Methods and systems for performing redirects to a search engine

• US 7,769,738 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoodSearch LLC
• Original Assignee: GoodSearch LLC
• Inventors: Ramberg, Kenneth Craig O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casanova; Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US11/507,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 707/3, 707/999.003, 707/706, 707/14.1
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0279 Fundraising management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

The present invention is related to methods and systems for processing search requests and for performing searches over a network. In an embodiment, a recipient designation is received from a user over a network. The designation indicates that future searches performed by the user are to be associated with the recipient (even if the subject matter of the search is not related to the recipient). A search request is received from the user; causing a search to be performed in response to the search request. An identifier corresponding to the recipient is stored in association with an indication regarding the occurrence of the first search request.

Claims

1. A system for redirecting search requests over a network, the system comprising:

a database that stores identification information for a plurality of recipients, wherein the recipients are eligible to receive a benefit as the result of searches performed by individuals; and

program code stored in computer readable memory that when executed is configured to;

provide a user interface to a user terminal via which a user can identify a recipient;

determine if the recipient identified by the user corresponds to a recipient identifier stored in the database;

store in computer readable memory an association between the user terminal and the identified recipient to enable the recipient to receive at least one benefit when the user conducts a search;

receive a search request from the user;

store an indication that the search request was received from the user terminal in association with identified recipient information;

forward the search request to an Internet site associated with a search engine;

determine a payment allocation with respect to the identified recipient based at least in part on an indication that the search request was received from the same user that provided the recipient designation, even when the search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface is provided via a Web page.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a Web page that includes:

a field configured to receive at least one recipient identifier; and

a field configured to receive a search string.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to cause a toolbar to be provided to at least one user, wherein the toolbar is configured to be docked to a browser, the toolbar including a first interface via which the user can designate at least one recipient.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a toolbar.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the search engine is a price comparison search engine.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the search engine is associated with an online store.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the program code is further configured to generate a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the system, a uniform resource locator associated with the search engine Internet site, and a search string corresponding to the search request.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a wireless phone.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a personal computer.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the user terminal is a networked television.

12. A method of redirecting search requests over a network, the method comprising:

receiving over a network a recipient designation manually provided by a user, wherein the recipient is eligible to receive a benefit as the result of searches performed by the user, wherein the user is not the recipient;

storing the recipient designation in computer readable memory;

after storing the recipient designation in computer readable memory, receiving at a first Internet site a first search request regarding a subject matter from the user, wherein the search request subject matter is not related to the recipient;

forwarding the first search request to a second Internet site associated with a search engine, wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the forwarded first search request;

storing in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient an indication regarding the occurrence of the first search request; and

allocating a payment to the recipient based at least in part on an indication that the first search request was received from the same user that provided the recipient designation.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising providing the user with a Web page, the Web page including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string.

14. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising providing the user with a toolbar, the toolbar including a field for designating a recipient and a field for receiving a search string.

15. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising:

determining if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation, providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information, including at least a recipient address, email address, or telephone number.

16. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising:

determining if a record exists for at least one recipient designation received from at least one user; and

if a record does not exist for the at least one recipient designation, providing over the network to the at least one user a form with a field for receiving a charity category indication.

17. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising generating a report indicating how many hits were received for at least one recipient in a specified time period.

18. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising generating a report indicating the percentage of hits received for at least one recipient in a specified time period relative to the total hits received for a plurality of recipients in the specified time period.

19. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the search engine is a price comparison search engine.

20. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the search engine is associated with an online store.

21. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the first search request is forwarded using a string including a uniform resource locator associated with the search engine and a search string corresponding to the search request.

22. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the search results are presented via a Web page that includes an identifier associated with the first web page.

23. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the search results are presented via a Web page that includes an identifier associated with the first web page and an identifier associated with the search engine, wherein the identifier associated with the first web page is different than the identifier associated with the search engine.

24. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the recipient designated by the user is a non-profit entity.

25. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising:

tracking the total hits associated with the user designated recipient over a first period of time; and

making a payment to the recipient based at least in part on the number of total hits.

26. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising making a payment to the user designated recipient only when the payment allocated to the recipient reaches or exceeds a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than zero.

27. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising storing an indication that the recipient is a non-profit institution.

28. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising causing a uniform resource locator associated with the first Internet site to be displayed by a browser when the search results from the search engine are displayed to the user.

29. The method as defined in claim 12, the method further comprising providing the user with a search engine selection user interface.

30. A method of redirecting search requests over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a recipient designation from a user over a network, wherein the designated recipient is not the user;

searching a database to determine if a record exists in the database for the designated recipient;

if the database includes a record for the designated recipient, storing an indication that the user designated the recipient in computer readable memory;

receiving at a first Internet site a first search request from the user;

providing the first search request to a second site associated with a search engine, wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the first search request;

storing in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient an indication regarding the occurrence of the first search request from the user; and

allocating a payment to the recipient based at least in part on an indication that the first search request was received from the same user that provided the recipient designation, even when the first search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient.

31. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein the payment to the recipient is related to a quantity of search requests from users that have designated the recipient.

32. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein payments to the recipient are made on a periodic payment.

33. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein the second Internet site does not store a user identifier.

34. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein the first Internet site transmits identification information for the user to the second Web site.

35. The method as defined in claim 30, providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information if a record does not exist in the database for the at least one recipient designation.

36. The method as defined in claim 30, the method further comprising generating a report indicating how many hits were received for at least one recipient in a specified time period.

37. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein the recipient designation is received by the user via a human perceptible form.

38. The method as defined in claim 30, wherein the recipient designation is received by the user via a toolbar docked to a browser.

39. The method as defined in claim 30, the method further comprising providing the user with a search engine selection user interface.

40. The method as defined in claim 30, the method further comprising storing an indication that the recipient is a non-profit institution.

41. A method of processing search requests over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a recipient designation from a user over a network that indicates that future searches performed by the user are to benefit the recipient, wherein the user is not the recipient;

identifying the recipient as a non-profit entity;

receiving at a first Internet site or via a toolbar a first search request from the user;

causing a search to be performed in response to the first search request;

storing in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient an indication regarding the occurrence of the first search request from the user; and

allocating a payment to the recipient based at least in part on an indication that the first search request was received from the same user that provided the recipient designation, even when the first search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient.

42. The method as defined in claim 41, wherein the payment to the recipient is related to a quantity of search requests from users that have designated the recipient as a recipient.

43. The method as defined in claim 41, the method further comprising providing over the network to the at least one user a form with fields for receiving at least one recipient identifier and recipient contact information if a record does not exist in the database for the at least one recipient designation.

44. The method as defined in claim 41, the method further comprising generating a report indicating how many hits were received for at least one recipient in a specified time period.

45. The method as defined in claim 41, wherein the recipient designation is received by the user via a human perceptible form.

46. The method as defined in claim 41, wherein the recipient designation is received by the user via a toolbar docked to a browser.

47. The method as defined in claim 41, the method further comprising providing the user with a search engine selection user interface.

48. The method as defined in claim 41, the method further comprising storing a cookie on a terminal associated with the user, the cookie including at least one identifier associated with the user designated recipient.

49. The method as defined in claim 41, the method further comprising:

storing a cookie on a terminal associated with the user, the cookie including at least one identifier associated with the recipient;

accessing the cookie; and

using the cookie to determine which entity the user had previously designated as the recipient.