INTERCONNECTED, UNIVERSAL SEARCH EXPERIENCE ACROSS MULTIPLE VERTICALS

• US 20100036827A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Ashish
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

One or more query terms that were submitted by a user in connection with a first vertical of a plurality of verticals and not in connection with any other vertical of the plurality of verticals are received. A first set of search results that are both (a) indexed in the first vertical and (b) relevant to the one or more query terms is determined. A second set of search results that are both (a) indexed in a second vertical, but not in the first vertical and (b) relevant to the one or more query terms is also determined. A search results page that contains search results both sets of search results, and that visually distinguishes the sets from each other, is generated. According to one aspect, the results from the second set are shown on the search results page in what appears to be a yellow sticky note.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving one or more query terms that were submitted by a user in connection with a first vertical of a plurality of verticals and not in connection with any other vertical of the plurality of verticals;

determining a first set of search results that are both (a) indexed in the first vertical and (b) relevant to the one or more query terms;

determining a second set of search results that are both (a) indexed in a second vertical, but not in the first vertical and (b) relevant to the one or more query terms;

generating a search results page that (a) contains both (1) one or more search results from the first set of search results and (2) one or more search results from the second set of search results, and (b) visually indicates that the one or more search results from the first set of search results are separate from one or more search results from the second set of search results; and

storing the search results page on a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the second set of search results comprises:

determining a user intent that is associated with the one or more query terms;

selecting, based on the user intent, the second vertical from a plurality of verticals; and

selecting the second set of search results from resources that are indexed in the second vertical.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the user intent comprises:

locating, in a first term tree that is associated with the first vertical, a first node that specifies a greater number of the one or more query terms than any other node in the first term tree; and

determining the user intent to be terms that are specified in the first node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining the second set of search results comprises:

determining a second term tree, of a plurality of term trees, each of which is associated with a different vertical of the plurality of verticals, by following a link from the first node to a second node that is in the second term tree;

determining that the second term tree is associated with the second vertical; and

in response to determining that the second term tree is associated with the second vertical, searching resources that are indexed in the second vertical for resources that contain at least one of the one or more query terms.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on a legal agreement entered into between (a) a first party that is associated with a search engine that determines the first set of search results and (b) a second party that is associated with a web site that comprises a set of listings submitted to the web site by various users over the Internet, determining the second set of search results at least in part by determining one or more listings, from the set of listings, that are relevant to the one or more query terms.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on a legal agreement entered into between (a) a first party that is associated with a search engine that determines the first set of search results and (b) a second party that has agreed to pay the first party valuable consideration in exchange for displaying one or more listings submitted by the second party, determining the second set of search results at least in part by (1) determining whether any of the one or more listings is relevant to the one or more query terms and (2) if at least one of the one or more listings is relevant to the one or more query terms, then including, in the second set of query terms, at least one query term-relevant listing that was submitted by the second party.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating a search results web page that contains (a) a first set of search results from a first search vertical of a plurality of verticals and (b) a second set of search results from a second search vertical of the plurality of verticals;

wherein generating the search results web page comprises generating a web page that contains a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains one or more search results from the second set of search results;

storing the search results web page on a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium; and

sending the search results web page over the Internet to a web browser from which query terms, based on which the first and second sets of search results were determined, were received over the Internet.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating the web page that contains the graphical feature that appears to be the paper note comprises generating a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains a user-selectable control which, when selected by a user, will cause one or more search results contained within the graphical feature to be saved to an Internet-accessible repository that is associated with a specified user account.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating the web page that contains the graphical feature that appears to be the paper note comprises generating a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains a user-selectable control which, when selected by a user, will cause one or more search results contained within the graphical feature to be sent in an e-mail message to a specified e-mail address.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating the web page that contains the graphical feature that appears to be the paper note comprises generating a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains a user-selectable control which, when selected by a user, will cause one or more search results contained within the graphical feature to be sent in an SMS message to a mobile device that is associated with a specified telephone number.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating the web page that contains the graphical feature that appears to be the paper note comprises generating a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains a user-selectable control which, when selected by a user, will cause one or more search results contained within the graphical feature to be printed on one or more sheets of physical media.

12. A volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving one or more query terms that were submitted by a user in connection with a first vertical of a plurality of verticals and not in connection with any other vertical of the plurality of verticals;

determining a first set of search results that are both (a) indexed in the first vertical and (b) relevant to the one or more query terms;

determining a second set of search results that are both (a) indexed in a second vertical, but not in the first vertical and (b) relevant to the one or more query terms;

generating a search results page that (a) contains both (1) one or more search results from the first set of search results and (2) one or more search results from the second set of search results, and (b) visually indicates that the one or more search results from the first set of search results are separate from one or more search results from the second set of search results; and

storing the search results page on a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage medium.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the step of determining the second set of search results comprises:

determining a user intent that is associated with the one or more query terms;

selecting, based on the user intent, the second vertical from a plurality of verticals; and

selecting the second set of search results from resources that are indexed in the second vertical.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the step of determining the user intent comprises:

locating, in a first term tree that is associated with the first vertical, a first node that specifies a greater number of the one or more query terms than any other node in the first term tree; and

determining the user intent to be terms that are specified in the first node.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the step of determining the second set of search results comprises:

determining a second term tree, of a plurality of term trees, each of which is associated with a different vertical of the plurality of verticals, by following a link from the first node to a second node that is in the second term tree;

determining that the second term tree is associated with the second vertical; and

in response to determining that the second term tree is associated with the second vertical, searching resources that are indexed in the second vertical for resources that contain at least one of the one or more query terms.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the steps further comprise:

based on a legal agreement entered into between (a) a first party that is associated with a search engine that determines the first set of search results and (b) a second party that is associated with a web site that comprises a set of listings submitted to the web site by various users over the Internet, determining the second set of search results at least in part by determining one or more listings, from the set of listings, that are relevant to the one or more query terms.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the steps further comprise:

based on a legal agreement entered into between (a) a first party that is associated with a search engine that determines the first set of search results and (b) a second party that has agreed to pay the first party valuable consideration in exchange for displaying one or more listings submitted by the second party, determining the second set of search results at least in part by (1) determining whether any of the one or more listings is relevant to the one or more query terms and (2) if at least one of the one or more listings is relevant to the one or more query terms, then including, in the second set of query terms, at least one query term-relevant listing that was submitted by the second party.

18. A volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

generating a search results web page that contains (a) a first set of search results from a first search vertical of a plurality of verticals and (b) a second set of search results from a second search vertical of the plurality of verticals;

wherein generating the search results web page comprises generating a web page that contains a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains one or more search results from the second set of search results;

storing the search results web page on a volatile or non-volatile computer-readable medium; and

sending the search results web page over the Internet to a web browser from which query terms, based on which the first and second sets of search results were determined, were received over the Internet.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the step of generating the web page that contains the graphical feature that appears to be the paper note comprises generating a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains a user-selectable control which, when selected by a user, will cause one or more search results contained within the graphical feature to be saved to an Internet-accessible repository that is associated with a specified user account.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the step of generating the web page that contains the graphical feature that appears to be the paper note comprises generating a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains a user-selectable control which, when selected by a user, will cause one or more search results contained within the graphical feature to be sent in an e-mail message to a specified e-mail address.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the step of generating the web page that contains the graphical feature that appears to be the paper note comprises generating a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains a user-selectable control which, when selected by a user, will cause one or more search results contained within the graphical feature to be sent in an SMS message to a mobile device that is associated with a specified telephone number.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the step of generating the web page that contains the graphical feature that appears to be the paper note comprises generating a graphical feature that appears to be a paper note that contains a user-selectable control which, when selected by a user, will cause one or more search results contained within the graphical feature to be printed on one or more sheets of physical media.