Macro programming for resources

• US 8,676,868 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Scott A., Cooper, Thomas A., Fischer, Brandon
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Susan
• Application Number:
  US11/462,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20080033917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,783 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/203, 707/706, 704/275, 713/2
• US Class Current: 707/899
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A system and a method are disclosed for generating, storing, retrieving, and utilizing a search macro or shortcut link to a resource, such as a web site that provides access to an information database. The system may load a page into an application from the resource. The resource may have a Uniform Resource Identifier, and the page may have a search field that causes the application to generate a message when activated. The system may read the Uniform Resource Identifier insert a placeholder into the search field, and activate the search field, which causes the application to generate a message. The system may read the message and parse the message to isolate a search string containing the placeholder. The system may store the search string in a data structure, and may also store the Uniform Resource Identifier and associate it with the search string in the data structure. The system may further retrieve the search string, replace the placeholder with a search term, and generate a message as a function of the search string and the search term.

Claims

1. A method of creating a search macro for use with a computer, comprising:

reading a Uniform Resource Identifier;

parsing a message generated in response to activation of a search control of a web page retrieved using the Uniform Resource Identifier;

determining a domain name, a directory path, and a search string contained in the message;

enabling a macro absence indicator provided to a user when determining that the domain name, the directory path and the search string are not stored in a database;

storing the message in the database in association with the domain name, the directory path, a keyword selected by the user, and an identifier of the user when determining that the user has activated a button initiating creation of the search macro based on the message; and

executing an automated search by activating the search macro in response to a query wherein the query is directed to the user when the user is a searcher signed up for the keyword.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching the database for the macro including the Uniform Resource Identifier when receiving the web page.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a window in a graphical user interface that displays a portion of the message and a portion of the Uniform Resource Identifier when the button is activated.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the window in the graphical user interface further comprises generating the window that displays at least one keyword, and reading input from the graphical user interface to determine whether to associate the keyword with the search macro in the database.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

loading the web page into a browser application; and

determining the message based on content of the web page and a selection by the searcher of the search control from a plurality of search controls.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

loading the web page into a first application, and reading the Uniform Resource Identifier with the application comprises reading the Uniform Resource Identifier with a second application.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

loading content into a browser application when determining that the search macro is associated with the searcher;

receiving a request from the searcher; and

executing the automated search based on the request and activation of a control indicating the search macro.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

searching the database for the domain name, and setting a state of the indicator based on a result of the search.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein setting the state of the indicator comprises setting the button to active when the result of the search indicates that the domain name is not stored in the database.

10. A system, comprising;

a user system in communication with a network, wherein the user system comprises a graphical user interface; and

a server in communication with the network, wherein the server comprises an information database;

wherein the user system includes an application that reads code for a web page, retrieves the web page based on a Uniform Resource Indicator, determines a message generated in response to activation of a search control of the web page, substitutes at least one placeholder for at least one search term in a search string of the message,

the message is parsed to isolate a domain name, a directory path, and a search string and the message is stored as a basis for a macro in association with the domain name, the directory path, the search string, a keyword selected by a searcher, and an indicator of the searcher when determining that the domain name, and the directory path are not stored in the information database and that the searcher has elected to create the macro based on the message, and

an automated search is executed by activating the macro in response to a query and where the query is provided to the searcher based on an association of the searcher with the keyword.

11. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to assist a user submitting a query to a human searcher, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to read a Uniform Resource Identifier;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine a message generated by activation of a search control of a page retrieved by the Uniform Resource Identifier;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to parse the message to isolate a domain name, a directory path, and a search string contained in the message;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to enable a macro absence indicator provided to the human searcher when determining that the domain name, the directory path and the search string are not stored in a database;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store the search string in association with the domain name, the directory path, a keyword, and an identifier of the human searcher when determining that the human searcher has activated a button associated with the indicator; and

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to execute an automated search by activating a search macro based on the message, where the query is provided to the human searcher based on an association of the human searcher with the keyword.

12. A method of creating a search macro for use with a computer, comprising:

reading a Uniform Resource Identifier of a resource and a page retrieved by the Uniform Resource Identifier;

searching a database for a macro including a domain name;

enabling a macro absence indicator when the macro is not found;

reading a source code of the page with an application;

analyzing the source code to determine a message generated when a search control of the page is activated;

selecting the search control by a searcher;

generating the message as a function of the source code and a placeholder inserted in a search field associated with the search control selected by a user;

parsing the message to isolate the domain name and a directory path of the message, storing the message in the database in association with the directory path, the domain name, a keyword selected by the searcher, and an identifier of the searcher when determining that the searcher has activated a button associated with the indicator; and

executing an automated search by activating a macro based on the message in response to a query, where the query is provided to the searcher based on an association of the searcher with the keyword.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the query is received from a user as a voice query.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a window in a graphical user interface that displays a portion of the message and a portion of the domain name.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the window in the graphical user interface further comprises generating a window that displays at least one keyword, and reading input from the graphical user interface to determine whether to associate the keyword with the macro in the data structure.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising:

loading the page into a browser application.

17. The method of claim 12, comprising:

loading the page into a first application, and reading the Uniform Resource Identifier with the application comprises reading the Uniform Resource Identifier with a second application.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising searching the database for the directory path, and a search string of the message, and setting a state of the indicator based on a result of the search.

19. A method of generating a Uniform Resource Identifier as a function of a search macro with a computer, comprising:

displaying a page in an application, where the page has a search field;

reading a macro from a data structure with the application based on a keyword used to direct queries to human searchers;

creating the macro based on parsing of a domain name and a directory path from a message generated by activation of a search control of a web page;

selecting the search control from a plurality of search controls of the web page;

providing the page to a searcher wherein the searcher is signed up for the keyword;

reading a search term of a query from the search field;

generating the Uniform Resource Identifier as a function of the macro and the search term of the query with the application when determining that the macro is a macro useable by the searcher;

transmitting the Uniform Resource Identifier with the application; and

retrieving a result associated with the Uniform Resource Identifier from a network with the application.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying a second page in the application, wherein the second page is a function of the result associated with the Uniform Resource Identifier.

21. A search apparatus using a macro, comprising:

a server device receiving a query from a speech enabled device,

determining whether the macro corresponding to a keyword of the query which is used to direct queries to human searchers is stored,

creating the macro based on parsing of a domain name and a directory path from a message generated by activation of a search control of a web page when a user selects a control enabled based on whether the macro comprising the domain name and the directory path is stored,

selecting the search control from a plurality of search controls provided in the web page based on an action of a human searcher;

executing a search responsive to the query using the macro when said determining indicates that the macro is stored, a user selects the macro, and the macro is designated as a public macro useable by other users, and

where said macro is stored in association with the domain name, said macro activates the search to produce a result for a search term received from the user, and a macro generation graphical user interface having search macro options enables the user to associate the keyword selected by the user with the macro.

22. The search apparatus of claim 21, wherein the result is provided to a human searcher register for the keyword.

23. A method for creating a search appliance comprising:

providing a search query including a placeholder to a search resource;

executing a search by the search resource using the search query;

obtaining a Uniform Resource Identifier causing the search resource to perform the search based on the search query, isolating information of the Uniform Resource Identifier including a domain name and a directory path;

enabling a macro creation facility provided to a user when determining that at least one of the domain name, the directory path and a search string based on the search query are not stored;

storing the domain name, the directory path and an identifier of the user in a database in association with a keyword when determining that the user has activated a control associated with the macro creation facility, said storing resulting in creation of a search macro;

receiving a request associated with the keyword;

searching the database for the search macro based on the keyword; and

retrieving a search result using the search macro when determining that the request is offered to the user based on an association of the user with the keyword.