METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRIGGERING A SEARCH REQUEST

• US 20150188868A1
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Scott A., Cooper, Thomas E.
• Application Number:
  US14/643,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20150188868A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area

Abstract

A method and system providing a response to an unrestricted request for information responsive to an unrestricted triggering condition. A request is associated with a condition which initiates an information search. A result associated with a request and a condition may be provided to a user via any or all communication services and/or devices associated with the user. A response may be delivered according to instructions from a user.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining information via a communication network comprising:

receiving a request via the network;

routing, by a processor, information of the request to a human assistant based on a location specified by the request;

obtaining an observation by the human assistant of an activity at the location; and

providing a response to the request based on the observation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the request based on an event specified by a query of a user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the human assistant based on chronological information associated with the human assistant and the location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

delivering an instruction to the human assistant based on the request.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

procuring destinations based on actions of users; and

providing the response to the request to the destinations.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

distributing a notification of the request to human assistants; and

selecting the human assistant when the human assistant responds to the notification.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the observation based on a search resource.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the human assistant based on a ranking of human assistants associated with the location.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the human assistant based on an access right of the human assistant to observe the activity.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the human assistant based on a response of an automated resource associated with the request.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the human assistant based on proximity of the human assistant to the activity.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

directing the request to a human searcher; and

selecting the human assistant based on an action of the human searcher.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing a list of search resources to the human searcher; and

presenting a search resource selected by the human searcher to the human assistant.

14. A system for obtaining information via a network comprising:

a server device receiving a request via the network, routing information of the request to a human assistant based on a location specified by the request, obtaining an observation by the human assistant of an activity at the location, and providing a response to the request based on the observation

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

a user device submitting the request via the network; and

a human assistant device providing the observation via the network.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation, comprising:

receiving a request via a communications network;

routing information of the request to a human assistant based on a location specified by the request;

obtaining an observation by the human assistant of an activity at the location; and

providing a response to the request based on the observation.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operation further comprises:

delivering access information for a resource to the human assistant via the network; and

selecting the resource based on a keyword of the request.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operation further comprises:

obtaining information from a resource based on the request;

selecting the human assistant based on the information and a previous response submitted by the human assistant.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operation further comprises:

determining the observation based on information obtained from an automated search system responsive to the request; and

providing information of the observation to the human assistant based on an occurrence of an event determined by the request.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operation further comprises:

routing the request to the human assistant based on geographic information associated with the request and geographic information determined by a response of the human assistant to a previous request.