Method, device and software for querying and presenting search results
First Claim
1. A method of presenting search results in a response to an end-user query, said search results being combined from results from a plurality of indexes stored at least one computing device, each of said search results having an associated key field, said method comprising:
- (i) querying index entries of each of said plurality of indexes using an index-specific search algorithm to obtain a set of matching search results for each index, each matching search result having a quality of match specific to its index;
(ii) for each of said plurality of indexes, retrieving a stored relative priority value assigned by an administrator to each of said plurality of indexes, wherein each said stored relative priority value is applicable to all search results obtained from a particular one of said plurality of indexes;
(iii) combining said matching search results from said plurality of indexes into a merged list of ordered search results including search results from each of said plurality of indexes based on said quality of match of each matching search result, and based on said stored relative priority value of each of said plurality of indexes as assigned by said administrator, in which any search result from an index having a lower stored relative priority value for which an associated key field is identical to the associated key field of a matching search result in an index having a higher stored relative priority value is discarded, in favor of said matching search result from said index having a higher stored relative priority value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is disclosed a method, device, and software for presenting search results in a response to an end-user query. Search results are combined from results from a plurality of indexes, each of the search results having an associated key field. Index entries of each of the plurality of indexes are queried using an index-specific search algorithm to obtain a set of matching search results for each index, each matching search result having a quality of match specific to its index. A relative priority is determined for each of the plurality of indexes and the matching search results from the plurality of indexes are combined into a merged list of ordered search results based on the determined priority. A search result from a lower priority index is discarded in favor of any matching search result from a higher priority index.
41 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of presenting search results in a response to an end-user query, said search results being combined from results from a plurality of indexes stored at least one computing device, each of said search results having an associated key field, said method comprising:
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(i) querying index entries of each of said plurality of indexes using an index-specific search algorithm to obtain a set of matching search results for each index, each matching search result having a quality of match specific to its index; (ii) for each of said plurality of indexes, retrieving a stored relative priority value assigned by an administrator to each of said plurality of indexes, wherein each said stored relative priority value is applicable to all search results obtained from a particular one of said plurality of indexes; (iii) combining said matching search results from said plurality of indexes into a merged list of ordered search results including search results from each of said plurality of indexes based on said quality of match of each matching search result, and based on said stored relative priority value of each of said plurality of indexes as assigned by said administrator, in which any search result from an index having a lower stored relative priority value for which an associated key field is identical to the associated key field of a matching search result in an index having a higher stored relative priority value is discarded, in favor of said matching search result from said index having a higher stored relative priority value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computing device comprising a processor and computer readable memory, said memory storing
a plurality of indexes, each comprising a plurality of index entries, said index entries of said plurality of indexes each having an associated key field, search engine software adapting said device to (i) query index entries of each of said plurality of indexes using an index-specific search algorithm to obtain a set of matching search results for each index, each matching search result having a quality of match specific to its index; -
(ii) for each of said plurality of indexes retrieving a stored relative priority value assigned by an administrator to each of said plurality of indexes, wherein each said stored relative priority value is applicable to all search results obtained from a particular one of said plurality of indexes; (iii) combine said matching search results from said plurality of indexes into a merged list of ordered search results including search results from each of said plurality of indexes based on said quality of match of each matching search result, and based on said stored relative priority value of each of said plurality of indexes as assigned by said administrator, in which any search result from an index having a lower stored relative priority value for which an associated key field is identical to the associated key field of a matching search result in an index is discarded, in favor of said matching search result from said index having a higher stored relative priority value. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer readable medium, storing computer executable instructions that when loaded at a computing device comprising a processor and processor readable memory storing a plurality of indexes, each of said indexes comprising a plurality of index entries having an associated key field, adapt said computing device to:
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(i) query index entries of each of said plurality of indexes using an index-specific search algorithm to obtain a set of matching search results for each index, each matching search result having a quality of match specific to its index; (ii) for each of said plurality of indexes, retrieving a stored relative priority value assigned to each of said plurality of indexes by an administrator, wherein each said stored relative priority value is applicable to all search results obtained from a particular one of said plurality of indexes; (iii) combine said matching search results from said plurality of indexes into a merged list of ordered search results including search results from each of said plurality of indexes based on said quality of match of each matching search result, and based on said stored relative priority value of each of said plurality of indexes as assigned by said administrator, in which any search result from an index having a lower stored relative priority value for which an associated key field is identical to the associated key field of a matching search result in an index is discarded, in favor of said matching search result from said index having a higher stored relative priority value. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification