System and method for searching websites associated with bookmarks

• US 6,950,861 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2000
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Nadon, Robert G., Amro, Hatim
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US09/668,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/218, 709/219, 709/225, 707/3, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management

Abstract

A method that includes receiving a search term and an identifier associated with a bookmark is provided. A database is searched using the search term and a website associated with the bookmark is also searched using the search term.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a first computer system with associated user access, the first computer system including bookmarks;

providing a second computer system including a search engine;

providing a remote computer system with associated user access, the remote computer system including bookmarks, each of the computer systems being interconnected via a communications network;

a user selecting an indicator to cause the search engine to search websites associated with the bookmarks stored on either of the first and the remote computer systems;

a user inputting a search term into the first computer system that specifies that websites associated with the bookmarks are to be searched;

a user inputting an identifier of the remote computer system;

the search engine receiving the search term and accessing the bookmarks to obtain identifiers for the websites associated with the bookmarks and providing search results to the first computer system;

providing a user interface of a web browser to allow users to access the search engine, the web browser to be run on either of the first and the remote computer systems for;

inputting a search term to cause the search engine to perform a search using the search term;

inputting an identifier of the remote computer system;

making a selection to cause websites associated with bookmarks stored on the first computer to be searched; and

making a selection to cause websites associated with bookmarks stored on the remote computer system to be searched; and

displaying the search results to the first computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a uniform resource locator (URL) to access the websites.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the search engine, executing on the second computer system, receiving the search term and at least one identifier associated with bookmarks from the first computer system;

the search engine searching a database using the search term;

the search engine searching websites associated with the bookmarks; and

the search engine providing the results of searching the database and the websites to the first computer system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the search engine identifying the second computer system from the remote computer system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the search engine causing the bookmarks on the first computer system to be accessed so that the search engine receives the identifiers associated with the bookmarks.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

the search engine providing an advertisement to be displayed on the first computer system.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

the search engine using the search term and information from the identifiers to select the advertisement to be provided to a user.