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Flexible keyword searching

  • US 7,502,781 B2
  • Filed: 01/30/2004
  • Issued: 03/10/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method implemented at least in part by a computing device, the method comprising:

  • receiving a user-submitted search phrase having one or more words;

    (a) the computing device identifying any of a plurality of resources having keywords that match the user-submitted search phrase;

    (b) if step (a) identifies no resource, the computing device, without further input from a user, identifying any of the plurality of resources having keywords that phonetically match the user-submitted search phrase; and

    (c) if step (b) identifies no resource, the computing device, without further input from a user, performing any one or more of additional searches comprising;

    a modified phonetic search to identify any resources having keywords that phonetically match singularized or pluralized forms of one or more of the keywords that are contained in the user-submitted search phrase;

    a phonetic nearness search to identify any resources having keywords that are phonetically near the search phrase; and

    an alphabetic nearness search to identify any resources having keywords that are alphabetically near the search phrase.

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