Method and system for content search

• US 8,862,610 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheng, Jerry, Jessen, Erik, Hennings, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUNG D
• Application Number:
  US13/446,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20130275456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Method, system, and programs for content search are disclosed. A user interface configured based on context information is presented within a host application. A plurality of selectable search results are then fetched based on the context information and a query received from a user through the user interface. An input associated with a selection of one or more selectable search results is received from the user through the user interface. The user interface is updated based on the plurality of selectable search results. In response to the selection, the one or more selected search results are provided to the host application with the context information.

Claims

1. A method, implemented on at least one machine each of which has at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform connected to a network for content search, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting, within a host application, a user interface;

receiving a query from a user through the user interface;

determining a category of search based, at least in part, on the type of the host application;

fetching a plurality of selectable search results based on the query received from the user through the user interface and the category of search;

receiving an input associated with a selection of one or more selectable search results from the user through the user interface; and

in response to the selection, providing the one or more selected search results with the context information to the host application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining context information associated with the host application.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

processing the one or more selected search results by the host application based on the context information; and

presenting, within the host application, the processed one or more search results to the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more selected search results with the context information are directly provided to the host application without user intervention.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving a user input further comprises:

receiving an input associated with an update of the context information from the user through the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a list of the plurality of selectable search results to the user through the user interface, wherein at least one selectable search result is not associated with a hyperlink.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

each of the plurality of selectable search results is associated with one or more attributes;

and

at least another selectable search result is associated with a hyperlink.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein

the user interface is configured based on the context information;

and

the user interface is updated based on the fetched plurality of selectable search results.

9. A system for content search comprising a host application and an integrated search module, the integrated search module comprising:

a user interface controller configured to;

present, within the host application, a user interface, and

receive a query from a user through the user interface;

a search context controller configured to determine a category of search based, at least in part, on the type of the host application; and

a search result controller configured to;

fetch a plurality of selectable search results based on the query received from the user through the user interface and the category of search,

receive an input associated with a selection of one or more selectable search results from the user through the user interface, and

in response to the selection, provide the one or more selected search results with the context information to the host application.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the search context controller is further configured to obtain context information associated with the host application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the host application is configured to:

process the one or more selected search results by the host application based on the context information; and

present, within the host application, the processed one or more search results to the user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more selected search results with the context information are directly provided to the host application without user intervention.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrated search module further comprising a context information analyzer configured to receive an input associated with an update of the context information from the user through the user interface.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the search result controller is further configured to present a list of the plurality of selectable search results to the user through the user interface, wherein at least one selectable search result is not associated with a hyperlink.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein

each of the plurality of selectable search results is associated with one or more attributes;

and

at least another selectable search result is associated with a hyperlink.

16. A machine-readable tangible and non-transitory medium having information recorded thereon for content search, wherein the information, when read by the machine, causes the machine to perform the following:

presenting, within a host application, a user interface;

receiving a query from a user through the user interface;

determining a category of search based, at least in part, on the type of the host application;

fetching a plurality of selectable search results based on the query received from the user through the user interface and the category of search;

receiving an input associated with a selection of one or more selectable search results from the user through the user interface; and

in response to the selection, providing the one or more selected search results with the context information to the host application.

17. The medium of claim 16, further comprising obtaining context information associated with the host application.

18. The medium of claim 17, further comprising:

processing the one or more selected search results by the host application based on the context information; and

presenting, within the host application, the processed one or more search results to the user.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more selected search results with the context information are directly provided to the host application without user intervention.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving a user input further comprises:

receiving an input associated with an update of the context information from the user through the user interface.

21. The medium of claim 16, further comprising:

presenting a list of the plurality of selectable search results to the user through the user interface, wherein at least one selectable search result is not associated with a hyperlink.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein

each of the plurality of selectable search results is associated with one or more attributes;

and

at least another selectable search result is associated with a hyperlink.

23. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute a host application and an integrated search module;

a memory configured to store the host application and the integrated search module, the integrated search module, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the apparatus to perform the following;

presenting, within the host application, a user interface,

receiving a query from a user through the user interface,

determining a category of search based, at least in part, on the type of the host application,

fetching a plurality of selectable search results based on the query received from the user through the user interface and the category of search,

receiving an input associated with a selection of one or more selectable search results from the user through the user interface, and

in response to the selection, providing the one or more selected search results with the context information to the host application, and

the host application, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the apparatus to perform the following;

processing the one or more selected search results by the host application based on the context information, and

presenting, within the host application, the processed one or more search results to the user;

a communication platform configured to send the query and the context information to a search engine and receive the plurality of selectable search results from the search engine; and

one or more input/output devices configured to interact with the user through the user interface.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is a handheld device including at least one of a smart phone, a tablet, a music player, a handheld game console, and a global positioning system (GPS).