Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DIRECTED SEARCH METHOD AND APPARATUS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to database searching. More
particularly, the
present invention relates to a mechanism and method that directs an internet
search via a
web browser using predetermined search criteria.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Within the art of internet-based searching, there are many different browser
mechanisms available to computer users. One such mechanism includes analyzing
stored
information and answering questions based upon such stored information as
discussed
within United States Patent Application Serial No. 11/566,361 filed on
December 4, 2006 and
titled "Method and Apparatus for Reading Documents and Answering Questions
Using
Material From These Documents". Such users of such mechanisms often want to
find
results local to their town or city. For example, a user might want to look
for restaurants in
their town or city. Although some search engines take the user's localization
information into
account, prior attempts for a directed search for results within a town or
city has previously
been difficult and unsatisfactory. Sometimes web sites have been set up trying
to capture
everything about a city as a repository of static information (e.g., virtual
telephone
directories). However, such web sites are invariably incomplete and out of
date. Oftentimes,
there are a vast number of relevant sources of results for a town or city, and
each need to be
searched for the specific query the user has in mind. This results in a
complicated and time
consuming search experience for the user.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a mechanism and method that provides a
cost-
effective and fast solution to offer directed searches to a computer user.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate at least one
disadvantage
of previous internet search methods. The present invention includes a
mechanism and
method that directs an internet search via a web browser using predetermined
search
criteria. Such criteria is preferably, but not limited to, predetermined
criteria in the form of a
searching requirement including the geographic location of the user (e.g.,
town or city),
health-related search results, or any similar criteria that may be desirable
to create a
predetermined grouping of information.
The present invention further includes a method for directing a search query
in an
internet-based environment including: labeling a local search control button
with a city
corresponding to the user; and labeling a search execution button to describe
a present
mode of search being executed.
Still further, the present invention includes an apparatus embodied within a
computer
readable medium for directing a search query in an internet-based environment,
the
apparatus including: first executable software instructions for labeling a
local search control
button with a city corresponding to the user, and second executable software
instructions for
labeling a search execution button to describe a present mode of search being
executed.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to
those ordinarily
skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific
embodiments of the
invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example
only,
with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:
Fig. I is a basic screenshot of the web browser mechanism in accordance
with the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a web-search screenshot of the web browser mechanism in
accordance with the present invention.
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Fig. 3 is a local-search screenshot of the web browser mechanism in
accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a health-search screenshot of the web browser mechanism in
accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Generally, the present invention provides a mechanism and method directing an
internet search via a web browser using predetermined search criteria such as,
but not
limited to, predetermined criteria in the form of a searching requirement
including the
geographic location of the user (e.g., town or city), health-related search
results, or any
similar criteria that may be desirable to create a predetermined grouping of
information.
The present invention described herein provides a useful and extremely
satisfactory
solution to the problem of providing accurate results to directed searching in
a web-based
environment. In such instances, computer users often execute search queries in
order to
find results local to their town or city. For example, a user is often
interested in locating
restaurants in their town or city. The present invention uses the user's
localization
information in a unique manner so as to quickly and easily provide directed
search for results
within a town or city.
Specifically, users operate the present invention in the form of a search
engine from
an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) search control page. One of ordinary skill
in the art
would therefore recognize that the present invention is therefore embodied
with a computer
readable medium in the form of executable software instructions (i.e.,
software code). The
search control page is loaded by the user from a remote web server across the
internet in a
manner known to those skilled in the art of networking. Such search control
page is shown
in FIGURE 1 as screen 100 having a "web" button for standard searching of all
web-based
resources, a local button 102 (shown as "Sanford" which represents the town of
Sanford,
Maine) for location-based searching of only "Sanford"-related information, and
a "health"
button 103 for health-related searching or all web-based resources. Although
these buttons
include web search, local search and health search choices, it should be
readily understood
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that the present invention may include other predetermined criteria to direct
the user's search
results.
As mentioned, the predetermined search criteria in the form of buttons 101,
102, and
103 include the web search and health search which are labeled "web" and
"health"
respectively. However, the local search is labeled with the city for that
user. In the examples
shown in the figures, such local search is for Sanford, Maine. The method for
determining
the user's city is discussed further below as is execution of a "Local Search"
with further
regard to FIGURE 3. When the user selects "Sanford" 102 (i.e., the user
customized label
for local search) the label on the search execution button shows "local
search" (see element
304). Thus, it should be readily apparent that if the user's city is Sanford,
then the local
search button 102 is labeled "Sanford", not "local" while the search execution
button 304 (as
seen in FIGURE 3) is labeled "local search." Should the user select "health",
the search
execution button 404 (as seen in FIGURE 4) on the search button shows "health
search".
Should the user type in a query and press the search button, the appropriate
mode of search
indicated by the given active search execution button will be carried out. It
should be noted
that the given mode of search may be indicated as shown in the figures or,
alternatively, in
some other way without straying from the intended scope of the present
invention.
The method for determining the user's location (e.g., city or town) will now
be
discussed. First, the user's internet service provider (ISP) is generally an
available piece of
information. It should be understood that a modern web server and a standard
software
method may be therefore used to determine the user's ISP. Once the ISP is
identified, the
city, region and country for the user's ISP are then obtained by way of
looking up such
information in a copy of a commercial database of ISPs. It should be
understood that the
use of such a commercial database is well understood in the art of computer
databases.
Such database can be either within the server of the present invention or
hosted by another
server. Once the ISP location information is found, then such information is
associated with
the user in order to customize the local search button to that given location.
A useful feature of the present invention provides that the user may change
the
location as indicated by the local search button. As the user's city is shown
on the search
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control page, should the database be in error and provide the wrong city, the
user can use a
"Change city" control (not shown) to let the present inventive method and
mechanism know
then and in the future that the location of the user's computer is in the city
that user can then
specify. For example, suppose the database states that a particular IP is in
New York City,
when it is really in Hoboken, NJ. In such instance, the user will see the word
"New York City"
on the page and can then alter this to be "Hoboken". After such a setting, the
web server of
the present invention will detect, by a cookie, that this user is really in
Hoboken.
With regard to FIGURE 2, a standard web search is shown for the query
"welding". In
such instance, the search results 210 are returned without any regard to the
user's specific
location. With regard to FIGURE 3, the user is shown to have pressed the
"Sanford" button
102 which is shown to have changed the search execution button to "local
search" 304.
Here, the method for a local search will now be discussed. A local search is
like a standard
search, but considers the context of the user's city. For the example as
shown, the search
query "welding" is again used though in a local search mode. In such instance,
the search
results 310 are returned with information related inasmuch as possible, to the
location of the
user. In other words, suppose a user sitting in Ottawa, Ontario has clicked on
the location
button labeled "Ottawa" to choose local search for "Ottawa". Then he types in
the query
"restaurants" and presses the "local search" button. Such a search will
therefore
immediately return restaurants in Ottawa.
Although one important aspect of the present invention as discussed above has
focused on the user's city, it should be understood that the region and
country for that city
may also be considered in the search, although these may or may not be
indicated on the
search control page. In this way local search results for a user in Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada
are not the same as those for a user in Ottawa, Kansas, USA. It should
therefore be
apparent that the present invention results in a customization of the local
search button
which advantageously reduces the number of keystrokes needed to perform a
local search
and so improves the efficiency of searching. Moreover, the presentation of the
local city
name to the user within the web interface makes it clear what local search is
being done, and
does so without extra user input.
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With regard to FIGURE 4, a health-based web search is shown for the query
"welding". In such instance, the search results 410 are returned without any
regard to the
user's specific location. In such instance, the search results 410 are
returned with
information related inasmuch as possible, to the search field of health. Such
health-based
web search is considered a different search mode. As well, further alternative
search modes
are possible without straying from the intended scope of the present
invention. The explicit
separation of a local search mode from other search modes (e.g., health-based
search) is a
unique and advantageous improvement over known searching methods.
The above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be
examples only. Alterations, modifications and variations may be effected to
the particular
embodiments by those of skill in the art without departing from the scope of
the invention,
which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto.
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