Integrated searching of multiple search sources
First Claim
1. A method of searching for data, the method comprising the steps of:
- accepting a question from a client;
sending the question to a plurality of search services;
receiving a plurality of results from one or more of the search services, wherein each of the results has an associated rank that is assigned by the search service from which the result is received; and
adjusting the associated rank of at least one result based upon a weight for the search service that assigned the associated rank, wherein the weight is assigned by at least one of a client specification and a default weighting specification.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A Web Services Parallel Query (WSPQ) web service that allows a user to enter a question, parses that, distributes the question, user preferences and information parsed from the question to a number of search services. These search services then perform a search based upon the question and/or the parsed information. The search services then return results to the WSPQ web service. The WSPQ normalizes rankings of results provided by the search services, adjusts these rankings based upon default weighs or client specified weights for search service providing the result and then presents the user with a unified list of results that are sorted or prioritized based upon their rank.
244 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A method of searching for data, the method comprising the steps of:
-
accepting a question from a client;
sending the question to a plurality of search services;
receiving a plurality of results from one or more of the search services, wherein each of the results has an associated rank that is assigned by the search service from which the result is received; and
adjusting the associated rank of at least one result based upon a weight for the search service that assigned the associated rank, wherein the weight is assigned by at least one of a client specification and a default weighting specification. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A system of searching for data, the system comprising:
-
a parser for accepting a question from a client;
a dispatcher for sending the question to a plurality of search services;
a receiver for receiving a plurality of results from one or more of the search services, wherein each of the results has an associated rank that is assigned by the search service from which the result is received; and
a normalizer for adjusting the associated rank of at least one result based upon a weight for the search service that assigned the associated rank, wherein the weight is assigned by at least one of a client specification and a default weighting specification. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A computer readable medium including computer instructions for searching for data, the computer instructions comprising instructions for:
-
accepting a question from a client;
sending the question to a plurality of search services;
receiving a plurality of results from one or more of the search services, wherein each of the results has an associated rank that is assigned by the search service from which the result is received; and
adjusting the associated rank of at least one result based upon a weight for the search service that assigned the associated rank, wherein the weight is assigned by at least one of a client specification and a default weighting specification. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
Specification