Abstract: The invention provides a system to categorize user queries including an identification component that receives an original user query and identifies a what-component and a where-component using the original user query, a first classification component that analyzes and classifies the what-component of the original user query, a second classification component that analyzes and processes the where-component of the original user query, and a transmission component that sends the results of the first and second classification components and a processed user query to a backend search engine.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for providing an Internet (Web) search functionality to a target application. The Web functionality allows a target application to access and use the Web search functionality without modification of the target application. For one embodiment, information communicated between the target application and the operating system, or other applications, is intercepted and evaluated. A determination is made as to whether or not to implement the Web search functionality within the target application based upon the intercepted information. For one embodiment of the invention, a Web search capability is implemented with applications to which such capability is deemed beneficial. For one embodiment of the invention, the added Web search functionality automates the process of saving selected web content to the user's personal computer, locating the saved Web content on the personal computer, and appending the saved content into the target application product.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for increasing query traffic to a web site includes providing initial information pertaining to an initial object for presentation to a user, and providing connection information identifying a logical connection between the initial object and one or more additional objects for presentation to the user. The connection information contains data prompting the user to submit a new query concerning one of the additional objects. The method may further include receiving the new query concerning one of the additional objects, and providing a result of the new query to the user.

Abstract: A query may be answered when a compound result URL including a target page identifier and the query is received at a target computer system. The target page identifier may be used to identify a target page on the target computer system. A call script may then be automatically executed and cause receipt of a plurality of suggestions based on the query by the target computer system. The suggestions may include a text of the suggestion and a suggestion URL. A placement script may then be automatically executed that, for example, places the text of each suggestion on the target page. The text of each suggestion may have an associated suggestion URL. Selection of the text of the suggestion may cause redirection of the user computer based on the suggestion URL.

Abstract: A user interface is described, having a search box for entering a search query. The search box and other components remain stationary when conducting a search. A toolbox is provided with links to different views for conducting category-specific searches, and the links are editable.

Abstract: A query is received from a user computer system within a website, a call is transmitted from the host computer system to the data provider computer system corresponding to the query, including the call number for the query, a plurality of representations for the query are received from the data provider computer system at the host computer system and transmitted from the host computer system over the network to the user computer system. The call number is calculated based on a rank of the representations in a first historical data set. An access control module periodically resets the call number to higher number, whereafter a determination is made to maintain the call number at the higher or to reduce the call number.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of distributing representations in a network environment having a host computer system connected over at least one network to a plurality of user computer systems and to a data provider computer system. Domains of representations are ranked in a first historical data set. A query is received from a user computer system within a website. A call number that depends on the rank of the domains of the representations in the first historical data set for the query is calculated, recorded and transmitted from the host computer system over the network to the data provider computer system together with the query. A plurality of representations for the query are received from the data provider computer system over the network at the host computer system and transmitted from the host computer system over the network to the user computer system.

Abstract: A website receives a query from a user computer system, transmitting a call from the host computer system to a data provider computer system corresponding to the query representations from the data provider computer system, transmitting the representations to the user computer system and receives responses from the user computer system. An application shell receives the representations for the query and the response from the website and builds an application logic in real time. A first representation system inserted into the application shell includes a first ranking module ranking the representations in a first historical data set, calculates the call number, the call number depending on the rank of the representations in the first historical data set for the query, records the call number for the query and recording the response within the first historical data set.

Abstract: A query is received from a user computer system within a website of a host computer system. A call is transmitted from the host computer system to the data provider computer system corresponding to the query, wherein the call includes the call number for the query, a plurality of representations for the query are received from the data provider computer system at the host computer system and transmitted from the host computer system to the user computer system. The representations received from the data provider computer system are evaluated and a block of the representations is determined to be rejected. The call number is calculated by subtracting a number of the representations that are included in the block of the representations to be rejected from a total number of representations received from the data provider computer system.

Abstract: A query may be answered when a compound result URL including a target page identifier and the query is received at a target computer system. The target page identifier may be used to identify a target page on the target computer system. A call script may then be automatically executed and cause receipt of a plurality of suggestions based on the query by the target computer system. The suggestions may include a text of the suggestion and a suggestion URL. A placement script may then be automatically executed that, for example, places the text of each suggestion on the target page. The text of each suggestion may have an associated suggestion URL. Selection of the text of the suggestion may cause redirection of the user computer based on the suggestion URL.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus, and machine-readable media for matching a question with an expert are provided herein. Information regarding a plurality of experts may be received. The received information may be analyzed and processed and an expertise cloud may be generated for each expert of the plurality of experts using the received information and results of the analysis and processing. In some cases feedback regarding an expert may be received and associated with the expert. Also disclosed herein is a system, method, apparatus, and machine-readable media for matching an expert with a requested area of expertise.

Abstract: Systems and methods for aggregating search results are disclosed herein. The systems and methods include receiving a user search query, analyzing the user search query to identify a plurality of properties of the user search query, identifying a plurality of search results that match the user search query, each search result being based on a different scheme, and aggregating the search results to produce a search results list. The search results list may be a combined and selected results list. Feedback-based optimization is also disclosed.

Abstract: A query may be answered when a compound result URL including a target page identifier and the query is received at a target computer system. The target page identifier may be used to identify a target page on the target computer system. A call script may then be automatically executed and cause receipt of a plurality of suggestions based on the query by the target computer system. The suggestions may include a text of the suggestion and a suggestion URL. A placement script may then be automatically executed that, for example, places the text of each suggestion on the target page. The text of each suggestion may have an associated suggestion URL. Selection of the text of the suggestion may cause redirection of the user computer based on the suggestion URL.

Abstract: A system and method of data processing receives a query at a server computer system. The system and method utilizes the query to extract a search result from a data source. The system and method receives at least one search activity record and a user preference from a client computer system over a network at a server computer system. The server computer system stores at least one search activity record on the server computer system and deletes the at least one search activity record on the server computer system based on the user preference.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus, and machine-readable media for matching a question with an expert are provided herein. Information regarding a plurality of experts may be received. The received information may be analyzed and processed and an expertise cloud may be generated for each expert of the plurality of experts using the received information and results of the analysis and processing. In some cases feedback regarding an expert may be received and associated with the expert. Also disclosed herein is a system, method, apparatus, and machine-readable media for matching an expert with a requested area of expertise.

Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus, and machine-readable media for matching a question with an expert via a related item are provided herein. A received question may be analyzed in order to determine one or more components included in the question. One or more items relating to a question component may be found and one or more sources of information may be searched in order to find an expert associated with the related item. The received question may then be routed to a found expert and, on some occasions, a user may receive a response to a question from the found expert. In some cases, a list of found experts may then be returned to the asker of the question.

Abstract: The invention provides a user interface including a first view transmitted from a server computer system to a client computer system, the first view including a search identifier, interaction with the search identifier causing of a search request from the client computer system to the server computer system, the search request being utilized at the server computer system to extract at least an initial search result from a search data source, the initial search result including information relating to a geographic location to the client computer system for display at the client computer system, and a second view transmitted from the server computer system in response to the user interacting with the search identifier, the second view including the initial search result and the plurality of related search suggestions.

Abstract: In a method for a direct answer for search, a search query is received over a network, one or more answer entities are determined from one or more answer candidate snippets, with an answer candidate snippet having at least a portion of content available over the network for an answer candidate, a content identifier is determined for an answer candidate, a title is tokenized for the content identifier, a comparison is performed between a vector of tokens for the title and a vector of the one or more answer entities, an indicator of the relevance is adjusted for the content identifier in accordance with the comparison, and at least one answer candidate snippet is sent for a response to the search query.

Abstract: A user interface including a first view transmitted from a server computer system to the client computer system, the first view including a search identifier and a location identifier. Selection of the search identifier causing transmission of a search request from the client computer system to the server computer system and interaction with the location identifier causing transmission of a selected location from the client computer system to the server computer system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing a response to a query. Multiple users' search engine activity in regard to a query is correlated. A response is provided based upon this correlated search engine activity information. For one embodiment of the invention, in the context of search engine result optimization, the user activity and/or user information of multiple users, during a search session, is correlated with queries to effect an evolving association between queries and the organization and presentation of documents. Systems in accordance with such embodiments employ the ability to store users' activity over the entire search session, thus making possible the correlation of a number of different types of user activity and user information. The use of correlated user input allows such systems to provide relevant search results without the limitations imposed by the key-word-based systems of the prior art.