Intelligent search with guiding info

• US 7,792,811 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Transaxtions LLC
• Original Assignee: Transaxtions LLC
• Inventors: Nagarajayya, Nagendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adams; Charles D
• Application Number:
  US11/306,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/36 Creation of semantic tools, e.g. ontology or thesauri
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

Every presence has needs. A need could be consumer electronics, loans, autos, or knowledge, etc. The presence uses search engines to become knowledgeable about the need. The current search engines are not intelligent. The idea of the invention is to provide more accurate results and semantically linked results through an intelligent index. The invention uses results from known, semantic and unknown indexes with Guiding Information to return the most relevant results to the users.

Claims

1. A method for searching on the Internet or intranet in a computer system using an intelligent index, the method comprising:

a user entering a query containing one or more search terms in a search window;

sending the one or more search terms to other search engines;

searching the one or more search terms in the intelligent index, wherein the intelligent index consists of a known index, a semantic index, and an unknown index;

wherein the known index comprises a plurality of terms,

each term in the known index being associated with at least one resource, and

at least one term in the known index being associated with guiding information;

wherein the semantic index comprises a plurality of terms,

each term in the semantic index being associated with at least one other term in the semantic set of terms,

each term in the semantic index being associated with a context;

wherein the unknown index comprises a plurality of search terms,

each search term in the unknown index being associated with a set of results produced by the other search engines in response to a query with the search term,

each result from the other search engines containing a weight,

wherein the weight for each result is incremented when a user searching for the search term selects the result;

wherein searching the one or more terms in the intelligent index comprises;

sending the one or more search terms to other search engines;

searching the known index for the one or more search terms and adding any results from the known index to a list of returned results;

after searching the known index for the one or more search terms, searching the semantic index for the one or more search terms by transforming the query by performing at least one of;

adding additional search terms to the query, deleting search terms from the query, and rewording the one or more search terms of the query;

adding the results from searching the semantic index to the list of returned results;

after searching the semantic index, searching the unknown index for the one or more search terms;

if there are results from searching the unknown index, adding the results from the unknown index to the list of returned results;

adding results received from the other search engines to the known index, the semantic index, and the unknown index;

displaying the list of returned results to the user;

wherein the one or more search terms are associated with guiding information;

displaying the guiding information to the user, wherein the guiding information includes the category of the one or more search terms, the subcategory of the one or more search terms, most popular results from the one or more search terms, lowest local price for popular results, lowest national price for popular results, average local price for popular results, and average national price for popular results.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the results are presented to a plurality of users;

said presentation in the form of known index results, semantic index results, and unknown index results;

said presentation including guiding information and guide selections;

said presentation including a feedback mechanism; and

said presentation including popularity information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the results are presented to a plurality of users and feedback from the plurality of users;

said presentation including guiding information and guide selections;

said presentation including feedback mechanism;

said presentation including popularity information.

4. The method according to claim 1,

wherein each term in the known index is based on one of presence, time, or locality;

wherein a plurality of users provides feedback on each term in the known index;

wherein said feedback is used to rank each term in the known index.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semantic index directs searches to context specific websites, based on one of presence, time, or locality;

wherein the semantic index is associated with guiding information and guide selections;

wherein a plurality of users provides feedback on each term in the semantic index;

wherein said feedback is used to rank each term in the semantic index.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of users provide feedback on each term in the unknown index;

wherein said feedback is used to rank each term in the unknown index;

wherein said feedback on a term in the unknown index moves the term to the known or semantic index.

7. A program storage device embodying instructions readable by a machine to perform a method of searching on the Internet or intranet using an intelligent index with feedback, the instructions comprising:

a user entering a query containing one or more search terms in a search window;

sending the one or more search terms to other search engines;

searching the one or more search terms in the intelligent index, wherein the intelligent index consists of a known index, a semantic index, and an unknown index;

wherein the known index comprises a plurality of terms,

each term in the known index being associated with at least one resource, and

at least one term in the known index being associated with guiding information;

wherein the semantic index comprises a plurality of terms,

each term in the semantic index being associated with at least one other term in the semantic set of terms,

each term in the semantic index being associated with a context;

wherein the unknown index comprises a plurality of search terms,

each search term in the unknown index being associated with a set of results produced by the other search engines in response to a query with the search term,

each result from the other search engines containing a weight,

wherein the weight for each result is incremented when a user searching for the search term selects the result;

wherein searching the one or more terms in the intelligent index comprises;

sending the one or more search terms to other search engines;

searching the known index for the one or more search terms and adding any results from the known index to a list of returned results;

after searching the known index for the one or more search terms, searching the semantic index for the one or more search terms by transforming the query by performing at least one of;

adding additional search terms to the query, deleting search terms from the query, and rewording the one or more search terms of the query;

adding the results from searching the semantic index to the list of returned results;

after searching the semantic index, searching the unknown index for the one or more search terms;

if there are results from searching the unknown index, adding the results from the unknown index to the list of returned results;

adding results received from the other search engines to the known index, the semantic index, and the unknown index;

displaying the list of returned results to the user;

wherein the one or more search terms are associated with guiding information;

displaying the guiding information to the user, wherein the guiding information includes the category of the one or more search terms, the subcategory of the one or more search terms, most popular results from the one or more search terms, lowest local price for popular results, lowest national price for popular results, average local price for popular results, and average national price for popular results.

8. The program storage device according to claim 7, wherein the results are presented to a plurality of users;

said presentation in the form of known index results, semantic index results, and unknown index results;

said presentation including guiding information and guide selections;

said presentation including a feedback mechanism; and

said presentation including popularity information.

9. The program storage device according to claim 7, wherein the results are presented to a plurality of users and feedback from the plurality of users;

said presentation including guiding information and guide selections;

said presentation including feedback mechanism;

said presentation including popularity information.

10. The program storage device according to claim 7,

wherein each term in the known index is based on one of presence, time, or locality;

wherein a plurality of users provides feedback on each term in the known index;

wherein said feedback is used to rank each term in the known index.

11. The program storage device according to claim 7,

wherein the semantic index directs searches to context specific websites, based on one of presence, time, or locality;

wherein the semantic index is associated with guiding information and guide selections;

wherein a plurality of users provides feedback on each term in the semantic index;

wherein said feedback is used to rank each term in the semantic index.

12. The program storage device according to claim 7

wherein a plurality of users provide feedback on each term in the unknown index;

wherein said feedback is used to rank each term in the unknown index;

wherein said feedback on a term in the unknown index moves the term to the known or semantic index.

13. An apparatus for making available a search on the intranet or the internet using an intelligent index with feedback in a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

a computer performing a search on the internet or the intranet using said intelligent index;

a user entering a query containing one or more search terms in a search window;

sending the one or more search terms to other search engines;

searching the one or more search terms in the intelligent index, wherein the intelligent index consists of a known index, a semantic index, and an unknown index;

wherein the known index comprises a plurality of terms,

each term in the known index being associated with at least one resource, and

at least one term in the known index being associated with guiding information;

wherein the semantic index comprises a plurality of terms,

each term in the semantic index being associated with at least one other term in the semantic set of terms,

each term in the semantic index being associated with a context;

wherein the unknown index comprises a plurality of search terms,

each search term in the unknown index being associated with a set of results produced by the other search engines in response to a query with the search term,

each result from the other search engines containing a weight,

wherein the weight for each result is incremented when a user searching for the search term selects the result;

wherein searching the one or more terms in the intelligent index comprises;

sending the one or more search terms to other search engines;

searching the known index for the one or more search terms and adding any results from the known index to a list of returned results;

after searching the known index for the one or more search terms, searching the semantic index for the one or more search terms by transforming the query by performing at least one of;

adding additional search terms to the query, deleting search terms from the query, and rewording the one or more search terms of the query;

adding the results from searching the semantic index to the list of returned results;

after searching the semantic index, searching the unknown index for the one or more search terms;

if there are results from searching the unknown index, adding the results from the unknown index to the list of returned results;

adding results received from the other search engines to the known index, the semantic index, and the unknown index;

displaying the list of returned results to the user;

wherein the one or more search terms are associated with guiding information;

displaying the guiding information to the user, wherein the guiding information includes the category of the one or more search terms, the subcategory of the one or more search terms, most popular results from the one or more search terms, lowest local price for popular results, lowest national price for popular results, average local price for popular results, and average national price for popular results.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the results are presented to a plurality of users;

said presentation in the form of known index results, semantic index results, and unknown index results;

said presentation including guiding information and guide selections;

said presentation including a feedback mechanism; and

said presentation including popularity information.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the results are presented to a plurality of users and feedback from the plurality of users;

said presentation including guiding information and guide selections;

said presentation including feedback mechanism;

said presentation including popularity information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein each term in the known index is based on one of presence, time, or locality;

wherein a plurality of users provides feedback on each term in the known index;

wherein said feedback is used to rank each term in the known index.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the semantic index directs searches to context specific websites, based on one of presence, time, or locality;

wherein the semantic index is associated with guiding information and guide selections;

wherein a plurality of users provides feedback on each term in the semantic index;

wherein said feedback is used to rank each term in the semantic index.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein user feedback on a term in the unknown index moves the term to the known or semantic index.