Displaying search results

• US 9,122,731 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Goel, Surendra, Kellum, David E., Donaldson, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US13/929,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/709, 707/713, 707/764, 707/770, 707/781, 707/783, 715/777, 715/817, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Website search results obtained from searching multiple electronic information stores may be displayed transparently without distinguishing the electronic information store. The search may be performed by a web host and may include receiving at least one search term that then is compared with first electronic information within a first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, where the first electronic information includes content provided by an internal source. The search term also is compared with second electronic information within a second electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, where the second electronic information includes content provided by an external source. Results are displayed based on matches that are determined to exist with the first electronic information and the second electronic information. The results are combined in a single list of results.

Claims

1. A content search method comprising:

receiving, from an entity, at least one search term that is usable to provide search results to the entity;

searching first and second information respectively on first and second data stores to build (i) a list of matches of the received search term and the first information and (ii) a list of matches of the received search term and the second information, access to the first information being limited to only a group to which the entity qualifies for membership, access to the second information not being limited; and

combining the lists into a single, combined list and providing the list to the entity for display, along with indicia that enables the display of respective sources of the matches of the single, combined list,

wherein the first data store is provided by clusters of servers in various locations, each cluster including one or more interrelated servers capable of providing services to a plurality of users that are within a geographic constraint to that cluster'"'"'s location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each cluster of servers provides geographically specific content that relates to that cluster'"'"'s geographical location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the geographically specific content includes routing information to resources that are within a geographic constraint to that cluster'"'"'s location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each cluster of servers stores information accessed by users that are within a geographic constraint to that cluster'"'"'s location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data store is provided by a common set of servers that serve any user, regardless of the user'"'"'s geographical location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data store is maintained by a third party search service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein qualification of membership includes a geographic constraint based on a location of the user.

8. A system for indicating recent content publication activity, the system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a storage section storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a content searching method that includes;

receiving, from an entity, at least one search term that is usable to provide search results to the entity;

searching first information on a first data store, access to the first information being limited to only a group to which the entity qualifies for membership;

searching second information on a second data store that is different than the first data store;

building a first list of matches of the received search term and the first information;

building a second list of matches of the received search term and the second information, access to the second information being free of limitation; and

combining the first and second lists into a single, combined list and providing the list to the entity for display,

wherein the first data store is provided by clusters of servers in various locations, and

wherein each cluster includes one or more interrelated servers capable of providing services to a plurality of users that are within a geographic constraint to that cluster'"'"'s location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each cluster of servers provides geographically specific content that relates to that cluster'"'"'s geographic location.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein geographically specific content includes routing information to resources that are within a geotropically constraint to that cluster'"'"'s location.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein each cluster of servers stores information accessed by users that are within a geographic constraint to that cluster'"'"'s location.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the second data store is provided by a common set of servers that serves any user, regardless of the user'"'"'s geographical location.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second data store maintained by a third party search service.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein qualification for membership includes a geographic constraint based on a location of the user.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, implement a content searching method, the method comprising:

receiving, from an entity, at least one search term that is usable to provide search results to the entity;

building (i) a list of matches of the received search term and first information and (ii) a list of matches of the received search term and second information, by searching the first information and the second information, the first information being on a first data store, the second information being on a second data store, access to the first information being limited to only a group to which the entity qualifies for membership, access to the second information being free of limitation; and

combining the lists into a single, combined list and providing the list to the entity for display,

wherein clusters of servers in various locations provide the first data store, and

wherein each cluster includes one or more interrelated servers capable of providing services to a plurality of users that are within a geographic constraint to that cluster'"'"'s location.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, from an entity, a search term that is usable to provide search results to the entity;

searching first and second information respectively on first and second data stores to build

(i) a list of matches of the received search term and the first information and

(ii) a list of matches of the received search term and the second information, access to the first information being limited to only a group to which the entity qualifies for membership, access to the second information not being limited; and

combining the lists into a single, combined list and providing the list to the entity for display,

wherein clusters of servers in various locations provide the first data store, and

wherein each cluster includes at least one interrelated server capable of providing services to a plurality of users that are within a geographic constraint related to that cluster'"'"'s location.