METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PERFORMING REDIRECTS TO A SEARCH ENGINE
First Claim
1. A system for processing search requests received over a network, the system comprising:
- a data store that stores identification information for a first plurality of recipients, wherein the first plurality of recipients are eligible to receive a benefit at least partly as the result of searches performed by individuals;
a computing device; and
program code stored in computer readable memory that when executed by the computing device is configured to;
provide a user interface to a user terminal via which a user can identify a recipient at least from the plurality of recipients whose identification information is stored in the data store;
receive a search request from the user over the network;
store in a data store an indication relating to the search request received from the user terminal;
facilitating a search to be performed corresponding to the search request;
determine a payment allocation with respect to the identified recipient,wherein the payment allocation is related to the search request received from the user, wherein the user is same user providing the recipient designation,even when the search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is related to methods and systems for processing search requests and for performing searches over a network. In an embodiment, a recipient designation is received from a user over a network. The designation indicates that future searches performed by the user are to be associated with the recipient (even if the subject matter of the search is not related to the recipient). A search request is received from the user; causing a search to be performed in response to the search request. An identifier corresponding to the recipient is stored in association with an indication regarding the occurrence of the first search request.
10 Citations
72 Claims
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1. A system for processing search requests received over a network, the system comprising:
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a data store that stores identification information for a first plurality of recipients, wherein the first plurality of recipients are eligible to receive a benefit at least partly as the result of searches performed by individuals; a computing device; and program code stored in computer readable memory that when executed by the computing device is configured to; provide a user interface to a user terminal via which a user can identify a recipient at least from the plurality of recipients whose identification information is stored in the data store; receive a search request from the user over the network; store in a data store an indication relating to the search request received from the user terminal; facilitating a search to be performed corresponding to the search request; determine a payment allocation with respect to the identified recipient, wherein the payment allocation is related to the search request received from the user, wherein the user is same user providing the recipient designation, even when the search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for processing search requests received over a network, the method comprising:
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receiving over a network a recipient designation manually provided by a user, wherein the recipient is eligible to receive a benefit at least partly as a result of an indication related to searches performed by the user, and wherein the user is not the recipient; storing the recipient designation in computer readable memory; receiving at a first Internet site a first search request regarding a subject matter from the user, wherein the search request subject matter is not related to the recipient; facilitating a search corresponding to the first search request to be performed by a search engine, wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the first search request; storing an indication related to the first search request; in association with an identifier corresponding to the user, or in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient, or in association with the identifier corresponding to the user and in association with the identifier corresponding to the recipient; and
allocating a payment to the recipient,wherein the payment allocation is related at least in part to the indication related to the first search request, wherein the first search request is received from the same user that provided the recipient designation. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of processing search requests, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a networked computer system, a recipient designation from a user over a network, wherein the designated recipient is not the user; storing an indication that the user designated the recipient in computer readable memory; receiving at a at a networked site a first search request from the user; providing the first search request to a search engine, wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the first search request; storing an indication related to the first search request from the user; in association with an identifier corresponding to the user, or in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient, or in association with the identifier corresponding to the user and in association with the identifier corresponding to the recipient; and allocating a payment to the recipient based at least in part on the recipient designation and the indication related to the first search request from the user, the user being the same user that provides the recipient designation, even when the first search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of processing search requests, the method comprising:
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receiving, at a computing system, a recipient designation from a user over a network that indicates that future searches performed by the user are to benefit the recipient, wherein the user is not the recipient; identifying the recipient as a non-profit entity; receiving, at the computing system, via a Web page or via a toolbar a first search request from the user; causing a search to be performed by a search engine in response to the first search request; storing, in non-transitory computer readable memory, an indication relating to the occurrence of the first search request from the user in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient; and allocating a payment to the recipient based at least in part on an indication that the first search request was received from the same user that provided the recipient designation, even when the first search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A system for processing search requests received over a network, the system comprising:
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a computing device; and program code stored in computer readable memory that when executed by the computing device is configured to performing operations comprising; receiving over a network a recipient designation manually provided by a user, wherein the recipient is eligible to receive a benefit at least partly as a result of an indication related to searches performed by the user, and wherein the user is not the recipient; storing the recipient designation in computer readable memory; receiving at a first Internet site a first search request regarding a subject matter from the user, wherein the search request subject matter is not related to the recipient; facilitating a search corresponding to the first search request to be performed by a search engine, wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the first search request; storing an indication related to the first search request; in association with an identifier corresponding to the user, or in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient, or in association with the identifier corresponding to the user and in association with the identifier corresponding to the recipient; and allocating a payment to the recipient, wherein the payment allocation is related at least in part to the indication related to the first search request, wherein the first search request is received from the same user that provided the recipient designation. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A system for processing search requests received over a network, the system comprising:
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a computing device; and program code stored in computer readable memory that when executed by the computing device is configured to performing operations comprising; receiving, at a networked computer system, a recipient designation from a user over a network, wherein the designated recipient is not the user; storing an indication that the user designated the recipient in computer readable memory; receiving at a at a networked site a first search request from the user; providing the first search request to a search engine, wherein the search engine will generate search results at least partly based on the first search request; storing an indication related to the first search request from the user; in association with an identifier corresponding to the user, or in association with an identifier corresponding to the recipient, or in association with the identifier corresponding to the user and in association with the identifier corresponding to the recipient; and allocating a benefit to the recipient based at least in part on the recipient designation and the indication related to the first search request from the user, the user being the same user that provides the recipient designation, even when the first search request subject matter is unrelated to the designated recipient. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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Specification