Search engine segmentation

• US 8,996,406 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jain, Kamal
• Primary Examiner(s): LI, SUN M
• Application Number:
  US11/419,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,234 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/3, 705/14.71, 707/3, 707/10, 707/706
• US Class Current: 705/14.71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0263 based upon Internet or website rating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

The claimed subject matter can provide a mechanism that facilitates market segmentation among search engines. A segmentation mechanism is provided that displays a plurality of search engines that can be employed in connection with a plurality of search types. Thus, an Internet search query can be analyzed, e.g., by keywords to determine a type of search being performed, and subsequently directed to the search engine selected for that type rather than all search queries going to a single search engine. The routing of a query can be based upon a user'"'"'s choices, which takes advantage of the fact that some search engines perform better than others based upon the type of search. The segmentation mechanism can be built into, e.g., an operating system, a browser and the like, and can be easily configured.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors; and

a segmentation component stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors, the segmentation component comprising;

a configuration element that;

displays a plurality of search types,

displays, for a given search type of the plurality of search types, one or more representations of search engines to enable selection of a respective search engine from among a plurality of search engines, and

receives one or more user selections associating respective search engines of the plurality of search engines with respective search types of the plurality of search types; and

a routing element that;

receives a search query,

compares the search query to a set of search terms to determine a search type for the search query from among the plurality of search types, and

determines, based at least partly on the user selections and the search type of the search query, a search engine from among the plurality of search engines.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration element further:

stores the one or more user selections associating the respective search engines of the plurality of search engines with the respective search types of the plurality of search types; and

bases the determination of the search type for the search query at least in part on the stored associations between the one or more user selections of respective search engines with the respective search types.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the routing element routes the search query to the search engine associated with the search type.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of search terms includes a key word list.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the key word list is an indexed list of common search terms.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of search terms includes search terms for which an advertiser has bid.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein search terms in the set of search terms yield a higher percentage of advertisement click-throughs than other search terms not included in the set of search terms.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the search type is determined based upon at least one of a default priority, a pre-set selection, a consumer search history, and a consumer transaction history.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the key word list is updated periodically.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the search query is at least one of an Internet search query, a product search, and a service search.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of search types include a consumer search, an image search, an entertainment search, a news search, a default search, and a local default search.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the segmentation component is a component of a web browser.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the segmentation component is a component of an operating system.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting a plurality of query types;

presenting, for a given query type of the plurality of query types, a selectable list of a plurality of search engines;

receiving selections associating respective search engines of the plurality of search engines with respective query types of the plurality of query types;

subsequent to the receiving the selections, comparing, by a computer, a search query to a set of search terms to determine a particular query type of the plurality of query types; and

directing the search query to a particular search engine of the plurality of search engines selected for the particular query type.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the set of search terms is included in an indexed list of key words.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising receiving an updated indexed list of key words.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions executable by a computer to:

display a plurality of query types;

display, for individual ones of the plurality of query types, respective selectable representations of one or more search engines from among a plurality of search engines employable to perform searches;

receive selections associating individual ones of the plurality of search engines with corresponding ones of the plurality of query types;

match a search query to a query type of the plurality of query types previously associated with respective ones of the plurality of search engines; and

route the search query to a search engine based on the matching query type, the matching query type determined based on a comparison of the search query to search terms that are associated with the matching query type.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the search terms are included in an indexed list of key words.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further executable to receive an updated indexed list of key words.

20. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors; and

a segmentation component stored on the memory and executable by the one or more processors, the segmentation component comprising;

a configuration component that;

displays a plurality of search types,

displays, for individual ones of the plurality of search types, selectable representations of respective one or more search engines from among a plurality of search engines, and receives input selections associating individual ones of the plurality of search engines with a respective search type of the plurality of search types; and

a routing component that;

receives a search query, and

determines, based at least in part on one or more search terms in the search query, a search type from among the plurality of search types, and

directs the search query to one of the search engines based at least in part on the search type.