Method for searching information on internet

• US 7,287,021 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2001
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Francis D.E. Smet
• Original Assignee: Francis D.E. Smet
• Inventors: De Smet, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, CAM Y T
• Application Number:
  US09/922,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20020140715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/200, 707/5, 707/6, 707/104.1, 707/102, 709/200, 709/206, 709/205, 709/202, 705/26, 705/27, 379/265.05
• US Class Current: 707/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• 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

A method for searching information on the Internet that includes the steps of providing a computer linked to the Internet, and accessing a search assistant via the Internet to search information on the Internet. The search assistant is a human being and a specialist in searching on the Internet. The human search assistant reformulates a first information request of the user into an adapted information request associated with the first information request and applies the adapted information request on a search robot for accessing information related to the first information request.

Claims

1. A method for searching information on the Internet, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer linked to the Internet;

accessing directly at least one search assistant by a user via a web browser on the computer linked to the Internet to search for information on the Internet, wherein the at least one search assistant is human and a specialist in searching on the Internet;

conducting a dialogue between the user with the at least one human search assistant over the Internet and in real time to formulate a first information request; and

transmitting the first information request over the Internet to the at least one human search assistant;

wherein the at least one human search assistant includes one or more head human search assistants, the one or more head search assistants having below them a number of specialized adjunct human search assistants who each is specialized in one or more fields;

directing the first information request to an appropriate one of the specialized adjunct human search assistants via Internet, said directing is based on the one or more head human search assistants;

reformulating the first information request into an adapted information request associated with the first information request, said reformulating is based on the one of the specialized adjunct human search assistants and said conducting;

applying the adapted information request on at least one search robot for accessing information on the Internet related to the first information request by the at least one human search assistant, the adapted information request being placed through an Internet Service Provider;

communicating search results obtained by the at least one search robot to the at least one human search assistant via a web browser, said communicating is based on the Internet Service Provider; and

offering a user a selection of the search results in order for the user to make a first information selection based on the first information request displayed via the web browser, said offering is based on the at least one human search assistant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one human search assistant assists the user by searching on the Internet and indicates to the user where the information the user is looking for can be found on the World Wide Web or where the user should be looking on the World Wide Web or giving the user information found on the World Wide Web.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one human search assistant has such expertise in searching on the Internet that the at least one human search assistant can be considered a web librarian and is able to give more information than a place to look on the World Wide Web and is able to supervise the user in consulting the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one human search assistant makes use of search engines for searching on the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using voice recognition via the Internet to carry out the user'"'"'s communication with the at least one human search assistant.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of offering the user a visual representation of the at least one human search assistant.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of consulting the at least one human search assistant via a device additional to the computer and selected from the group consisting of:

a mobile phone, a palmtop, an interactive television apparatus and a set-top box associated therewith.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling additional contact of a same search assistant by the user by means of voice recognition, iris recognition or fingerprint recognition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one human search assistant assists the user when searching for services.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said services comprise on-line shopping, price and product comparison.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one human search assistant composes programs for the user comprising films, television or radio or music programs which are provided via the Internet.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating with the user in the user'"'"'s own language, with or without simultaneous translation.