Associative Search Engine

• US 20110145067A1
• Filed: 02/21/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Skillen, Richard Prescott, Livermore, Frederick Caldwell
• Granted Patent: US 9,110,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlating the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user.

Claims

1. A method executed at a first search engine for selecting advertisements destined for display on a user device that interacts with a second search engine in searching for desired information within a data network, the method comprising:

receiving a search argument corresponding to the desired information, the search argument initially received by the second search engine from the user device;

correlating the search argument to a particular advertisement in a database having advertisement related information; and

transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device comprises transmitting the particular advertisement directly to the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device comprises transmitting the particular advertisement to the second search engine for subsequent transmission with the desired information by the second search engine to the user device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device comprises transmitting a link to the user device for use by the user device in retrieving advertisement content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device comprises transmitting a link to the second search engine for subsequent transmission to the user device for use by the user device in retrieving advertisement content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second search engines operate on at least one data processing server platform.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a personal computer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing contextual data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing product data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular advertisement is formatted to be displayed using software downloaded to and executed by the user device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the software is run in a Java environment.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first search engine accessing user profile data of a user of the user device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user profile data of the user is used in correlating the search argument to the particular advertisement in the database having advertisement related information.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user profile data is maintained on the user device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the user profile data comprises previous search arguments entered by the user.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the user profile data comprises preferences of the user.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the user profile data comprises the user'"'"'s prior Internet access information.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the user has selected the particular advertisement; and

directing the user device to an advertiser associated with the particular advertisement in response to receiving the indication.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein directing the user to the advertiser comprises forwarding a browser of the user device of the user to a world wide web site address of the advertiser.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein directing the user to the advertiser comprises redirecting a browser of the user device of the user to a world wide web site address of the advertiser.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing an indication that the directing has occurred.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a toll is extracted based upon the indication.

23. An advertising machine for selecting particular advertisements destined for display on a user device that interacts with a search engine in searching for desired information within a data network, the advertising machine comprising:

a communications interface operable to receive a search argument corresponding to the desired information, the search argument initially received by a search engine from the user device; and

processing circuitry operable to;

correlate the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a database having advertisement related information; and

transmit the particular advertisement via the communications interface for display on the user device.

24. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the particular advertisement for display on the user device is transmitted directly to the user device.

25. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the particular advertisement for display on the user device is transmitted to the search engine for subsequent transmission with the desired information by the search engine to the user device.

26. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the particular advertisement for display on the user device is transmitted directly to the user device and comprises a link for use by the user device to subsequently retrieve advertisement content.

27. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the particular advertisement for display on the user device is transmitted to the search engine for subsequent transmission with the desired information by the search engine to the user device and comprises a link for use by the user device to subsequently retrieve advertisement content.

28. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the advertising machine and the search engine operate a data processing server platform.

29. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the user device is a personal computer.

30. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to access contextual data.

31. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to access product data.

32. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the particular advertisement is formatted to be displayed using software downloaded to and executed by the user device.

33. The advertising machine of claim 32, wherein the software is run in a Java environment.

34. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to access user profile data of a user of the user device.

35. The advertising machine of claim 34, wherein the processing circuitry uses the user profile data of the user in correlating the search argument to the particular advertisement in the database having advertisement related information.

36. The advertising machine of claim 34, wherein the user profile data is maintained on the user device.

37. The advertising machine of claim 34, wherein the user profile data comprises previous search arguments entered by the user.

38. The advertising machine of claim 34, wherein the user profile data comprises preferences of the user.

39. The advertising machine of claim 34, wherein the user profile data comprises the user'"'"'s prior Internet access information.

40. The advertising machine of claim 23, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive an indication that the user has selected the particular advertisement; and

direct the user device to an advertiser associated with the particular advertisement in response to receiving the indication.

41. The advertising machine of claim 40, wherein in directing the user to the advertiser the processing circuitry is operable to forward a browser of the user device of the user to a world wide web site address of the advertiser.

42. The advertising machine of claim 40, wherein in directing the user to the advertiser the processing circuitry is operable to redirect a browser of the user device of the user to a world wide web site address of the advertiser.

43. The advertising machine of claim 40, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to store an indication that the directing has occurred.

44. The advertising machine of claim 43, wherein a toll is extracted based upon the indication.