METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PERFORMING REDIRECTS TO A SEARCH ENGINE

• US 20100287072A1
• Filed: 07/26/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoodSearch LLC
• Original Assignee: GoodSearch LLC
• Inventors: Ramberg, Kenneth Craig O.
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0279 Fundraising management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

The present invention is related to methods and systems for processing search requests and for performing searches over a network. In an embodiment, a recipient designation is received from a user over a network. The designation indicates that future searches performed by the user are to be associated with the recipient (even if the subject matter of the search is not related to the recipient). A search request is received from the user; causing a search to be performed in response to the search request. An identifier corresponding to the recipient is stored in association with an indication regarding the occurrence of the first search request.

Claims

1. A system for processing search requests received over a network, the system comprising:

a data store that stores identification information for a first plurality of recipients, wherein the first plurality of recipients are eligible to receive a benefit at least partly as the result of searches performed by individuals;

a computing device; and

program code stored in computer readable memory that when executed by the computing device is configured to;

provide a user interface to a user terminal via which a user can identify a recipient at least from the plurality of recipients whose identification information is stored in the data store;

receive a search request from the user over the network;

store in a data store an indication relating to the search request received from the user terminal;

facilitating a search to be performed corresponding to the search request;

determine a payment allocation with respect to the identified recipient,

wherein the payment allocation is related to the search request received from the user, wherein the user is same user providing the recipient designation,

even when the search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to:

provide the user with a Web page, the Web page including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string,

wherein the first search request is forwarded using a string including a uniform resource locator associated with a search engine and a search string corresponding to the search request;

provide a second user with a toolbar, the toolbar including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string;

determine if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation, provide over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information, including at least a recipient address, email address, or telephone number.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface is provided via a Web page.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a Web page that includes:

a field configured to receive at least one recipient identifier; and

a field configured to receive a search string.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to cause a toolbar to be provided to at least one user, wherein the toolbar is configured to be docked to a browser, the toolbar including a first interface via which the user can designate at least one recipient.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a toolbar.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to block at least one user from causing at least one designated recipient from receiving a payment allocation as a result of a search performed by the at least one user.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, the system further comprising a price comparison search engine configured to process search requests.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, the system further comprising a search engine associated with an online store.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to generate a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the system, a uniform resource locator associated with a search engine Internet site, and a search string corresponding to the search request.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to generate a string including a uniform resource locator, a search string corresponding to the search request, and an identifier associated with the system.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to generate a string including a uniform resource locator, a search string corresponding to the search request, and an identifier associated with the recipient.

13. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a wireless phone.

14. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a personal computer.

15. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a networked television.

16. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to store in computer readable memory a number of times a link in search results was activated by the user.

17. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to store in computer readable memory an association between the user terminal and the identified recipient to enable the recipient to receive at least one benefit at least partly as a result of the user conducting a search.

18. A method for processing search requests received over a network, the method comprising:

receiving over a network a recipient designation manually provided by a user,

wherein the recipient is eligible to receive a benefit at least partly as a result of an indication related to searches performed by the user, and

wherein the user is not the recipient;

storing the recipient designation in computer readable memory;

receiving at a first Internet site a first search request regarding a subject matter from the user,

wherein the search request subject matter is not related to the recipient;

facilitating a search corresponding to the first search request to be performed by a search engine,

wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the first search request;

storing an indication related to the first search request;

in association with an identifier corresponding to the user, or

in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient, or

in association with the identifier corresponding to the user and in association with the identifier corresponding to the recipient; and

allocating a payment to the recipient,

wherein the payment allocation is related at least in part to the indication related to the first search request, wherein the first search request is received from the same user that provided the recipient designation.

19. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising:

providing the user with a Web page, the Web page including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string,

wherein the first search request is forwarded to the search engine using a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the search engine and a search string corresponding to the search request;

providing a second user with a toolbar, the toolbar including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string;

determining if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation, providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information, including at least a recipient address, email address, or telephone number.

20. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising blocking at least one user from causing at least one designated recipient from receiving a payment allocation as a result a search performed by the at least one user based at least in part on an IP address associated with the at least one user.

21. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising providing the user with a Web page,

wherein the Web page includes:

a field for designating a recipient; and

a field for receiving a search string.

22. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising providing the user with a toolbar,

the toolbar including:

a field for designating a recipient; and

a field for receiving a search string.

23. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising:

determining if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation,

providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information, including at least a recipient address, email address, or telephone number.

24. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising:

determining if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation, providing over the network to the at least one user a form with a field for receiving a charity category indication.

25. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising generating a report indicating how many hits were received for at least one recipient in a specified time period.

26. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising generating a report indicating the percentage of hits received for at least one recipient in a specified time period relative to the total hits received for a plurality of recipients in the specified time period.

27. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the search engine is a price comparison search engine.

28. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the search engine is associated with an online store.

29. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the first search request is forwarded using a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the search engine and a search string corresponding to the search request and the uniform resource locator associated with the search engine is inhibited from being displayed to the user.

30. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the first search request is forwarded using a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the search engine and a search string corresponding to the search request.

31. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the search results are presented via a Web page that includes an identifier associated with the first web page.

32. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the search results are presented via a Web page that includes an identifier associated with the first web page and an identifier associated with the search engine, wherein the identifier associated with the first web page is different than the identifier associated with the search engine.

33. The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the recipient designated by the user is a non-profit entity.

34. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising:

tracking the total hits associated with the user designated recipient over a first period of time; and

making a payment to the recipient based at least in part on the number of total hits.

35. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising making a payment to the user designated recipient only when the payment allocated to the recipient reaches or exceeds a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than zero.

36. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising storing an indication that the recipient is a non-profit institution.

37. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising causing a uniform resource locator associated with the first Internet site to be displayed by a browser when the search results from the search engine are displayed to the user.

38. The method as defined in claim 18, the method further comprising providing the user with a search engine selection user interface.

39. A method of processing search requests, the method comprising:

receiving, at a networked computer system, a recipient designation from a user over a network, wherein the designated recipient is not the user;

storing an indication that the user designated the recipient in computer readable memory;

receiving at a at a networked site a first search request from the user;

providing the first search request to a search engine,

wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the first search request;

storing an indication related to the first search request from the user;

in association with an identifier corresponding to the user, or

in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient, or

in association with the identifier corresponding to the user and in association with the identifier corresponding to the recipient; and

allocating a payment to the recipient based at least in part on the recipient designation and the indication related to the first search request from the user, the user being the same user that provides the recipient designation,

even when the first search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient.

40. The method as defined in claim 39, wherein the payment to the recipient is related to a quantity of search requests from users that have designated the recipient.

41. The method as defined in claim 39, wherein payments to the recipient are made on a periodic payment.

42. The method as defined in claim 39, wherein the second Internet site does not store a user identifier.

43. The method as defined in claim 39, wherein the first Internet site transmits identification information for the user to the second Web site.

44. The method as defined in claim 39, providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information if a record does not exist in the data store for the at least one recipient designation.

45. The method as defined in claim 39, the method further comprising generating a report indicating how many hits were received for at least one recipient in a specified time period.

46. The method as defined in claim 39, wherein the recipient designation is received by the user via a human perceptible form.

47. The method as defined in claim 39, wherein the recipient designation is received by the user via a toolbar docked to a browser.

48. The method as defined in claim 39, the method further comprising providing the user with a search engine selection user interface.

49. The method as defined in claim 39, the method further comprising storing an indication that the recipient is a non-profit institution.

50. A method of processing search requests, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing system, a recipient designation from a user over a network that indicates that future searches performed by the user are to benefit the recipient,

wherein the user is not the recipient;

identifying the recipient as a non-profit entity;

receiving, at the computing system, via a Web page or via a toolbar a first search request from the user;

causing a search to be performed by a search engine in response to the first search request;

storing, in non-transitory computer readable memory, an indication relating to the occurrence of the first search request from the user in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient; and

allocating a payment to the recipient based at least in part on an indication that the first search request was received from the same user that provided the recipient designation, even when the first search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient.

51. The method as defined in claim 50, wherein the payment to the recipient is related at least in part to a quantity of search requests from users that have designated the recipient as a recipient.

52. The method as defined in claim 50, the method further comprising:

providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields configured to receive at least;

one recipient identifier, and

recipient contact information;

and storing information received via the form in computer readable memory.

53. The method as defined in claim 50, the method further comprising generating a report indicating how many hits were received for at least one recipient in a specified time period.

54. The method as defined in claim 50, wherein the recipient designation is received by the user via a human perceptible form.

55. The method as defined in claim 50, wherein the recipient designation is received by the user via a toolbar docked to a browser.

56. The method as defined in claim 50, the method further comprising providing the user with a search engine selection user interface.

57. The method as defined in claim 50, the method further comprising storing a cookie on a terminal associated with the user, the cookie including at least one identifier associated with the user designated recipient.

58. The method as defined in claim 50, the method further comprising:

storing a cookie on a terminal associated with the user, the cookie including at least one identifier associated with the recipient;

accessing the cookie; and

using the cookie to determine which entity the user had previously designated as the recipient.

59. A system for processing search requests received over a network, the system comprising:

a computing device; and

program code stored in computer readable memory that when executed by the computing device is configured to performing operations comprising;

receiving over a network a recipient designation manually provided by a user,

wherein the recipient is eligible to receive a benefit at least partly as a result of an indication related to searches performed by the user, and

wherein the user is not the recipient;

storing the recipient designation in computer readable memory;

receiving at a first Internet site a first search request regarding a subject matter from the user,

wherein the search request subject matter is not related to the recipient;

facilitating a search corresponding to the first search request to be performed by a search engine,

wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the first search request;

storing an indication related to the first search request;

in association with an identifier corresponding to the user, or

in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient, or

in association with the identifier corresponding to the user and in association with the identifier corresponding to the recipient; and

allocating a payment to the recipient,

wherein the payment allocation is related at least in part to the indication related to the first search request, wherein the first search request is received from the same user that provided the recipient designation.

60. The system as defined in claim 59, the operations further comprising:

providing the user with a Web page, the Web page including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string,

wherein the first search request is forwarded to the search engine using a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the search engine and a search string corresponding to the search request;

providing a second user with a toolbar, the toolbar including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string;

determining if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation, providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information, including at least a recipient address, email address, or telephone number.

61. The system as defined in claim 59, the operations further comprising providing the user with a Web page,

wherein the Web page includes:

a field for designating a recipient; and

a field for receiving a search string.

62. The system as defined in claim 59, the operations further comprising providing the user with a toolbar,

the toolbar including:

a field for designating a recipient; and

a field for receiving a search string.

63. The system as defined in claim 59, the operations further comprising:

determining if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation,

providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information, including at least a recipient address, email address, or telephone number.

64. The system as defined in claim 59, wherein the first search request is forwarded using a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the search engine and a search string corresponding to the search request.

65. The system as defined in claim 59, wherein the search results are presented via a Web page that includes an identifier associated with the first web page.

66. A system for processing search requests received over a network, the system comprising:

a computing device; and

program code stored in computer readable memory that when executed by the computing device is configured to performing operations comprising;

receiving, at a networked computer system, a recipient designation from a user over a network, wherein the designated recipient is not the user;

storing an indication that the user designated the recipient in computer readable memory;

receiving at a at a networked site a first search request from the user;

providing the first search request to a search engine,

wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the first search request;

storing an indication related to the first search request from the user;

in association with an identifier corresponding to the user, or

in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient, or

in association with the identifier corresponding to the user and in association with the identifier corresponding to the recipient; and

allocating a benefit to the recipient based at least in part on the recipient designation and the indication related to the first search request from the user, the user being the same user that provides the recipient designation,

even when the first search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient.

67. The system as defined in claim 66, the operations further comprising:

providing the user with a Web page, the Web page including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string,

wherein the first search request is forwarded to the search engine using a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the search engine and a search string corresponding to the search request;

providing a second user with a toolbar, the toolbar including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string;

determining if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation, providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information, including at least a recipient address, email address, or telephone number.

68. The system as defined in claim 66, the operations further comprising providing the user with a Web page,

wherein the Web page includes:

a field for designating a recipient; and

a field for receiving a search string.

69. The system as defined in claim 66, the operations further comprising providing the user with a toolbar,

the toolbar including:

a field for designating a recipient; and

a field for receiving a search string.

70. The system as defined in claim 66, the operations further comprising:

determining if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation,

providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information, including at least a recipient address, email address, or telephone number.

71. The system as defined in claim 66, wherein the first search request is forwarded using a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the search engine and a search string corresponding to the search request.

72. The system as defined in claim 66, wherein the search results are presented via a Web page that includes an identifier associated with the first web page.