Method for organizing information
First Claim
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1. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
- (a) providing an index, the index being able to store key terms and associate each article with at least one of the key terms, the index further being able to associate a key term score with each article under each of the respective key terms when stored within the index, wherein the index is able to further associate a key term total score with each key term score;
(b) accepting a first search query from a first user;
(c) identifying the key terms that match the first search query, the key terms that match the first search query being first matched key terms;
(d) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user;
(e) allowing the first user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the first user being a selected article;
(f1a) altering the index such that the key term score for the selected article under at least one of the first matched key terms is altered relative to other key term scores;
(f1b) altering the index such that key term total scores of at least one of the articles related to the first search query under at least one of the first matched key terms are altered relative to other key term total scores;
(g) accepting a second search query from a second user;
(h) identifying key terms that match the second search query, the key terms that match the second search query being second matched key terms;
(i) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles related to the second search query are organized in order of superiority of their key term scores under at least one of the second matched key terms when at least one of the second matched key terms matches at least one of the first matched key terms, whereby the selected article will be ranked higher for the second user than before the first user had selected the article.
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Abstract
A method of organizing information in which the search activity of a user is monitored and such activity is used to organize articles in a subsequent search by the same or another user who enters a similar search query. The invention operates by assigning scores to articles under the key terms in the index. As users enter search queries and select articles, the scores are altered. The scores are then used in subsequent searches to organize the articles that match a search query. As millions of people use the Internet, type in millions of search queries, and display or select from the many articles available over the Internet, the ranks the information available over the Internet through an evolutionary process. The invention includes additional embodiments which incorporate category key terms and rating key terms.
398 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
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(a) providing an index, the index being able to store key terms and associate each article with at least one of the key terms, the index further being able to associate a key term score with each article under each of the respective key terms when stored within the index, wherein the index is able to further associate a key term total score with each key term score; (b) accepting a first search query from a first user; (c) identifying the key terms that match the first search query, the key terms that match the first search query being first matched key terms; (d) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user; (e) allowing the first user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the first user being a selected article; (f1a) altering the index such that the key term score for the selected article under at least one of the first matched key terms is altered relative to other key term scores; (f1b) altering the index such that key term total scores of at least one of the articles related to the first search query under at least one of the first matched key terms are altered relative to other key term total scores; (g) accepting a second search query from a second user; (h) identifying key terms that match the second search query, the key terms that match the second search query being second matched key terms; (i) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles related to the second search query are organized in order of superiority of their key term scores under at least one of the second matched key terms when at least one of the second matched key terms matches at least one of the first matched key terms, whereby the selected article will be ranked higher for the second user than before the first user had selected the article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
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(a) providing an index, the index being able to store key terms and associate each article with at least one of the key terms, the index further being able to associate a key term score with each article under each of the respective key terms when stored within the index; (b) accepting a first search query from a first user; (c) identifying the key terms that match the first search query, the key terms that match the first search query being first matched key terms; (d) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user; (e1) allowing the first user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query through any action allowing the first user to sense more than just the squib of the at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the first user being a selected article; (f) altering the index such that the key term score for the selected article under at least one of the first matched key terms is altered relative to other key term scores; (g) accepting a second search query from a second user; (h) identifying key terms that match the second search query, the key terms that match the second search query being second matched key terms; (i) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles related to the second search query are organized in order of superiority of their key term scores under at least one of the second matched key terms when at least one of the second matched key terms matches at least one of the first matched key terms, whereby the selected article will be ranked higher for the second user than before the first user had selected the article. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
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(a) providing an index, the index being able to store key terms and associate each article with at least one of the key terms, the index further being able to associate a key term score with each article under each of the respective key terms when stored within the index; (b) accepting a first search query from a first user; (c) identifying the key terms that match the first search query, the key terms that match the first search query being first matched key terms; (d) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user; (e2) allowing the user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query by clicking on a hypertext link portion of the squib of the at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the user being a selected article; (f) altering the index such that the key term score for the selected article under at least one of the first matched key terms is altered relative to other key term scores; (g) accepting a second search query from a second user; (h) identifying key terms that match the second search query, the key terms that match the second search query being second matched key terms; (i) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles related to the second search query are organized in order of superiority of their key term scores under at least one of the second matched key terms when at least one of the second matched key terms matches at least one of the first matched key terms, whereby the selected article will be ranked higher for the second user than before the first user had selected the article. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
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(a) providing an index, the index being able to store key terms and associate each article with at least one of the key terms, the index further being able to associate a key term score with each article under each of the respective key terms when stored within the index; (b) accepting a first search query from a first user; (c) identifying the key terms that match the first search query, the key terms that match the first search query being first matched key terms; (d) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user; (e3) allowing the user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query by opening the at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the first user being a selected article; (f) altering the index such that the key term score for the selected article under at least one of the first matched key terms is altered relative to other key term scores; (g) accepting a second search query from a second user; (h) identifying key terms that match the second search query, the key terms that match the second search query being second matched key terms; (i) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles related to the second search query are organized in order of superiority of their key term scores under at least one of the second matched key terms when at least one of the second matched key terms matches at least one of the first matched key terms, whereby the selected article will be ranked higher for the second user than before the first user had selected the article. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
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(a) providing an index, the index being able to store key terms and associate each article with at least one of the key terms, the index further being able to associate a key term score with each article under each of the respective key terms when stored within the index; (b) accepting a first search query from a first user; (c) identifying the key terms that match the first search query, the key terms that match the first search query being first matched key terms; (d) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user; (e4) allowing the user to select at least one of the articles by retrieving the at least one of the articles related to the first search query from a remote server, the article selected by the first user being a selected article; (f) altering the index such that the key term score for the selected article under at least one of the first matched key terms is altered relative to other key term scores; (g) accepting a second search query from a second user; (h) identifying key terms that match the second search query, the key terms that match the second search query being second matched key terms; (i) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles related to the second search query are organized in order of superiority of their key term scores under at least one of the second matched key terms when at least one of the second matched key terms matches at least one of the first matched key terms, whereby the selected article will be ranked higher for the second user than before the first user had selected the article. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
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(a) providing an index, the index being able to store category terms and associate each article with at least one of the category terms, the index further being able to associate a category term score with each article under each of the respective category terms when stored within the index; (b) accepting a first search query from a first user; (c) accepting at least one first category term from the first user, the first category term being an indication of a generic type of information the first user is searching for; (d) identifying articles related to the first search query; (e) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user; (f) allowing the first user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the first user being a first selected article; (g) altering the index such that the selected article is associated with the first category term and the category term score for the selected article under at least the first category term is altered relative to other category term scores; (h) accepting at least one second category term from the second user, the second category term being an indication of a generic type of information the second user is searching for; (i) displaying squibs of articles associated with the second category term to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles associated with the second category term are organized relative to their key term scores under the at least one second category term when the second category term is related to the first category term, whereby the first selected article will be ranked higher than before the first user had selected the article.
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40. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
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(a) providing an index, the index being able to store key terms and associate each article with at least one of the key terms, the index further being able to associate a key term score with each article under each of the respective key terms when stored within the index, the index further being able to store category terms and associate each article with at least one of the category terms, the index further being able to associate a category term score with each article under each of the respective category terms when stored within the index; (b) accepting a first search query from a first user; (c) accepting at least one first category term from the first user, the first category term being an indication of a generic type of information the first user is searching for; (d) identifying articles related to the first search query; (e) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user; (f) allowing the first user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the first user being a first selected article; (g) identifying the key terms that match the first search query, the key terms that match the first search query being first matched key terms; (h) altering the index such that the key term score for the selected article under at least one of the first matched key terms is altered relative to other key term scores; (i) altering the index such that the selected article is associated with the first category term and the category term score for the selected article under at least the first category term is altered relative to other category term scores; (j) accepting a second search query from a second user; (k) accepting at least one second category term from the second user, the second category term being an indication of a generic type of information the second user is searching for; (m) displaying squibs of articles associated with the second search query and the second category term to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles associated with the second category term are organized relative to their key term scores under the at least one second category term when the second category term is related to the first category term, whereby the first selected article will be ranked higher than before the first user had selected the article.
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41. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
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(a) providing an index, the index being able to store rating terms and associate each article with at least one of the rating terms, the index further being able to associate a rating term score with each article under each of the respective rating terms when stored within the index; (b) accepting a first search query from a first user; (c) accepting a first rating term from the first user, the first rating term being an indication of an appropriateness of an article for particular age groups, including all-age groups and adults-only groups; (d) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user; (e) allowing the first user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the first user being a selected article; (f) altering the index such that the rating term score for the selected article under at least one of the first rating terms is altered relative to other key term scores; (g) accepting a second search query from a second user; (h) accepting a second rating term from the second user, the second rating term being an indication of an appropriateness of an article for particular age groups, including all-age groups and adults-only groups; (i) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user in which the rating term score of the respective article under the first rating term is below a predetermined threshold when the second rating term is different than the first rating term; (j) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user when the second rating term is the same as the first rating term.
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42. A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising:
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(a) providing an index, the index being able to store key term groupings derived from search queries entered by previous users, and associate each article with at least one of the key term groupings, the index further being able to associate a key term score with each article under each of the respective key term groupings when stored within the index; (b) accepting a first search query from a first user; (c) deriving key term groupings from the first search query, the key term groupings derived from the first search query being first matched key term groupings; (d) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user; (e) allowing the first user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the first user being a selected article; (f) altering the index such that the key term score for the selected article under at least one of the first matched key term groupings is altered relative to other key term scores; (g) accepting a second search query from a second user; (h) identifying the key term groupings that match the second search query, the key term groupings that match the second search query being second matched key term groupings; (i) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles related to the second search query are organized relative to their key term scores under at least one of the second matched key term groupings when at least one of the key term groupings from the second search query matches at least one of the first key term groupings from the first search query, whereby the selected article will be ranked higher than before the first user had selected the article. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeIAC Search & Media Incorporated (Match Group, Inc.)
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Original AssigneeAsk Jeeves, Inc. (IAC, Inc.)
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InventorsCulliss, Gary
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Primary Examiner(s)Choules, Jack M.
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Application NumberUS08/904,795Time in Patent Office872 DaysField of Search707/5, 707/3, 707/10, 707/2, 707/1US Class Current1/1CPC Class CodesG06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling tech...G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query resultsG06F 16/958 Organisation or management ...Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refini...
