METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMIC INFORMATION CONNECTION SEARCH ENGINE
First Claim
1. A method for a dynamic information connection engine, comprising:
- detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for supported information;
extracting query information from the at least one user action, wherein the query information includes at least one category of the supported information;
automatically selecting at least one supplier of the supported information using at least one server in response to the query information;
transferring at least one query including the query information among the selected at least one supplier via at least one network; and
generating at least one result list in response to at least one query response, wherein the at least one result list includes response information generated from the at least one query response and query status information.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for a dynamic information connection engine. User actions are detected on at least one client system. In response, a determination is made whether the user is searching for supported information. When the user is searching for supported information, information is extracted electronically from third party web sites, direct supplier connections, and intermediate databases. Potential information suppliers are automatically selected in response to the detected user search. Queries are formulated from the user search and transferred to each selected supplier over a network coupling. The queries include a request for information. Responses are received from the suppliers, and the responses are used to generate a result list for the user. The result list includes information and query status information. Further, an electronic link may be provided to a web site of each supplier from which the information was derived.
92 Citations
62 Claims
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1. A method for a dynamic information connection engine, comprising:
- detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for supported information;
extracting query information from the at least one user action, wherein the query information includes at least one category of the supported information;
automatically selecting at least one supplier of the supported information using at least one server in response to the query information;
transferring at least one query including the query information among the selected at least one supplier via at least one network; and
generating at least one result list in response to at least one query response, wherein the at least one result list includes response information generated from the at least one query response and query status information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20)
- detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for supported information;
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11. A method for locating and scheduling travel itinerary components in real time, comprising:
- detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for travel information;
extracting at least one itinerary component from the at least one user action;
automatically selecting at least one supplier of the at least one itinerary component using at least one server;
transferring at least one query among the selected at least one supplier via at least one network, wherein the at least one query is a request for purchase information on the at least one itinerary component; and
presenting the at least one user with at least one result list in response to at least one query response, wherein the at least one result list includes the purchase information, at least one electronic link to the at least one supplier, and query status information. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
- detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for travel information;
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40. A system for locating and scheduling travel itinerary components in real time, comprising:
- at least one client computer that detects at least one user action and determines whether at least one user is searching for travel information;
at least one server coupled to the at least one client computer, wherein at least one itinerary component is extracted from the at least one user action, wherein at least one supplier of the at least one itinerary component is automatically selected, wherein at least one query is transferred among the selected at least one supplier via at least one network, wherein the at least one query is a request for purchase information on the at least one itinerary component, wherein the at least one user is presented with at least one result list in response to at least one query response, wherein the at least one result list includes the purchase information, query status information, and at least one electronic link that supports purchase of the at least one itinerary component. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
- at least one client computer that detects at least one user action and determines whether at least one user is searching for travel information;
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60. A computer readable medium containing executable instructions which, when executed in a processing system, provides a dynamic information connection engine comprising:
- detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for supported information;
extracting query information from the at least one user action, wherein the query information includes at least one category of the supported information;
automatically selecting at least one supplier of the supported information using at least one server in response to the query information;
transferring at least one query including the query information among the selected at least one supplier via at least one network; and
generating at least one result list in response to at least one query response, wherein the at least one result list includes response information generated from the at least one query response and query status information.
- detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for supported information;
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61. An electromagnetic medium containing executable instructions which, when executed in a processing system, provides a dynamic information connection engine comprising:
detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for supported information;
extracting query information from the at least one user action, wherein the query information includes at least one category of the supported information;
automatically selecting at least one supplier of the supported information using at least one server in response to the query information;
transferring at least one query including the query information among the selected at least one supplier via at least one network; and
generating at least one result list in response to at least one query response, wherein the at least one result list includes response information generated from the at least one query response and query status information.
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62. A method for locating and scheduling travel itinerary components in real time, comprising:
- detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for travel information;
extracting at least one itinerary component from the at least one user action;
automatically selecting at least one supplier of the at least one itinerary component using at least one server;
transferring at least one query among the selected at least one supplier via at least one network, wherein the at least one query is a request for purchase information on the at least one itinerary component;
presenting the at least one user with at least one result list in response to at least one query response, wherein the at least one result list includes the purchase information, at least one electronic link to the at least one supplier, and query status information; and
facilitating at least one purchase transaction comprising the at least one user purchasing at least one itinerary component chosen from the at least one result list.
- detecting at least one user action on at least one client computer and, in response, determining at least one user is searching for travel information;
Specification