Search tool providing optional use of human search guides

• US 8,117,196 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• 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 F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital, Pierre
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBISESAN, AUGUSTINE KUNLE
• Application Number:
  US11/469,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,992 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/731
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3326 using relevance feedback from the user, e.g. relevance feedback on documents, documents sets, document terms or passages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A method and system providing optional use of human search guides to allow a user to select between a human guide assisted search and an automated search. The user is provided with an option of submitting a query requesting assistance of one or more human guides, initiating a search without requesting assistance from human guide(s) using automated results, or a combination of both.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

allowing a user to enter a query in an interface linked to a first destination, the destination being indicated to the user by a first label;

redirecting the query to a second destination indicated to the user by a second label when the second label is selected;

performing a search by a human searcher when the query is received at the second destination;

providing a search result to the human searcher produced by a search resource from which human searches most frequently obtain a location of a media file from which the human searcher obtains a response for the subject matter of the query when the query is received at the second destination; and

conducting a search by submitting the query to an automated search resource selected based on a highest usage frequency by human assistants conducting a human-assisted search responsive to queries associated with a subject matter of the query when the query is received at the first destination.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

returning information obtained from the automated search resource by at least one human searcher in response to the search when the query is received at the first destination.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a search result is obtained from the automated search resource using a search engine when determining that there is no matching query found in a database of previous queries, and wherein the destinations are mutually exclusive.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the search result is obtained using stored information including a response to a previous request or data gathered by a human searcher for responding to requests.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user selects between the human assisted search, an automated search, and both the human assisted search and the automated search via selectable options provided in a single window.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein an automated search is executed using a ranking of a plurality of previously selected automated search resources.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the automated search resource is selected most frequently by the plurality of human searches.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

extracting one or more keywords from the query; and

determining a subject matter of the query based on the one or more keywords.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the human searcher selecting the automated search resource is registered to conduct searches related to the one or more keywords.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the automated search resource is utilized by a predetermined number of the human searchers registered to conduct searches related to the one or more keywords.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the search result obtained is obtained using spidering, indexing or page ranking.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the redirecting comprises the user activating a button marked as a human assisted search and the first destination is an automated search resource.

13. A computer-implemented interface provided by a device including memory and a processor, comprising:

a query field for entering a query to be searched;

a selection control indicating to a user whether the query is searched by a human searcher,

the selection control indicating to the user whether the query is searched automatically,

the selection control indicating to the user whether the query is searched by both the human searcher and automatically, and

where a result is obtained by the human searcher from at least one automated resource selected based on a highest usage frequency by human assistants conducting human-assisted searches responsive to queries associated with a subject matter of the query when the selection control indicates to the user that the query is searched by the human searcher or by both the human searcher and automatically, and a search result from the at least one automated resource is provided to the user submitting the query when the selection control indicates to the user that the query is searched automatically or by both the human searcher and automatically.

14. The interface according to claim 13, wherein the selection control comprises:

a guide assisted search button indicating to the user that the query is searched by the human searcher when the guide assisted search button is activated; and

an automatic search engine search button indicating to the user that the query is searched by initiating a search by an automated search when the automatic search engine search button is activated.

15. The interface according to claim 14, wherein the selection control further comprises:

a guide assisted and automatic search engine search button indicating to the user that the query is searched by submitting the query to both the human searcher and the automated search when activated; and

the human searcher performing a search responsive to the query is provided with automated search results from a plurality of automated search resources when the selection control indicates to the user that the query is searched by the human searcher.

16. A system, comprising:

a user device allowing a user to enter a query and informing the user of a first instruction for causing an automated search for the query, a second instruction for causing a human assisted search for the query and a third instruction for causing both the human assisted search and the automated search for the query; and

a system selecting a highest ranking human assistant based on a ranking of the human assistant for a keyword of the query, selecting an automated search resource based on a ranking of the automated search resource by the highest ranking human assistant, directing the query to a human searcher based on a rank and an availability of the human searcher for the query when the first instruction or third instruction is received for the query, providing information of the automated search resource to the human searcher when the query is directed to the human searcher, directing the query to the automated search resource when the second instruction or the third instruction is received for the query, obtaining a search result of the human searcher or the automated search resource, and providing the search result to the user.

17. A search apparatus for providing optional use of human searchers, comprising:

a storage device maintaining a record of default or previously used automated search resources in association with a keyword and at least one automated search resource selected by a system administrator, said maintaining including resources used and selected by human searchers registered to perform a search responsive to queries associated with a subject matter of a request;

a user device providing a first option representing a human assisted search to a user and a second option representing an automated search to the user, said first option and a said second option being mutually exclusive and selectable by the user for the request; and

a server processing the request by delivering information of the request, and information of a search resource to a human searcher when the first option is selected by the user and submitting the request to one or more of the recorded default or previously used automated search resources, said one or more automated resources includes an automated resource with a highest usage frequency by human assistants obtaining a search result from the automated search resource responsive to requests related to the subject matter of the request when the second option is selected, and enabling the first option when determining that the request has been previously submitted by the user to an automated resource and that a stored search result obtained by at least one human provider was provided to the user for the request.

18. A computer-implemented search method, comprising:

receiving a query;

providing to a user a first control indicating to the user a human assisted search and a second control indicating to the user an automated search for the query;

selecting a highest ranking human assistant based on a ranking of the human assistant for a keyword of the query;

directing the query to a human searcher based on a rank and an availability of the human searcher for the query when determining that the user selects the first control;

providing a search result obtained from an automated search resource to the human searcher when the user selects the first control;

conducting the search by submitting the query to the automated search resource when the user selects the first control or the second control;

selecting the automated search resource based on a ranking of the automated search resource by the highest ranking human assistant;

providing a response of the human searcher to the user when the user selects the first control; and

providing a response from the automated search resource to the user when the user selects the second control.

19. The search method according to claim 18, wherein predefined resources selected by an administrator are utilized to return automated results when the first control is selected and wherein the first control is enabled when determining that the query has been previously submitted by the user to the automated resource and that a stored search result obtained by at least one human provider was provided to the user for the query.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including responding to a search request, comprising:

presenting a first control indicating to a user a human assisted search, a second control indicating to the user an automated search and a third control indicating to the user both the human assisted search and the automated search;

receiving a query;

directing the query to a human assistant when the user activates the first control or the third control;

selecting the human assistant based on acceptance of a notification of the query by the human assistant when the user activates the first control or the third control;

providing information of an automated search resource to the human assistant when the user activates the first control or the third control; and

performing the automated search and the human assisted search using at least one automated search resource selected by a ranking of the at least one automated search resource associated with a subject matter of the query, where the automated search resource has a highest usage frequency by human assistants obtaining a search result from the automated search resource responsive to queries related to the subject matter of the query.

21. A computer readable storage medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including a search, comprising:

receiving a query;

providing to a user a first control indicating to the user a human assisted search and a second control indicating to the user an automated search for the query;

selecting a highest ranking human assistant based on a ranking of the human assistant for a keyword of the query;

directing the query to a human searcher based on a rank and an availability of the human searcher for the query when determining that the user selects the first control;

providing a search result obtained from an automated search resource to the human searcher when the user selects the first control;

conducting the search by submitting the query to the automated search resource when the user selects the first control or the second control;

selecting the automated search resource based on a ranking of the automated search resource by the highest ranking human assistant;

providing a response of the human searcher to the user when the user selects the first control; and

providing a response from the automated search resource to the user when the user selects the second control.