Automated tool for human assisted mining and capturing of precise results

• US 7,962,466 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Scott A., Cooper, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital, Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Rachel J
• Application Number:
  US11/647,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

An automated tool for human assisted analysis of search results for obtaining precise results responsive to a request. A single query entry triggers a search using one or more resources and results returned from the resources are displayed in a corresponding embedded renderer. A human provider analyzes the returned results and extracts pertinent information for delivery to a requestor who submitted the query.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a query from a user, using a computer, requesting a search on behalf of the user;

providing available resources including resources previously used to obtain search results in association with a search related to a subject matter of the query received;

activating selected resources from among said available resources based on a selection from a ranked list of the available resources by a human provider registered for the subject matter of the query;

submitting the query to each of the activated resources, said activated resources including search engines activated based on content of the query;

displaying content obtained from each of the activated resources in a corresponding renderer containing web page content from the respective activated resources;

retrieving a web page indicated by a selected search result indicated by one of the activated resources based on identification of the selected search result by the human provider;

indicating at least one keyword of the query inside an overlaying box of surrounding text within the web page indicated by the selected search result;

extracting contents of the overlaying box based on a selection of the human provider from among reviewed contents by the human provider for formulating a direct answer to the query including the web page of the selected search result, said human provider being able to navigate through the content resulting from each of the activated resources and the selected search result and said human provider communicating with the user during said formulating;

returning said direct answer including context data thereof as a result for the submitted query, where the result includes a link to a web page indicating the selected search result used to produce the direct answer and said extracted contents and the direct answer including a text within a portion obtained from the web page of the selected search result; and

where said providing of the available resources is based on a highest number of direct answers obtained by human providers responding to queries regarding the subject matter of the query from a web page indicated by a search result of the resources.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein a location of the direct answer is delivered with the result.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the location is a URL of a web page containing the direct answer delivered as the result.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, further comprising:

delivering an index page tab for directing the user to the location of the direct answer within the web page.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the ranked list of available resources includes a resource submitted by another user.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the ranked list of available resources includes a resource defined by a system administrator.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, wherein said extracting includes modifying the contents of the overlaying box by the human provider.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said formulating is executed by another human provider.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said displaying content obtained from the activated resources includes simultaneously displaying results of at least two searches.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the activated resources are search engines selected by another human search provider and the content of the query.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein each of the contents obtained from the activated resources are displayed in entirety in a single frame.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least two selection indicators allowing selection of a corresponding search engine to receive the query.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying result windows for search results of search engines identified as the activated resources.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein at least two open windows simultaneously displaying search results are provided.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said direct answer includes a WAP message provided to a mobile device associated with the user submitting the query.