Associative search engine

• US 7,945,553 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Livermore, Frederick Caldwell, Skillen, Richard Prescott
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US12/418,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20090192899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 705/14.4
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• 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

This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from the user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlates the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing an advertisement insert in an end user search page for display on a user device comprising:

a server receiving a search request including a search argument;

the server transmitting the search argument to a first search engine for the first search engine to search, based on the received search argument, a first database having network related information to generate search results;

the server transmitting the search argument to a second search engine for the second search engine to correlate the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information; and

the server transmitting the end user search page to the user device for the user device to display the search results and the advertisement insert that includes the particular advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein correlating the received search argument to the particular advertisement includes the second search engine selecting the particular advertisement based on the received search argument and user profile data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile data includes selections of the user from previous search results.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile data includes user preference data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user preference data may be edited by an end user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the end user search page to the user device includes transmitting a Java application to the user device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the display of the advertisement insert is performed by the Java application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the search argument comprises a keyword.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second search engine is part of the first search engine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the search results are displayed in an order that relates to an end user'"'"'s past preferences.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising insert is updated based upon user activity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user activity comprises selection of a search result.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the user activity comprises selection of an advertisement.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether an advertisement was successful based upon user activity.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising altering the criteria for subsequent correlations of received search arguments to the second database.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the second search engine recording that an end user has selected the advertisement.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising extracting a toll from a seller associated with the particular advertisement based upon the recorded selection.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile data is stored on the user device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the user profile data is updated based on user search activity during a search session.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the end user search page is constructed based upon the user'"'"'s previous searches.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the network related information includes keywords associated with respective World Wide Web (WWW) site locations.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein fuzzy logic is used to correlate the received search argument to the particular advertisement.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the end user search page comprises a specialized advertisement constructed based upon user profile data.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the server and the first search engine are housed at a same site.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the server and the second search engine are housed at a same site.