Abstract: A search query is received over a wireless network (20), from a mobile device (10), and a response involves obtaining content summaries of search results relating to the search query, preparing a hypertext page for presentation by the mobile device. The page has a number of the content summaries extending over a number of screenviews. The page has an overview and has hyperlinks for intra-page navigation by a user between screenviews of different parts of the page. The page is sent to the mobile device over the wireless network to enable the content summaries to be browsed without requiring one or more further query and response operations across the wireless network. This can reduce the number of query response operations, by providing more information than the conventional one page annotated list, and presenting the information for easier browsing. The user can then download a selected content item over the network.

Abstract: A search service provides a set of search results (420) in response to a search query from a user, and provides one or more suggested search queries (430), for selection by the user to generate more search results, at least one of the suggested search queries having a correspondence with a corresponding subset of one or more of the search results. The set of search results are sent with an indication of the corresponding suggested search queries, for presentation to the user with a visual representation of the correspondence. Such a visual representation can mean locating the suggested search query adjacent to its corresponding search result, and can enable a user to select an appropriate further search query more quickly with a minimum of clicks, or less time for a user reviewing less relevant information or more efficient use of screenspace.

Abstract: At least some embodiments of this invention provide for an easy way to share mobile content found as a result of searching and/or browsing on the Internet. Aspects of the invention provides software, systems (meaning software and hardware to run the software) or an exchange of signals with users to provide a mobile content service. Other related aspects provide methods for providing or using such a search service. According to one aspect there is provided a system to provide a search service for finding and sharing online content, the system being arranged to receive a search query from a user on a mobile device, send search results to a user's mobile device, prompt the user to select one or more items from the search results to be published, and publish the selected item or items.

Abstract: A search engine (50, 35, 45,103) can find content items in a first corpus (6, 30), and return search results to the user as items ranked according to mentions in a second corpus (7, 77, 87, 30), of the respective found content items. This introduces a degree of independence or separation between the scope and type of the information for ranking and the scope and type of the content items used for responding to the search query. The second corpus can be limited to human moderated discussion sites, to provide a more reliable measure of how topical is the item. The first corpus can be limited to mobile web pages. The ranking can also involve a count of mentions in plain text referring to the respective found content items, or be according to a social distance between the user and another user, to whom the respective content item is related.

Abstract: A system (29, 39, 59) generates spoiled audio thumbnails representing corresponding audio content items for a user to browse, such that during audio presentation of a given thumbnail the audio presentation is spoiled by a voice over or similar, but still enables recognition of the corresponding audio content item. This can encourage users to access the original item, and avoid the original items being regenerated from the thumbnails, or being enjoyed instead of the original. This is particularly useful where the audio thumbnail has some value itself, such as for use as a ringtone by mobile users. It can be useful for music libraries and search engines.

Abstract: A search engine (50, 35, 60, 63, 103) interacts (17) with the user while they are accessing (7) an existing online content item to enable the user to create a mobile web version of at least a portion of that existing online content item. The mobile version is stored (37, 63) and indexed (35, 709) as a user created search result, retrievable by the search engine in response to a search query (47). This can produce better results than automated conversion, and thus improve mobile search. The interaction can involve constraining a size and text format of the mobile web version so it can reasonably be viewed on a screen of a hand held mobile device.

Abstract: A query server (50) provides a mobile search service, by fetching search results corresponding to the search query (180), preparing (200) a package (261) containing more than one page defined by a mark up language, and sending the package to a mobile device (10), across a wireless network (20). A browser (15) running on the mobile device presents the pages. A user can browse the results with a conventional browser quickly without having to wait for each page to be downloaded over the network, and without having to download and run a custom application. Having page boundaries in the search results, rather than having all the results in a single page, can reduce laborious scrolling, reduce the number of clicks needed to find an item of interest, or enable more items to be sent and browsed.

Abstract: A search engine has a query server (50) arranged to receive a search query from a user and return search results, the query server being arranged to identify one or more of the content items relevant to the query, to access a record of changes over time of occurrences of the identified content items, and rank the search results according to the record of changes. This can help find those content items which are currently active, and to track or compare the popularity of content items. This is particularly useful for content items whose subjective value to the user depends on them being topical or fashionable. A content analyzer (100) creates a fingerprint database of fingerprints, to compare the fingerprints to determine a number of occurrences of a given content item at a given time, and to record the changes over time of the occurrences.

Abstract: We describe a method of managing sponsored links to be transmitted to mobile devices in response to search requests, the display of these links being responsive to time of day. The method comprises: maintaining records of advertiser accounts; monitoring an audience for the service; receiving from an advertiser a request for display of a sponsored link in association with a said search request keyword and an offer amount; forecasting a response rate for a sponsored link associated with the keyword; adapting said forecast response rate dependent upon a total demand; establishing a balance of total demand for responses to a said sponsored link associated with the keyword and predicted supply of said responses; and allocating said sponsored links for serving with search results such that sponsored links from a said advertiser offering a highest payment per response are served at least during one or more times having a highest audience.

Abstract: A query server of a mobile search engine system for searching content items accessible online, is arranged to send at least a first screenview of search results (63) to a browser of a mobile device (10), and send instructions (69, 74) in a scripting language to the browser for a background process to fetch further search results to the mobile device for presentation later. The further search results can then be viewed as desired without the need for a further round trip delay across the wireless network. The user can be presented with a simpler navigation model. The first screenview can be sent in the form of a page formatting template, and results data. The formatting information can be reused for other results, to reduce formatting overhead in the downloads. The instructions can also be used for showing information while waiting for downloads, or downloading information during entry of search queries.

Abstract: A scheduling method and apparatus for use by a processor that controls storage devices of a data storage system is presented. The method allocates processing time between I/O operations and background operations for predetermined time slots based on an indicator of processor workload.

Abstract: A search query is received over a wireless network (20), from a mobile device (10), and a response involves obtaining content summaries of search results relating to the search query, preparing a hypertext page for presentation by the mobile device. The page has a number of the content summaries extending over a number of screenviews. The page has an overview and has hyperlinks for intra-page navigation by a user between screenviews of different parts of the page. The page is sent to the mobile device over the wireless network to enable the content summaries to be browsed without requiring one or more further query and response operations across the wireless network. This can reduce the number of query response operations, by providing more information than the conventional one page annotated list, and presenting the information for easier browsing. The user can then download a selected content item over the network.