SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIRECT DISPLAY OF COUPONS WITHIN SEARCH RESULT SETS

• US 20090248633A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Ojakaar, Erik
• Application Number:
  US12/060,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248633A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems and computer program products for the direct display of coupons within a search result set. The present invention includes receiving a search query comprising one or more terms from a user and parsing the search query into one or more constituent terms. A predetermined constituent term is then identified. One or more coupons responsive to the search query are then identified and displayed to the user in a result set. The identification of the one or more coupons responsive to the search query can be accomplished by searching a coupon data store using the parsed search query, wherein the coupon data store comprises an index of one or more coupons, by searching one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over a network using the parsed search query, or a combination of both.

Claims

1. A method for directly displaying coupons within a search result set, the method comprising:

receiving a search query comprising one or more terms from a user;

parsing the search query into one or more constituent terms;

identifying a predetermined constituent search term;

identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query; and

displaying the one or more coupons to the user in a result set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a predetermined constituent search term, further comprises identifying the predetermined constituent search term “

coupon”

.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query, further comprises searching a coupon data store using the parsed search query, wherein the coupon data store comprises an index of one or more coupons.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query, further comprises searching one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over a network using the parsed search query.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query, further comprises:

searching a coupon data store using the parsed search query, wherein the coupon data store comprises an index of one or more coupons; and

searching one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over a network using the parsed search query.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query, further comprises updating the data coupon store with the one or more coupons identified as a result of the search of one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over a network using the parsed search query.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the one or more coupons to the user in a result set, further comprises displaying a print control allowing for the function of printing the one or more coupons displayed in the result set.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the one or more coupons to the user in a result set, further comprises displaying a save control allowing for the function of saving the one or more coupons displayed in the result set.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the one or more coupons to the user in a result set, further comprises displaying a share control allowing for the function of sharing the one or more coupons displayed in the result set.

10. Computer readable media comprising program code that when executed by a programmable causes execution of a method for directly displaying coupons within a search result set, the computer readable media comprising:

program code for receiving a search query comprising one or more terms from a user;

program code for parsing the search query into one or more constituent terms;

program code for identifying a predetermined constituent search term;

program code for identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query; and

program code for displaying the one or more coupons to the user in a result set.

11. The computer readable media of claim 10, wherein program code for identifying a predetermined constituent search term, further comprises program code for identifying the predetermined constituent search term “

coupon”

.

12. The computer readable media of claim 10, wherein program code for identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query, further comprises program code for searching a coupon data store using the parsed search query, wherein the coupon data store comprises an index of one or more coupons.

13. The computer readable media of claim 10, wherein program code for identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query, further comprises program code for searching one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over a network using the parsed search query.

14. The computer readable media of claim 10, wherein program code for identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query, further comprises:

program code for searching a coupon data store using the parsed search query, wherein the coupon data store comprises an index of one or more coupons; and

program code for searching one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over a network using the parsed search query.

15. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein program code for identifying one or more coupons responsive to the search query, further comprises program code for updating the data coupon store with the one or more coupons identified as a result of the search of one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over a network using the parsed search query.

16. The computer readable media of claim 10, wherein program code for displaying the one or more coupons to the user in a result set, further comprises program code for displaying a print control allowing for the function of printing the one or more coupons displayed in the result set.

17. The computer readable media of claim 10, wherein program code for displaying the one or more coupons to the user in a result set, further comprises program code for displaying a save control allowing for the function of saving the one or more coupons displayed in the result set.

18. The computer readable media of claim 10, wherein program code for displaying the one or more coupons to the user in a result set, further comprises program code for displaying a share control allowing for the function of sharing the one or more coupons displayed in the result set.

19. A system for directly displaying coupons within a search result set, the system comprising:

a computer network;

a search engine operative to receive a search query comprising one or more terms from a user;

a query parser operative to parse the search query into one or more constituent terms;

a content manager operative to,

identify a predetermined constituent search term, and

identify one or more coupons responsive to the search query; and

a client device operative display the one or more coupons to the user in a result set.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the content manager is operative to identify the predetermined constituent search term “

coupon”

.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a coupon data store operative to store an index of one or more coupons; and

an indexing component operative to search the coupon data store using the parsed search query to identify one or more coupons responsive to the search query.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the search engine is operative to search one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over the computer network using the parsed search query to identify one or more coupons responsive to the search query.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a coupon data store operative to store an index of one or more coupons;

an indexing component operative to search the coupon data store using the parsed search query to identify one or more coupons responsive to the search query; and

the search engine operative to search one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over the computer network using the parsed search query to identify one or more coupons responsive to the search query.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the content manager is operative to update the data coupon store with the one or more coupons identified as a result of the search of one or more content sources provided by one or more content providers over the computer network using the parsed search query.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the client device is operative to display a print control allowing for the function of printing the one or more coupons displayed in the result set.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the client device is operative to display a save control allowing for the function of saving the one or more coupons displayed in the result set.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the client device is operative to display a share control allowing for the function of sharing the one or more coupons displayed in the result set.