Method and system for generating a search result list based on local information

• US 20060235816A1
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NHN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NHN Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Sang Won, Kang, Chun Sik
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for effectively providing search results by referring to local information related to a searcher in response to a search request from the searcher through a communication network. The present invention provides a method for providing local information search results, comprising the steps of maintaining local information for searching related to the searcher, relating a plurality of search items related to a network information provider to a keyword and local information related to the network information provider, receiving a search request from the searcher, identifying at least more than one search item related to the keyword that meets the search request and selecting a search item related to local information matched to the local information for searching among the identified search items, and arranging at least a part of the search items according to a predetermined search item arranging method in arranging the selected search items. According to the present invention, as it is possible to provide search results with reference to the local information related to a searcher when providing search results to the searcher, more useful local information can be provided to the searcher.

Claims

1. A method for providing local information search results in response to a search request input through a communication network by a searcher, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining local information for searching related to the searcher;

maintaining a database including a plurality of search items related to a network information provider, in which the search items are related to a keyword and local information related to the network information provider;

receiving a search request from the searcher;

identifying at least more than one search item related to the keyword that meets the search request and selecting search item related to local information matched to the local information for searching, among the identified search items; and

arranging at least a part of the search items according to a predetermined search item arranging method in arranging the selected search items.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of arranging at least a part of the search items according to the predetermined search item arranging method comprises the step of arranging the selected search item preferentially.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local information matched to the local information for searching comprises local information that is in agreement with the local information for searching or local information that is closely related to the local information for searching.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of arranging at least a part of the search items according to the predetermined search item arranging method, is to preferentially arrange the search item related to the local information that is in agreement with the local information for searching and subsequently arrange the search item related to the local information closely related to the local information for searching.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the local information for searching related to the searcher comprises the step of storing the local information for searching as search configuration setting information of the searcher, and the step of receiving the search request from the searcher comprises the step of obtaining the local information for searching from the stored search configuration setting information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of storing the information as the search configuration setting information of the searcher and the step of receiving the search request from the searcher comprise a log-in procedure by the searcher.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the local information for searching related to the searcher comprises the step of storing the local information for searching received from the searcher, in form of a cookie file at a searcher'"'"'s terminal, and the step of receiving the search request from the searcher comprises the step of accessing to the cookie file and obtaining the local information for searching.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the local information for searching related to the searcher comprises the step of installing a client program at a searcher'"'"'s terminal, and the step of receiving the search request from the searcher comprises the step of receiving the local information for searching using the client program installed in the searcher'"'"'s terminal.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the database includes the step of receiving local information related to the network information provider from the network information provider.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the database includes the step of extracting local information related to the network information provider from a website of the network information provider.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the database includes the step of extracting local information related to the network information provider from configuration setting information of the network information provider.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of extracting the local information related to the network information provider comprises the steps of:

maintaining a telephone exchange number and local information regarding the telephone exchange number, for a telephone number database;

obtaining information of the telephone exchange number, in which the configuration setting information includes the telephone exchange number of the network information provider; and

identifying local information that is in agreement with information of the telephone exchange number of the network information provider with reference to the telephone number database.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined search item arranging method is one among a keyword banner, knowledge search results, a sponsor link, a category, and a plus site.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the database includes the step of receiving network information from the network information provider to register the same at a database, and relating the registered network information to a plurality of the search items.

21. A computer-readable recording medium, in which a program for implementing a method according to claim 1 in a computer, is recorded.

15. A method for providing local information search results in response to a search request input through a communication network by a searcher, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving local information for searching from the searcher and storing the received local information for searching;

receiving a request for a local advertisement related to local information, from a network information provider;

maintaining a plurality of search items related to a keyword, in which the search items are related to the local information and the network information provider in response to the request for the local advertisement;

receiving a search request from the searcher;

identifying at least more than one search item related to the keyword that meets the search request and selecting local information and search item related to local information matched to the local information for searching, among the identified search items; and

arranging at least a part of the search items according to a predetermined search item arranging method in arranging the selected search items.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining a predetermined advertisement charge for the local advertisement, wherein the advertisement charge is differently determined depending on the local information related to the local advertisement.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining a predetermined advertisement charge for the local advertisement, wherein the advertisement charge is determined with consideration of frequency of page view or reference of the selected search item.

18. A method for providing local information search results in response to a search request input through a communication network by a searcher, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving local information for searching from the searcher and storing the received local information for searching;

maintaining a database including a plurality of search items related to a network information provider, in which a predetermined local keyword is selected among keywords and the search item is related to the local keyword and the local information related to the network information provider;

receiving a search request from the searcher;

if the keyword that meets the search request is the local keyword, identifying search items related to the local keyword and selecting search item related to local information matched to the local information for searching, among the identified search items; and

arranging at least a part of the search items according to a predetermined search item arranging method in arranging the selected search items.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the local keyword is differently selected depending on region with consideration of characteristics of the region.

20. A system for providing local information search results in response to a search request input through a communication network by a searcher, the system comprising:

a local information processing part for receiving local information for searching from the searcher and storing the same;

a search request receiving part for receiving a search request from the searcher;

a storing part for storing a plurality of search items related to a network information provider and relating the search item to a keyword and local information related to the network information provider;

a search performing part for identifying search item related to a keyword that meets the search request and selecting a search item related to local information that meets the stored local information for searching, among the identified search items, in response to the search request; and

a search results providing part for arranging the selected search items according to a predetermined search item arranging method.