Method, device and software for querying and presenting search results

• US 7,440,964 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kittleg Holdings LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Vortaloptics, Inc.
• Inventors: Gosse, David B., Feindel, Tym D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Timblin, Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/650,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 707 2- 5, 707/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method, device, and software for presenting search results obtained from a plurality of databases, based on an end-user specified query, is disclosed. In an embodiment, the search results are combined from results from a first index and results from a second index. The first index comprises a plurality of index entries modifiable by an administrator, and the second index comprises a plurality of index entries that are not modifiable by the administrator. In the combined search results, any search result from the second index for which an associated key field is identical to the associated key field of a matching search result in the first set of search results is discarded in favor of the matching search result in the first set of search results.

Claims

1. A method of operating a search engine for presenting search results in response to queries, said method comprising:

(i) maintaining a first index comprising a plurality of index entries, each of said index entries comprising a key field and data from which a quality of match value of the index entry to a query can be determined using a known function;

(ii) modifying selected index entries of said first index by an administrator so that the quality of match of the index entry to predefined queries provides a quality of match value selected by the administrator;

(iii) receiving a query;

(iv) querying said index entries of said first index using the received query to obtain a set of matching index entries from said first index, and forming a first set of search results from said set of matching index entries, each of said first set of search results comprising the key field of a matching index entry and the quality of match value for the index entry for the received query;

(v) querying using the received query, index entries of a second index whose index entries cannot be modified by said administrator, to obtain a set of second search results each including a key field and a quality of match value for the received query to an entry in the second index;

(vi) combining and ordering said first and second set of search results to generate a combined list of search results, in which any search result from said set of second search results for which its key field is identical to the key field of a search result in said first set of search results is discarded, in favor of said search result in said first set of search results, and in which said search results from said first and second set of search results are ordered in accordance with their respective associated quality of match values;

so that selected search results from index entries of said first index are presented in a combined list in an order controlled by said administrator in response to defined queries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said index entries of said first index comprises at least one keyword, and said querying said index entries of said first index comprises matching keywords in the received query to said at least one keyword for each of said index entries of said first index.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of said at least one keyword is associated with a weight, and a quality of match value for each index entry of said first index is calculated by summing weights for each of said one keyword in the index entry that matches a keyword in the received query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said key field of each of said first set of search results identifies a uniform resource locator (URL), and said key field of each of said second set of search results identifies a URL.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of said index entries of said first index comprises at least one keyword, and said querying said index entries of said first index comprises matching keywords in the received query to said at least one keyword for each of said index entries of said first index.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of said at least one keyword is associated with a weight, and a quality of match value for each index entry of said first index is calculated by summing weights for each of said one keyword in the index entry that matches a keyword in the received query.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said combining in vi comprises utilizing said quality of match value to present an ordered listing of URLs identified in each of said search results in said list of matching search results.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising excluding search results having a predetermined quality of match from being presented as part of said ordered listing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said predetermined quality of match is a null value.

10. A computing device comprising a processor and computer readable memory, said memory storing:

a first index modifiable by an administrator, said first index comprising a plurality of index entries each comprising a key field and data from which a quality of match value of the index entry to a query can be determined using a known function;

a second index, comprising a plurality of index entries that are not modifiable by said administrator;

software adapting said device to;

allow said administrator to modify selected index entries of said first index so that the quality of match of the index entry to predefined queries provides a quality of match value selected by the administrator;

(ii) receive a query;

(iii) query said index entries of said first index using the received query to obtain a set of matching index entries from said first index, and form a first set of search results from said set of matching index entries, each of said first set of search results comprising the key field of a matching index entry and the quality of match value for the index entry for the received query;

(iv) query using the received query, index entries of said second index to obtain a set of second search results each including a key field and a quality of match value for the received query to an entry in the second index;

(v) combine and order said first and second set of search results to generate a combined list of search results, in which any search result from said set of second search results for which its key field is identical to the key field of a search result in said first set of search results is discarded, in favor of said search result in said first set of search results, and in which said search results from said first and second set of search results are ordered in accordance with their respective associated quality of match values;

so that selected search results from index entries of said first index are presented in a combined list in an order controlled by said administrator in response to defined queries.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein each of said index entries of said first index comprises at least one keyword, and said software further adapts said device to query said index entries of said first index by matching keywords in the received query to said at least one keyword for each of said index entries of said first index.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein each of said at least one keyword is associated with a weight, and said search engine software further adapts said computing device to calculate a quality of match value for each index entry of said first index by summing weights for each of said one keyword in the index entry that matches a keyword in the received query.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein said key field of each of said first set of search results identifies a uniform resource locator (URL), and said key field of each of said second set of search results identifies a URL.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein each of said index entries of said first index comprises at least one keyword, and said software further adapts said device to query said index entries of said first index to match keywords in the received query to said at least one keyword for each of said index entries of said first index.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein each of said at least one keyword is associated with a weight, and said software adapts said computing device to calculate a quality of match value for each index entry of said first index is calculated by summing weights for each of said one keyword in the index entry that matches a keyword in the received query.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said search engine software further adapts said computing device to combine said first and second set of search results from said each of said qualities of match to present an ordered listing of URLs identified in each of said search results in said list of matching search results.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said search engine software further adapts said computing device to exclude search results having a predetermined quality of match from being presented as part of said ordered listing.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein said predetermined quality of match is a null value.

19. A computer readable medium, storing computer executable instructions that when loaded at a computing device comprising a processor and processor readable memory storing

a first index modifiable by an administrator, said first index comprising a plurality of index entries each comprising a key field and data from which a quality of match value of the index entry to a query can be determined using a known function;

a second index, comprising a plurality of index entries that are not modifiable by said administrator;

said computer executable instructions adapting said device to;

(i) allow said administrator to modify selected index entries of said first index so that the quality of match of the index entry to predefined queries provides a quality of match value selected by the administrator;

(ii) receive a query;

(iii) query said index entries of said first index using the received query to obtain a set of matching index entries from said first index, and form a first set of search results from said set of matching index entries, each of said first set of search results comprising the key field of a matching index entry and the quality of match value for the index entry for the received query;

(iv) query using the received query, index entries of said second index to obtain a set of second search results each including a key field and a quality of match value for the received query to an entry in the second index;

(v) combine and order said first and second set of search results to generate a combined list of search results, in which any search result from said set of second search results for which its key field is identical to the key field of a search result in said first set of search results is discarded, in favor of said search result in said first set of search results, and in which said search results from said first and second set of search results are ordered in accordance with their respective associated quality of match values;

so that selected search results from index entries of said first index are presented in a combined list in an order controlled by said administrator in response to defined queries.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein each of said index entries of said first index comprises at least one keyword, and said computer executable instructions further adapt said computing device to query said index entries of said first index comprises matching keywords in the received query to said at least one keyword for each of said index entries of said first index.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein each of said at least one keyword is associated with a weight, and said computer executable instructions further adapt said computing device to calculate a quality of match value for each index entry of said first index by summing weights for each of said one keyword in the index entry that matches a keyword in the received query.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein said key field of each of said first set of search results identifies a uniform resource locator (URL), and said key field of each of said second set of search results identifies a URL.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein each of said index entries of said first index comprises at least one keyword, and said computer executable instructions further adapt said computing device to query said index entries of said first index and match keywords in the received query to said at least one keyword for each of said index entries of said first index.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein each of said at least one keyword is associated with a weight, and said computer executable instructions further adapt said computing device to calculate a quality of match value for each index entry of said first index by summing weights for each of said one keyword in the index entry that matches a keyword in the received query.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein said computer executable instructions further adapt said computing device to utilize said quality of match value to present an ordered listing of URLs identified in each of said search results in said list of matching search results.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein said computer executable instructions further adapt said computing device to exclude search results having a predetermined quality of match from presentation to said end-user.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein said predetermined quality of match is a null value.