Patent US6631372B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6631372B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Search engine using sales and revenue to weight search results
Assignee: Yahoo Inc
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Filing: 1999-02-12
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Granted: 2003-10-07
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Expires: 2019-02-12
Abstract
Abstract A search engine selects one or more search hits from among a plurality of hits, wherein a hit is a reference to a page or a site, based on a user interest, comprising an input module for accepting a query from a user, the query representing an interest of the user; a tracking module for tracking the user's navigation through the plurality of pages, including at least a destination purchase page, the destination purchase page being a page from which the user makes a purchase; a sales module which records associations between purchases and queries where the associations are provided, at least in part by an output of the tracking module; and a search module, which takes as its inputs at least a query and sales associations of that query provided by the sales module, and which outputs one or more search hits based on at least the query and the sales associations of that query. In some systems, instead of using sales data to alter the weights of the search results, merchant bidding is used to alter the weights of the search results, or a combination of the two is used.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul Graham
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 11:39
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/953; G06F16/9538; G06Q; G06Q40/00; G06Q40/04; G06F16/951; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/06; G06Q30/0601; G06Q30/0633; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934; Y10S707/99935
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
A search engine for generating a list of hits in response to a query, wherein a hit is a reference to a page or site, the search engine comprising: a search module configured to receive from a user a current query containing a current search term and further configured to generate a current list of hits based on the current query and a set of purchasing interaction associations, the set of purchasing interaction associations based on a set of previous queries; a tracking module configured to track user navigation to a target page or site from the current list of hits, to detect a purchasing interaction of the user with the target page or site, and to generate a purchasing interaction record; and a sales module configured to communicate with the search module and the tracking module, the sales module configured to receive the purchasing interaction record from the tracking module and further configured to add to the set of purchasing interaction associations an association between the purchasing interaction record and the current query.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
174 words
A search engine for generating a list of hits in response to a query, wherein a hit is a reference to a page or site, the search engine comprising: a search module configured to receive from a user a current query containing a current search term and further configured to generate a current list of hits based on the current query and a set of purchasing interaction associations, the set of purchasing interaction associations based on a set of previous queries; a tracking module configured to track user navigation to a target page or site from the current list of hits, to detect a purchasing interaction of the user with the target page or site, and to generate a purchasing interaction record; and a sales module configured to communicate with the search module and the tracking module, the sales module configured to receive the purchasing interaction record from the tracking module and further configured to add to the set of purchasing interaction associations an association between the purchasing interaction record and the current query.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The search engine of claim 1 , wherein the current search term comprises a word.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The search engine of claim 1 , wherein the current search term comprises a plurality of words.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The search engine of claim 1 , wherein the current search term comprises a selection from a pick list.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The search engine of claim 1 , wherein each query in the set of previous queries includes the current search term.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The search engine of claim 1 , wherein the purchasing interaction includes viewing goods or services offered at the target page or site.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The search engine of claim 1 , wherein the purchasing interaction includes making a purchase.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The search engine of claim 7 , wherein the purchasing interaction record includes a price of the purchase.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The search engine of claim 1 , wherein the purchasing interaction includes declining to make a purchase.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The search engine of claim 1 , wherein a hit comprises an encoded URL configured to provide extra information.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The search engine of claim 10 , wherein the extra information includes a representation of the current query.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
88 words
The search engine of claim 1 , wherein the search module comprises: an input module configured to receive the current query; and a ranking module configured to determine an order for the current list of hits based on at least a first weighting and a second weighting, wherein the first weighing is based on occurrences of the current search term in the page or site referenced by the hit and the second weighting is based on purchasing interaction associations of the page or site referenced by the hit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The search engine of claim 12 , wherein the second weighting comprises an estimate of an amount of revenue generated by an average user visiting the page or site referenced by the hit, determined from the set of purchasing interaction associations.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The search engine of claim 13 , wherein the estimate is based on average sales per capita for the page referenced by the hit, determined from the set of purchasing interaction associations.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The search engine of claim 14 , wherein the estimate is further based on multiplying the average sales per capita by a commission percentage payable to an entity operating the search engine.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The search engine of claim 12 , wherein the second weighting includes a time of the purchasing interaction association.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The search engine of claim 12 , wherein the ranking module is furt her configured to randomly reorder a subset of the current list of hits after determining the order.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
The search engine of claim 12 , wherein the ranking module is further configured to adjust the order of the current list of hits when the current query matches a reserved query, the reserved query being reserved by an entity operating one of the pages referenced on the list of hits.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
99 words
A method for operating a search engine, comprising: receiving a first user query; providing a first list of hits based on the first user query, each hit being a reference to a page or site; tracking user navigation from the first list of hits to a target page or site; detecting a purchasing interaction of the user with the target page or site; recording an association between the purchasing interaction and the first user query; receiving a second user query; and providing a second list of hits based on the second user query and the recorded purchasing interaction association.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
99 words
A method for operating a search engine, comprising: receiving a first user query; providing a first list of hits based on the first user query, each hit being a reference to a page or site; tracking user navigation from the first list of hits to a target page or site; detecting a purchasing interaction of the user with the target page or site; recording an association between the purchasing interaction and the first user query; receiving a second user query; and providing a second list of hits based on the second user query and the recorded purchasing interaction association.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein each of the first query and the second query includes a matching search term.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein each hit comprises an encoded URL configured to carry extra information.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein the extra information includes a representation of the first query.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein recording an association between the purchasing interaction and the first user query comprises using the extra information to identify the first query.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 21 , wherein tracking user navigation comprises receiving the encoded URL when the page or site is selected.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein detecting a purchasing interaction comprises detecting at least one of the following user actions: viewing goods or services offered at the target page or site; making a purchase of goods or services; and declining to make a purchase of goods or services.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
104 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein providing a second list of hits based on the second user query and the recorded purchasing interaction association comprises: generating a first weighting for each of a plurality of candidate pages or sites based on occurrences therein of a search term contained in the second user query; generating a second weighting for each of the plurality of candidate pages or sites based on a set of purchasing interaction associations including at least the recorded purchasing interaction association; and ordering the plurality of candidate pages or sites based on at least the first weighting and the second weighting.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 26 , wherein generating a second weighting comprises estimating an amount of revenue generated by an average user visiting the candidate page or site.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 27 , wherein generating a second weighting further comprises multiplying the estimated amount of revenue by a commission percentage payable to an entity operating the search engine.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 26 , further comprising: adjusting the ordering of the plurality of candidate pages or sites when the second query matches a reserved query, the reserved query being reserved by an entity operating one of the plurality of candidate pages or sites.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 26 , further comprising: randomly reordering a subset of the plurality of candidate pages or sites after ordering the plurality of candidate pages or sites.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
68 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the search module is further configured to identify hits for inclusion in the current list of hits based on the current search term and to order the identified hits based on associations between the current search term and previous purchases made at pages or sites referenced by the identified hits, the associations being included in the set of purchasing interaction associations.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
150 words
A method for operating a search engine, comprising: receiving a first user query; providing a first list of hits based on the first user query, each hit being a reference to a page or site; tracking user navigation from the first list of hits to a target page or site; detecting a purchasing interaction of the user with the target page or site; recording an association between the purchasing interaction and the first user query; receiving a second user query; and providing a second list of hits based on the second user query and the recorded purchasing interaction association, wherein providing the second list of hits includes: identifying pages or sites that include a search term of the second user query, including the target page or site; and ranking the identified pages or sites based on recorded associations between purchasing interactions and the search term of the second user query.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
150 words
A method for operating a search engine, comprising: receiving a first user query; providing a first list of hits based on the first user query, each hit being a reference to a page or site; tracking user navigation from the first list of hits to a target page or site; detecting a purchasing interaction of the user with the target page or site; recording an association between the purchasing interaction and the first user query; receiving a second user query; and providing a second list of hits based on the second user query and the recorded purchasing interaction association, wherein providing the second list of hits includes: identifying pages or sites that include a search term of the second user query, including the target page or site; and ranking the identified pages or sites based on recorded associations between purchasing interactions and the search term of the second user query.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-10-06 | 2007-04-07 | 2007-10-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-10-06 | 2011-04-07 | 2011-10-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-10-06 | 2015-04-07 | 2015-10-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |