Method and system for access to restricted resources

• US 8,577,894 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US12/359,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 707/748, 707/783
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

A method and system of providing a search result to a user based on information indicated in a restricted access resource is described. A search system utilizing the assistance of human searchers or guides may obtain a search result using information included in a restricted resource. Access to a restricted resource is granted to guides based on access information provided to the search service. A guide may access information indicated in a restricted resource in order to obtain a search result. A search result obtained based on information indicated in a restricted resource may be returned to a user.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a search, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a request for information from a user;

determining whether a restricted resource is relevant to the request;

selecting, by the processor, a human searcher based on an access right of the restricted resource;

associating the restricted resource with a keyword or a category;

ranking the restricted resource for the keyword or the category based on a rating of relevance of the keyword or the category to the request;

allowing the human searcher an access to the restricted resource when determining that the user is not authorized for the access to the restricted resource;

obtaining the information using the restricted resource; and

providing the information to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a response including an indication of the restricted resource in addition to the information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication is an advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance is based on a ranking of the restricted resource relative to a plurality of resources associated with the request, the ranking being independent of whether the user is authorized for the access.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the access conceals from the human searcher information required to obtain a subsequent access to the restricted resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes a specific answer to the request and the specific answer is composed by the human searcher.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the allowing is based on historical information of a number of accesses of the restricted resource or a number of accesses of the restricted resource by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the restricted resource is provided when determining that the human searcher is not authorized to access the restricted resource and that the access is authorized to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of information indicated in the restricted resource is provided responsive to the request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the information is text and the portion is a selection made by the human searcher which is limited by a provider of the restricted resource.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the restricted resource is allowed based on an affiliation of the human searcher.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the restricted resource is allowed based on a keyword of the request.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing information of the request, the information, and the restricted resource in a location accessible for indexing by one or more automated search engines.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the human searcher is selected based on historical information of receipt of content of the restricted resource by the human searcher.

15. A persistent computer readable medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including providing access to a restricted resource, comprising:

determining whether an access to a restricted resource is authorized in association with processing a request for information received from a user;

selecting the restricted resource based on relevance of the restricted resource to the request;

associating the restricted resource with a keyword or a category;

ranking the restricted resource for the keyword or the category based on a rating of relevance of the keyword or the category to the request;

selecting a human searcher associated with an access right allowing the human searcher the access to the restricted resource when determining that the access is not authorized to the user;

selecting a human searcher associated with a subject matter of the request when determining that the access is authorized for the user;

receiving the information from the human searcher based on the access; and

providing the information to the user.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the determining includes determining relevance of the restricted resource to the request based on an action of the human searcher.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the access to the restricted resource is provided based on the access right to the restricted resource determined by one of a search system managing the request and the human searcher.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the access to the restricted resource prevents providing information permitting a discretionary access to the restricted resource to the human searcher.

19. A system, comprising:

a user device for submitting a request for information;

a search system providing the request to a guide system operated by a human searcher, choosing the guide system based on an access right of the guide system for a restricted resource, associating the restricted resource with a keyword or a category, ranking the restricted resource for the keyword or the category based on a rating of relevance of the keyword or the category to the request, selecting the restricted resource based on relevance of the restricted resource to the request, and returning the information to the user device based on content of the restricted resource, the content being obtained by the guide system;

the guide system accessing the restricted resource to process the request when determining that the user device is denied an access to the restricted resource;

a database including access and ranking information; and

the restricted resource providing the information.