Method, system and apparatus for routing a query to one or more providers

• US 7,209,915 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Taboada, Roberto C., Bailey, Eric D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi; Hassan
• Application Number:
  US10/184,374
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/6, 707/10, 707/100, 704/7, 709/202, 709/217, 709/219, 709/229, 712/34, 715/501.1, 715/513, 717/146, 717/156
• US Class Current: 707/755
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A method and system for routing a query to one or more providers. The system may include a search interface for presenting a service list including one or more services offered by the one or more providers, permitting selection of one or more of the one or more services, and a query entry for receiving input of the query. A search processor is capable of receiving and parsing the query. A service recognizer for a particular provider is capable of receiving and analyzing one or more terms of the query to determine if the particular provider is a match for the query. A query router can route the query to the particular provider if the particular provider is determined to be a match and block the query to the particular provider if the particular provider is determined not to be a match. A results interface presents results of the query.

Claims

1. A system for routing a query to one or more providers, the system comprising:

a service recognizer for a particular provider configured to receive and analyze the query to determine if the particular provider is a match for the query;

a search processor configured to receive and parse the query, break the query into a one or more terms, stem each of the one or more terms, spell check each of the one or more terms, and generate context for the query based on an origin of the query;

a query router configured to route the query to the particular provider if the particular provider is determined to be a match, and to block the query to the particular provider if the particular provider is determined not to be a match; and

a results interface configured to present results of the query to a user in context within an application program, wherein the application program is selected from the group consisting of a word processing program, a spreadsheet program, and an email program, and wherein the results interface is configured to suggest a provider that is different from a selected provider selected by the user and that is determined to be a match for the query, the provider including a database of information upon which the query is configured to be run.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the query comprises one or more terms and wherein the service recognizer compares the one or more terms to a keyword list to determine if the particular provider is a match.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a search interface configured to receive and select the query the particular provider.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to select the particular provider.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a search interface configured to present a service list including one or more services offered by the one or more providers, receive selection of one or more of the one or more services, and include a query entry for receiving input of the query.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the service list is categorized according to one or more research categories, each of the one or more research categories including at least one service from the one or more services.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system is configured to receive the user'"'"'s selection of a research category to search.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular provider is coupled to the system by a network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the query is converted to extensible markup language before being routed to the particular provider.

10. A method for routing a query to one or more providers, the method comprising steps of:

receiving the query from a user;

parsing the query;

breaking the query into one or more terms;

stemming each of the one or more terms;

spell checking each of the one or more terms;

generating context for the query based on an origin of the query;

determining which of the one or more providers are a match for the query;

sending the query to one or more particular providers of the one or more providers that are determined to be matches for the query;

blocking the query to specific providers of the one or more providers that are determined not to be matches for the query; and

suggesting a provider from the one or more providers that was not selected by the user and that is determined to be a match for the query, the provider including a database of information upon which the query is configured to be run.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending a test query to a particular provider of one or more providers to determine if the particular provider is a match.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of selecting to which of the one or more providers to send the query.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining which of the one or more providers are a match comprises a step of comparing one or more terms of the query to a keyword list to determine if the particular provider is a match.

14. A system for communication between a client and one or more providers, the system comprising:

a search processor configured to receive and parse a query, break the query into a one or more terms, stem each of the one or more terms, spell check each of the one or more terms, generate context for the query based on an origin of the query, and generate a standardized query;

a query router configured to route the standardized query to one or more of the one or more providers; and

a results processor configured to receive results from one or more of the one or more providers, and present the results to a user in context within an application program, wherein the application program is selected from the group consisting of a word processing program, a spreadsheet program, and an email program, and wherein the results interface is configured to suggest a provider that was not selected by the user and that is determined to be a match for the query, the provider including a database of information upon which the query is configured to be run.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system further comprises a service manager configured to generate a registration information query, wherein the query router forwards the registration information query to a specific provider of the one or more providers, and wherein the service manager is configured to receive a registration result from the specific provider and register the registration result with the client.

16. A method for routing a query to one or more providers, the method comprising steps of:

receiving the query;

parsing the query;

breaking the query into one or more terms;

stemming each of the one or more terms;

spell checking each of the one or more terms;

generating context for the query based on an origin of the query;

determining which of the one or more providers that are selected by a user are a match for the query by comparing the one or more terms of the query to a keyword list;

sending the query to one or more particular providers of the one or more providers that are determined to be matches for the query;

blocking the query to specific providers of the one or more providers that are determined not to be matches for the query;

presenting results of the query; and

suggesting a provider from the one or more providers that was not selected by the user and that is determined to be a match for the query, the provider including a database of information upon which the query is configured to be run.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the presenting step comprises a step of displaying the results of the query in context within an application program.

18. A system for routing a query to one or more providers, the system comprising:

a search interface configured to present a service list including one or more services offered by the one or more providers, and receive selection of one or more of the one or more services, and including a query entry configured to receive input of the query, wherein the service list is categorized according to one or more research categories, each of the one or more research categories including at least one service from the one or more services;

a search processor configured to receive and parse the query, break the query into one or more terms, stem each of the one or more terms, spell check each of the one or more terms, and generate context for the query based on an origin of the query;

a service recognizer for a particular provider configured to receive and compare each of the one or more terms of the query to a keyword list to determine if the particular provider is a match for the query;

a query router configured to route the query to the particular provider if the particular provider is determined to be a match and block the query to the particular provider if the particular provider is determined not to be a match; and

a results interface configured to present results of the query in context within an application program, and suggest a provider from the one or more services that was not selected by a user and that is determined to be a match for the query, the provider including a database of information upon which the query is configured to be run.