Federated searches implemented across multiple search engines

• US 20080201304A1
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sue, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A plurality of search engines is selected from multiple search engines based on a search query and one or more criteria. To obtain search results for the search query, one or more search queries are submitted to the plurality of search engines. For each search engine of the plurality of search engines, certain search results are received for the one or more search queries submitted to each search engine. Consolidated search results are generated with consolidation of the certain search results that are received from each search engine of the plurality of search engines.

Claims

5-1. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said consolidating comprises combining results returned from each search engine of said selected plurality of search engines into a single set of search results for presentation to an end user submitting said search query.

8. A method, comprising:

to obtain search results for a search query, submitting one or more search queries to a plurality of search engines;

wherein said plurality of search engines is selected from multiple search engines based on said search query and one or more criteria;

for each search engine of said plurality of search engines, receiving certain search results for said one or more search queries submitted to said each search engine; and

consolidating said certain search results, which are received from each search engine of said plurality of search engines;

wherein said consolidating comprises grouping said search results according to which search engine of said plurality of search engines returned said search results.

16. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

17. A system, comprising:

a computer system configured to;

select a plurality of search engines from among multiple search engines based on a search query received and meta-data describing the search engines;

submit one or more search queries to said plurality of search engines;

for each search engine of said plurality of search engines, receive certain search results for said one or more search queries submitted to said each search engine; and

consolidate search results based on the certain search results received from each search engine of said plurality of search engines.