METHOD AND SYSTEM OF PROVIDING SEARCH TOOLS

• US 20110010352A1
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Hudson, Joshua James, JOCKISCH, Jeffrey, Jones, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US12/831,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010352A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation

Abstract

A system and method of providing information to improve efficiency of human searchers obtaining information on behalf of users is described. A set of resources and tools which is optimized to locate a search result is described. Custom search tools, custom rendering, multiple query submission, and caching of results are used to assist a guide. A system and method of selecting an offer and delivering the offer to a user along with a verification code is provided.

Claims

1. A method of responding to a request, comprising:

receiving a request;

providing a search tool associated with a category of the request to a human searcher registered for the category;

performing a search of a resource selected for the category responsive to activation of the search tool; and

automatically formatting a response chosen by the human searcher from the resource.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

performing the search of the resource prior to the providing.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining a type of said formatting for the response based on the category; and

selecting by the human searcher an address to receive a search query.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

modifying the category by the human searcher; and

updating the search tool based on the modified category.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing an indicator of an item associated with the request; and

transferring content of the request associated with the indicator to a query submission feature responsive to activation of the indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing in the search tool an indicator which displays a search result obtained by application of an alternate search algorithm to the resource when activated.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

selecting a plurality of search engines; and

providing an action control which submits a query to a plurality of search engines simultaneously when activated.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing to the human searcher information received responsive to a search query in a custom format defined by the human searcher.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving from the human searcher an indication of a search result; and

storing a modified version of the content including the search result including a pointer to the indicated result.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

performing a search of the resource prior to the providing;

determining a type of said formatting for the response based on the category;

modifying by the human searcher the category for the request;

updating the search tool based on the modified category;

providing an indicator of an item associated with the request;

transferring content of the request associated with the indicator to a query submission feature responsive to activation of the indicator;

providing in the search tool an indicator which displays a search result obtained by application of an alternate search algorithm to the resource when activated;

selecting a plurality of search engines;

providing an action control which submits a query to a plurality of search engines simultaneously when activated;

searching for the item in content displayed in the search tool responsive to activation of the indicator;

receiving from the human searcher a selection of the resource; and

selectively removing elements of content received from the resource when rendering the content for the human searcher.

11. A search assistance system, comprising:

a search system receiving information of a request, selecting a human assistant, delivering an interface to the assistant, and providing a response;

a user system submitting the request;

a searcher system selecting a search result; and

a search tool system performing a search using selected resources and providing search results to the searcher system.

12. The system of claim 11, comprising:

an interface provided to the searcher system including a control activating a search of a resource among said selected resources using a plurality of search algorithms simultaneously; and

an extension to an application operative on the searcher system providing access to information of the request and a user.

13. A persistent computer readable medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including providing assistance to a searcher responding to a request, comprising:

receiving a query;

automatically assigning a class to the query;

submitting the query to a resource identified by the class; and

providing a response from the resource to a guide registered for the class.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, comprising:

ranking the resource for the class; and

providing the response when the resource ranking is higher than a predetermined value.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, comprising:

associating a search algorithm with a viewing control;

associating the search algorithm with the class;

executing the search algorithm when the class is associated with the query; and

displaying a result of the search algorithm when the viewing control is active.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, comprising:

grouping a search algorithm with a viewing control;

associating the search algorithm with the class;

executing the search algorithm when the class is associated with the query; and

presenting a result of the search algorithm when the viewing control is active.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, comprising:

linking a presentation format with the guide; and

modifying the response based on the presentation format.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, comprising:

receiving from the guide a selection of media indicated in the response;

determining a location associated with the media; and

providing the media and the location as a search result.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, comprising:

connecting a location with the query;

including a map in the response based on the location; and

adapting the query in accordance with the class and the location.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 13, comprising:

selecting an offer to be delivered responsive to the query;

delivering the offer to a user submitting the query;

choosing a printing device associated with the offer;

creating a verification code for the user; and

producing by the printing device a hard copy of the offer when the verification code is provided.