Patent Application
20080288588
The present invention relates generally to electronic searching. More particularly, the present invention relates to creating and displaying URLs as logo images during electronic searches.
Electronic search engines can be used to search many types of databases. One popular use of search engines enables users to search for content on the Internet. Companies like Yahoo.com, Google.com, Ask.com, Alta Vista and others allow users to type in keywords to form a text based query. Then the user receives back search results in the form of a listing. These content based search results are generally text based in nature and the users can read through the search results to find what they are looking for.
Reading through the search results can take a significant amount of time. Sometimes the search results that the user is looking for may be located a long way down the list or on the fifth or sixth pages of the search result. Users may have to read through a large number of results to find the specific information the user is looking for. This type of searching can be cumbersome and time consuming.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention; and, wherein:
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
A system and method are provided for searching websites using image based tagging of URLs (Universal Resource Locators) or electronic media. The URLs or electronic media may be HTML pages, websites, image databases, and other types of linkable objects and electronic media on a network.
One method includes the operation of enabling a user to enter search terms into a search query entry box. Then the search terms may be mapped using one or more user entered keywords to unique category and sub-category identifiers for search result generation in a search engine. The category will maintain a listing of web addresses, image links, websites or other URLs. The web addresses may be a base domain name or a deeper link into a website.
The search result may be dynamically populated with images through identity mapping of the image or logo to the website address or deeper link within the website. For example, the company logo may be associated with the company's domain names web address. If the web address is EBay, then EBay's corporate logo can be associated with the web address. In the case where a product is associated with the web link or web address, the product logo can be mapped or tied to the web address. For example, if a Kellogg's Corn Flakes link is being shown, the logo or image can represent Kellogg's cornflakes as opposed to the company's logo.
The search results can be sorted using a most searched criteria to determine the most relevant pages for any plurality of keyword tags associated with any plurality of websites. The most relevant pages can also be ranked based on the frequency of any search request by any number of users searching for information on the network.
A valuable side benefit of this method is that a user can access a website without typing in a URL in a web or internet browser. Moreover, the user does not need to use a significant amount of text content or links, as in current browsers. The user can look at the pictures associated with the links and this increases the speed at which the user can review the search results.
In one embodiment of the system and method, the search engine does not use any web crawler software or programs to populate the database of websites and images. This is because hand picking of web sites and content categories provides high quality results. The website stored in the database can be hand picked by agents. Users can invite their friends to participate in the database population or use of the overall system by e-mail.
In another embodiment of the invention, the database may be generated by automated methods, but the automated web results can be groomed and modified by individuals. This means that a community of people are editing and modifying the search results.
The present system allows users to generate a search using only pointing and clicking. A user can navigate existing topical directories or build a query graphically to find relevant subject matter. This interface design can help those who are “web and search impaired” because they do not need to type keywords or read through cryptic search results. This is because people are familiar with company and product branding. For example, 2 to 4 year olds who used the described interface to access the internet were able to recognize many of the companies and brand names that were returned in a search list.
Company branding can be displayed with the respective website in the user interface. Branding is pushed on the typical consumer or child so many times a day that they know it without even reading the name. This is an effective way to display search content for any topic on the Internet.
The image buttons and/or website images can be dynamically sorted into favorites. The user interface can be programmed to sort favorites in each category that the user goes to. For instance, when a user goes to the music category or search and they add a favorite, that site is only added to that category for that user. If that user then chooses to search shopping and they add a favorite, that site is stored in shopping favorites. The software can also sort the users favorites by the number of times a particular website is visited, so the user's most used web sites are presented right up front for the user.
The users can create different user names for a login account. When a user signs up with search software, the system allows the user to create different user names with their own logins and features. All of the user names and logins are contained within the same account. This allows the database to save all favorites and features for each user on that account.
An administrator for a login account can choose homepage interfaces for each user. For example the administrator can choose a child's homepage for a 4-year-old. Then choose an X-Games homepage for their 17-year-old.
The search engine database may only store sites that are approved by agents. The user or consumer can add sites to their favorites and those sites are then sent to the database where they wait in a queue for the system agents (actual people) to then review and place the website in the right category and sub-category for the keywords. In addition, the system searches only the database of approved sites due to the approval system. An account administrator can create time or content schedules for each user. Inside the Administrator tools, the admin can create different schedules for each user.
A method and apparatus are provided for creating a user defined list of favorite websites that are graphically represented with images that are tagged to defined domains that represent the websites. The searching can be performed by keyword, category, and sub-category. A search result can be dynamically populated with company branding, product logos, or other images that are relevant for the web URL or web address.
The favorite websites or links for a user can be applied or removed for a particular user. Users can also be grouped with other users. A defined homepage of websites or links can be assigned to a particular user. This allows the user to view the homepage every time they enter the system, if the user sets that option. A weekly time schedule can be provided for particular users. This may be a time limitation regarding when the system can be used. The software can display groups and users with different types of logins within a web browser. The software system can display a sorted list of URLs based on popularity, category, sub-category and sponsored URL links. The user can also save favorite URL links by company branding, image, category and sub-category. In one embodiment, the users can browse URL links by company branding.
Users can search the imaged websites or URLs by keyword, category and subcategory. Once a search result has been returned, the search results can be dynamically populated with company branding or images related to the links.
The list of images related to the websites, URLs, or links can be a sorted list based on popularity, category, sub-category, and sponsored links. Favorite links can be saved by company branding, category, and subcategory. As mentioned before, the URL links can be browsed by company brands alone or company brands alone based on a topic. The company brands may be in alphabetic order or some other sponsored advertising order.
Administrators or agents can have an interface for viewing URLs, companies and agents that have been added to the database. The software can include logging for an agent account to record the number of websites or links that have been processed. An interface can be provided for collecting information from a user for an agent account. The agent's administrative window can display the agent's information. The window may provide an engine or process to enable agents to search and add URLs to the database. The appropriate interface can be provided to allow agents to categorize, sub-categorize, describe, add keywords, and upload an image for all URL links.
In one embodiment, a user can display a search result with website logos based on websites that other users with a similar user profile use. A user can create a user profile when they register for the service specifying predetermined fields such as age 100, gender, interests, employment, etc, as shown in
In another embodiment, the method for collecting websites for use by an individual user in a personal database or for use by all users in a common database can be done by a community of users. A user can find a website or URL, like www.lego.com, that they want to bookmark for future use. They can also determine the logo image, the LEGO™ brick, and key phrase (toys) the users want to use for future searches. The URL and logo image form an image link and the image link is saved in a personal section of the database accessible to individual users. When a key phrase category 200 is selected, the image links associated with the key phrase category displays the user's personal favorite logo images 300 of that category, as shown
Once an image link is stored in a personal key phrase category, the link with the associated category is placed in a queue to be added to the common key phrase category. Image links associated with a key phrase category are approved or disapproved by a decision maker, usually a human being, before being added to the common key phrase category. The human decision makers that approve and add image links to the common key phrase categories are agents, as shown in
The embodiment described immediately above, can also include a rejection flag, which attaches a flag to image link and key phrase category when the agent disapproves an image like being stored in a category. This eliminates unnecessary work for agents disapproving the same image link in a category repeatedly.
In another embodiment, a method for displaying image link categories using a user profile is shown in
In another embodiment, a method for collecting URLs in a database for searching networked electronic media using a community of users is shown in
It is to be understood that the above-referenced arrangements are only illustrative of the application for the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. While the present invention has been shown in the drawings and fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth herein.
Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/863,942 filed on Nov. 1, 2006 is claimed.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60863942 | Nov 2006 | US |
