Method and system for improving utilization of human searchers

• US 9,064,025 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Scott A, Lenzo, Chris, Cooper, Thomas E
• Primary Examiner(s): Spieler, William
• Application Number:
  US13/623,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 707/765
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

A method and system of improving utilization of human searcher(s) in a search system provides an ambassador guide who may categorize and structure a request, interact with a user, provide a search result, and review a search result. The ambassador guide improves response time, automation, and efficiency of use of searchers and resources of the search system. A toolset may be provided to an ambassador to assist in rapidly executing relevant tasks.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a search request from a user;

presenting a list of a plurality of structured queries based on the search request to a human assistant;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of structured queries from the human assistant;

obtaining an answer from a source using the selected structured query, wherein the answer is responsive to the search request; and

providing the answer to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing a response to a search resource determined by a category selected by the selection; and

providing the answer to the search request obtained from the search resource.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

procuring a selection of a keyword of the search request from the human assistant;

obtaining a search result based on a ranking of the search result for the keyword.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the human assistant based on an expected time interval required to process the search request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assisting the human assistant by providing a template associated with a category of the selection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the human assistant based on a ratio of search requests directed to the human assistant to search requests which are transferred to human searchers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the answer based on a match between the search request and a search query matched to a structured query of the plurality of structured queries.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing the search request to a human searcher when the human assistant indicates that the answer is unacceptable.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the answer from a human searcher.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the answer based on a match between a plurality of search requests and a search query of the plurality of search requests matched to a structured query.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the answer based on a category assigned to the search request when a response indicates a change of the category.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the answer based on a random selection associated with a user submitting the search request.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

choosing a human searcher to respond to the search request based on the structured query and a ranking of the human searcher for a category indicated by the structured query.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking the structured query based on a location associated with the search request by the selection.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the structured query comprises a revised search request.

16. A system, comprising:

a user device submitting a search request;

a search system, presenting a list of a plurality of structured queries based on the search request to a human assistant, receiving a selection of one of the plurality of structured queries from the human assistant, obtaining an answer from a source using the selected structured query, wherein the answer is responsive to the search request, and providing the answer to the user device; and

an ambassador device receiving a user interface determined by the answer.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a database system; and

a searcher system providing the answer using a search resource selected based on a ranking of the search resource for the structured query.

18. A non-transient computer readable medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including processing a request, comprising:

receiving a search request from a user;

presenting a list of a plurality of structured queries based on the search request to a human assistant;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of structured queries from the human assistant;

obtaining an answer from a source using the selected structured query, wherein the answer is responsive to the search request; and

providing the answer to the user.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the operation further comprises:

determining a highest ranking profile for the search request; and

providing the answer based on the profile and the structured query.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the selection determines the answer and the answer is chosen from search results associated with the structured query.