web links so presented and displayed are nominated or posted by users of the system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the web locations include, are embedded with, and/or are appended with links or reference codes or similar identifiers to web-based referral, affiliate, or associate programs.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the Internet remote consists of the defined elements in claim 1 displayed within a conventional or modified web browser.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the Internet remote consists of the defined elements in claim 1 displayed within a web-based computer program that operates on a server accessed by the user over the Internet.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the Internet remote consists of the defined elements in claim 1 displayed within a web-based computer program that is downloaded to and installed on the user'"'"'s computer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more search box within the Internet remote and/or a launching page is capable of receiving either search terms or URLs.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the Internet remote displays a dataset, list of datasets, keywords or index terms associated with a dataset, individual web sites, individual web pages within web sites, referral, affiliate, or associate program links, or some combination thereof, in response to the user'"'"'s entering of a search term or URL into one or more search boxes within the Internet remote and/or a launching page.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the companion browser displays a web site, a web page within a web site, a combination of web sites or web pages, referral, affiliate, or associate program links, other web content, or some combination therefore in response to the user'"'"'s entering of a search term or URL into one or more search boxes within the Internet remote and/or a launching page or in response to the user'"'"'s selection of a category, channel, subcategory, advertisement, or referral, affiliate, or associate program link within the Internet remote and/or a launching page.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the Internet remote displays web sites, web pages, referral, affiliate, or associate program links, other web content, or some combination thereof in accordance with some measure of relevance to a search term or URL entered by the user into one or more search boxes within the Internet remote and/or a launching page.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the Internet remote passes a search term entered into one or more search boxes within the Internet remote and/or a launching page to one or more web sites, web pages within web sites, referral, affiliate, or associate program link, or some combination thereof, such that each selected web site or web page displays the search results for that web site or web page within the companion browser.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the advertising window within the Internet remote is capable of displaying advertisement types, informative content, educational content, news content, or other web content selected from the group consisting of:

graphics, text, web links, animated graphics, flash graphics, and video.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the content displayed within the advertising window is contained within or referenced by an electronic database.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the content displayed within the advertising window is displayed according to the search term the user has entered within the Internet remote and/or a launching page, the category, channel, subcategory, advertisement, web site, web page, or referral, affiliate, or associate program link that the user has activated within the Internet remote and/or a launching page, or some combination thereof.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the companion browser displays a web site, web page within a web site, collection of web sites or web pages, a referral, affiliate, or associate program link, other web content, or some combination thereof in the companion browser according to the search term the user has entered within the Internet remote and/or a launching page, the category, channel, subcategory, advertisement, web site, web page, or referral, affiliate, or associate program link that the user has activated within the Internet remote and/or a launching page, or some combination thereof. Respectfully, submitted, this 20^th day of Jun., 2007.