APPLICATION OF WEIGHTS TO ONLINE SEARCH REQUEST

• US 20090138458A1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William Paul Wanker
• Original Assignee: William Paul Wanker
• Inventors: Wanker, William Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A machine-implemented search method comprises inputting a search query from a user, and before the query is executed, inputting from the user a weighting factor that has a specified relationship to the query. The method further includes initiating a search by causing the query to be applied according to the weighting factor, and returning a result of the search to the user. The weighting factor may represent, for example, a weight to be given to one of multiple information sources that are available to be searched in response to the query, such as an online search engine or a merchant online commerce web site. Alternatively, the weighting factor may represent a weight to be given to a term in the query.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented search method comprising:

inputting a search query from a user;

enabling the user to specify a weighting factor associated with the query before the query is executed, wherein the weighting factor has a specified relationship to the query;

initiating a search by causing the query to be applied according to the weighting factor; and

returning a result of the search to the user.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the weighting factor represents a weight to be given to an information source of a plurality of information sources available to be searched in response to the query.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the weighting factor represents a weight to be given to a term in the query.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a user interface feature to enable the user to input a plurality of weighting factors, each applying to a different term in the query.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the user is able to input the weighting factors while inputting the query.

4. A machine-implemented search method comprising:

inputting a search query from a user;

before the query is executed, inputting from the user a weighting factor which applies to an information source of a plurality of information sources available to be searched in response to the query;

initiating a search by causing the query to be applied to one or more of the plurality of information sources according to the weighting factor; and

returning a result of the search to the user.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of information sources comprise a plurality of search engines.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of information sources comprise online commerce web sites of a plurality of merchants.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

generating a user interface feature to enable the user to input the weighting factor.

8. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

generating a user interface feature to enable the user to input a plurality of weighting factors, each applying to a different one of the plurality of information sources.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

generating a user interface feature to enable the user to input a plurality of separate weighting values for results returned by each of the plurality of information sources.

10. A machine-implemented search method comprising:

inputting from a user a search query which includes a plurality of terms;

before the query is executed, inputting from the user a weighting factor which applies to a term in the query;

initiating a search by causing the query to be applied to a body of information to be searched, wherein the term is weighted according to the weighting factor; and

returning a result of the search to the user.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

generating a user interface feature to enable the user to input the weighting factor.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the user is able to input the weighting factors while inputting the query.

15. A processing system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface, coupled to the processor, through which to communicate over a network with a terminal device used by a consumer; and

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to perform a process that comprises;

inputting a search query from a user;

before the query is executed, inputting from the user a weighting factor that has a specified relationship to the query;

initiating a search by causing the query to be applied according to the weighting factor; and

returning a result of the search to the user.

16. A processing system as recited in claim 15, wherein the weighting factor represents a weight to be given to an information source of a plurality of information sources available to be searched in response to the query.

17. A processing system as recited in claim 15, wherein the weighting factor represents a weight to be given to a term in the query.