Performing Searches for a Selected Text

• US 20090100016A1
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shepard, Rodney Edward II, Mazzeo, Thomas S., Kritt, Barry Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for performing a plurality of searches. A request is received to perform the plurality of searches, wherein the request includes text. A search engine preference is retrieved, wherein the search engine preference specifies a plurality of search engines. An Internet browser is opened for each search engine in the plurality of search engines. A search is initiated in each Internet browser using the text.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for performing a plurality of searches, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to perform the plurality of searches, wherein the request includes text;

identifying a search engine preference in response to receiving the request, wherein the search engine preference specifies a plurality of search engines;

opening a page for each of the plurality of search engines to form a plurality of search pages; and

initiating a search in each of the plurality of search pages for the plurality of search engines using the text to perform the plurality of searches with the plurality of search engines specified by the search engine preference.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving results from the plurality of search engines in response to submitting the text to the plurality of search engines to form received results; and

displaying the received results on a display.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

retrieving web pages for a number of the received results from each of the plurality of search engines.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying the web pages for the received results from each of the plurality of search engines, wherein each web page is displayed in a different one of the plurality of search pages.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the step of retrieving the web pages for the received results from each of the plurality of search engines further comprises retrieving a user-specified number of pages to open, and the step of displaying the web pages for the received results further comprises displaying the web pages for only the user-specified number of pages to open.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a user input selecting the text and issuing a command, wherein the command is a user-defined key sequence.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for performing a plurality of searches, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable code for receiving a request to perform the plurality of searches, wherein the request includes text;

computer usable code for identifying a search engine preference in response to receiving the request, wherein the search engine preference specifies a plurality of search engines;

computer usable code for opening a page for each of the plurality of search engines to form a plurality of search pages; and

computer usable code for initiating a search in each of the plurality of search pages for the plurality of search engines using the text to perform the plurality of searches with the plurality of search engines specified by the search engine preference.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

computer usable code for receiving results from the plurality of search engines in response to submitting the text to the plurality of search engines to form received results; and

computer usable code for displaying the received results on a display.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

computer usable code for retrieving web pages for a number of the received results from each of the plurality of search engines.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer usable code for retrieving the web pages for the number of results received from each of the plurality of search engines further comprises:

computer usable code for retrieving a user-specified number of search pages to open.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer usable code for displaying the web pages for the received results further comprises displaying the web pages for only the user-specified number of search pages to open.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the request comprises a user input selecting the text and issuing a command, wherein the command is a user-defined key sequence.

13. A data processing system for performing a plurality of searches, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device contains computer usable code;

a communications unit connected to the bus; and

a processing unit connected to the bus for executing the computer usable code, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable code to receive a request to perform the plurality of searches, wherein the request includes text;

a search engine preference, wherein the search engine preference specifies a plurality of search engines, each of the plurality of search engines being opened in a separate browser within a plurality of browsers; and

initiate a search in each of the plurality of browsers using the text, each browser within the plurality of browsers utilizing a different one of the plurality of search engines.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable code to receive results from the plurality of search engines in response to submitting the text to the plurality of search engines to form received results, and displays the received results.

15. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable code to retrieve web pages for a number of the received results from each of the plurality of search engines.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the processing unit retrieves web pages for a number of results received from each of the plurality of search engines by further executing the computer usable code to retrieve a user-specified number of browsers to open, and displaying the web pages for the received results further comprises displaying the web pages for only the user-specified number of browsers to open.

17. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable code to display the web pages for the received results from each of the plurality of search engines, wherein each web page is displayed in a different one of the plurality of browsers.

18. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the request comprises a user input selecting the text and issuing a command, wherein the command is a user-defined key sequence.

19. A computer implemented method for performing searches, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to perform a search for a selected text; and

responsive to receiving the request, submitting the selected text to a plurality of search engines specified in a search engine preference.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving, responsive to submitting the selected text to the plurality of search engines, results from the plurality of search engines to form received results; and

displaying the received results.