TECHNIQUE FOR INLINE SEARCHING IN AN INSTANT MESSENGER ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080162438A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: TAM, Raymond Chung-Man, SZETO, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90344 by using string matching techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Techniques for performing inline searches in an instant messaging environment are provided. A user can implement a web search in an instant messaging window by entering a search query. A search query can be preceded by a predefined search trigger to identify the associated text as the search query. The search query is sent to an Internet search server, which processes the query and gathers search results. One or more of the search results is displayed inline in the instant messaging window to the sender and the recipient. The search result can be in XML or HTML format and can include graphics and hyperlinks.

Claims

1. A method for searching the Internet in an instant messaging environment, the method comprising:

recognizing at least a portion of an instant message entered into an instant messaging window on a first client computer as a search query, wherein the search query is communicated to a second client computer for display inline in an instant messaging window on the second client computer; and

causing display of at least one search result inline in the instant messaging window on the first client computer and inline in the instant messaging window on the second client computer, the at least one search result from a search based on the search query.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the search query to a search server.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein recognizing the instant message entered by the first user as a search query further comprises identifying a character string in the instant message as a search trigger.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the character string comprises “

s;

”

.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one search result comprises an image or a hyperlink to a web page.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the display of at least one search result further comprises selecting the at least one search result based on a predetermined algorithm.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the display of at least one search result further comprises selecting a link to a sponsor web site from among the search results.

8. A computer system for searching the Internet in an instant messaging environment, the computer system comprising:

an instant messaging (IM) server operable for;

receiving an instant message from a first instant messaging (IM) client, wherein the instant message includes an inline search query entered into a first instant messaging window;

communicating the search query received from the first IM client to a second IM client for display inline in a second instant messaging window on the second IM client, and

causing a search based on the search query, the search returning search results, wherein at least one of the search results is communicated to the first IM client for display inline in the first instant messaging window and to the second IM client for display inline in the second instant messaging window.

9. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein the IM server recognizes the instant message as including a search query by identifying a search trigger in the instant message.

10. The computer system according to claim 9, wherein the search trigger comprises the character string “

s;

”

.

11. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein the IM server selects a sponsor web site from among the search results and transmits the selected search result to the first IM client and the second IM client for display.

12. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one search result comprises an image or a hyperlink.

13. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein the IM server receives the search query from the first IM client, transmits the search query to a search server, and communicates the at least one search result to the first and the second IM clients.

14. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein the first IM client communicates the search query to a search server and receives the at least one search result directly from the search server.

15. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein the second IM client communicates the search query to the search server and receives the at least one search result directly from the search server.

16. A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions for causing web searches in an instant messaging environment, the instructions comprising:

code for recognizing that an instant message entered by a first user into a first instant messaging window on a first client computer includes a search query;

code for causing communication of the search query to a second client computer for display of the search query inline in a second instant messaging window on the second client; and

code for causing the display of at least one search result inline in the first instant messaging window on the first client computer and inline in the second instant messaging window on the second client, the at least one search result based on the recognized search query.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, the instructions further comprising code for causing communication of the search query to a search server, wherein the code is with an instant messaging server that receives the search query and transmits the search query to the search server.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, the instructions further comprising code for causing communication of the search query to a search server, wherein the code is on the first client computer for transmitting the search query to the search server.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, further comprising code for selecting a sponsor web site from among the search results for display with the first and second instant messaging windows.

20. Apparatus for facilitating searching in an instant messaging environment, the apparatus comprising:

logic for identifying a search query from a first instant messaging (IM) client, the search query entered inline in an instant message conversion with a second user of a second instant messaging (IM) client; and

logic for causing display of at least one search result inline in a first window of the first IM client and inline in a second window of a second IM client, the at least one search result from a search based on the search query.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the logic for identifying the search query in the instant message as a search query comprises identifying a search trigger within the instant message.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the search trigger comprises the character string “

s;

”

.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the logic for identifying the search query in the instant message as a search query comprises identifying a character string in the instant message as a search trigger.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one search result comprises an image or a hyperlink to a web page.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising logic for selecting one of the search results retrieved in the search for display based on a predetermined algorithm.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising logic for selecting a link to a sponsor web site for display from among the search results retrieved in the search.