EP1281135A1

EP1281135A1 - Local search via global search

Info

Publication number: EP1281135A1
Application number: EP01925312A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Anders Hyldahl; Laust Sondergaard
Original assignee: Mondosoft AS
Current assignee: Mondosoft AS
Priority date: 2000-04-27
Filing date: 2001-04-27
Publication date: 2003-02-05
Also published as: AU2001252112A1; WO2001082129A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to searching a local web-site via s search result obtained by a global search. More particularly the invention relates to a system and a method enabling searching on web-sites (local search) via a search in a pre-generated database comprising sub-sets of local web-sites (global search).

Description

LOCAL SEARCH VIA GLOBAL SEARCH

The present invention relates to searching a local web-site via a search result obtained by a global search. More particularly the invention relates to a system and a method enabling searching on web-sites (local search) via a search in a pre-generated database comprising sub-sets of local web-sites (global search)

BACKGROUND FOR THE INVENTION AND INTRODUCTION TO THE INVENTION

Today a portal search engine (a global search engine) can find a large number of documents to almost any query. The found documents origin from a large number of different sources - different web-sites - from different companies, individuals and public entities.

It is of great value for many users to identify all the found documents from a specific source, and some/many search portals do offer a function where the user can ask for the same query from only one source via a function called "MORE". In this case the search portal delivers all documents from the search portal's own database with origin from this source.

The number of documents will be limited to what is already in the search portals database, the design will be the design from the search portal, and the company will have no control of what is presented, the order and priority of the presented material.

Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a functionality which enables a greater flexibility for the user to locate documents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect of the invention a search system for enabling local searching via global searching is provided, which system comprises: a global search engine and a searchable global database storing information relating to web-pages on web-sites and basic information relating to some or all of the web-sites,

- a local search engine being accessible based on basic information stored in the global database.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the global search is performed in the global database. The term global search should preferably be construed in context with the term global database which is preferably a database storing information relating to a number of web-sites, such as storing a number of web-pages relating to said web-sites. Accordingly, a global search is preferably a search performed by use of the global search engine in the global database.

Preferably, a global database may be characterised in that its extension is varying, its control is lower (when compared to a local database) and in that its covering is low. Comparably and preferably, a local database may be characterised in that its extension is fixed, its control is higher (when compared to a global database) and in that its covering is high.

Searching is to be understood in the present context as, at least, the process of finding matches between words in a search query and text stored in a database, and the process of interactively stepping through different levels of menus, intentionally, leading to a document meeting the search query. The last search example is for instance known in systems in which documents on a web-site are accessible in a directory structure manner and wherein a specific document is found by stepping through different levels of directories.

In the present content the terms web-pages and web-sites should be given their broadest possible meaning and therefore all aspects of the present invention are, at least, applicable for searching sites which are not linked in such a manner that no local search engine is demanded. Furthermore and additionally, a web-page is to be considered as a data item, being accessible by FTP for instance, and a web-site is to be considered as a collection of data items, such as for instance NEWS. In this light, the terms web-pages and web-sites should not be construed based only solely on the present meaning of these terms.

One aim of the present invention is to enable searching on one such web-site. This aim has been met by including basic information in the global database, which basic information is used in order to perform or in the process of performing a search on such a web-site, a local search.

The basic information has such a character that it makes a local search engine accessible. It should be noted in the present content that the basic information may have at least the following two characteristics:

In case(s) where a specific local search engine being different from the global search engine is to be used on a selected web-site, the basic information relating to the local search engine has such a character that the local search engine is accessible, such as identifiable and/or executable.

In case(s) where the global search engine is applicable also on the selected website the basic information states so.

Accordingly, the phrases global search engine and local search engine may be construed to mean one application instructed either to search the searchable global database or to search a selected web-site, or they may be construed to mean two different applications, e.g. one application for performing a global search and one application for performing a local search.

Furthermore, the global database may be one database where the basic information is an entry or the global database may be two or more databases in which the basic information and other information, such as web-pages, are linked.

Thereby a system is provided which can be used by a searcher (a user of the system) to easily elaborate a search on a local web-site. This is very advantageous as web-sites are often represented only by a small number of web-pages in the global database and if the searcher using prior art systems wants to elaborate a search in such cases, he is forced to manually go to the web-site of interest and if not forced to start up a local search engine, he has at least to retype his search string in order to perform the local search on the selected web-site.

According to the present invention, this repetition of instructions of search engines performed by the user has been rendered superfluous, as the local search engine is accessible based on the basic information stored in the global database, which basic information preferably is/are used for launching the local search engine whereby the need for manually logging on to the selected web-site and initiating the local search engine is no longer present.

In accordance with the invention, hanging a "MORE" function on a search portal, to link the company's own search function with a request string including the original search guery a number of advantages will be achieved, such as

- All documents this company intends to present will be presented in the updated and required order, design, categorisation etc.

The search portal will be able to charge the companies for this function, to market the functionality and to brand it.

Easy launching of a local search engine is achieved, e.g. the user does not need to do any difficult submission of instructions for performing a local search.

In preferred embodiments of the system according to the present invention, the local search engine is installed remote form the global search engine, such as installed on the same machine as the web-site being searchable by the local search engine.

Alternatively, the local search engine is installed at the same location as the global search engine.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention the basic information relating to a particular web-site is extracted from a file preferably being stored at said particular website. The moment of extracting said information typically depends on how the system is implemented. In a preferred embodiment the basic information relating to a particular web-site is extracted during crawling of said particular web-site. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the basic information being extracted is preferably a path to a specific file on a web-page, which file may be either the local search engine itself, may contain information instructing the global search engine to be the local search engine or may be a link to another location for the local search engine.

This feature is very advantageous as the owner of the local web-site in this case only has to inform the administrator of the searchable global database to look at a specific location for some detailed information regarding searching his web-site whereby he may be able to change the search facilities on his web-site without informing the administrator of the searchable global database about such changes.

Preferably, the system according to the invention may further comprise means adapted to transfer a search query from the global search engine to a local search engine. Such a transfer renders it possible to automatically perform a local search based on the same search query as used during the global searching as the local search engine may be instructed to be launched with said search query.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the basic information relating to a particular web-site is extended to an existing global data. In these situations, the system may preferably be the outcome of adding the local search facility to an existing global search facility. Again, the global database so constructed may be one database or it may be more than one database being linked in a suitable manner.

In other preferred embodiments of the system according to the present invention, the search system may preferably also comprise means adapted to launch the local search engine. Such means is(are) preferably application means such as a program being able to perform the launching. The launching is preferably based on basic information corresponding to the local search engine and is preferably initiated based on a response from a user of the global search engine.

Such a response may either be predefined or actively given by the user. In a preferred embodiment the predefined response may be a user profile, provided for instance by the user him self, predicating that the local search is to be continued by a local search engine on the web-site having most relevant hits. In this situation, the user interface could be equipped with a button like "continue local search based on your profile ?" which by clicking would launch the local search engine. The actively given response may preferably be an instruction given by the searcher to continue searching by the local search engine.

The search system according to the present invention may preferably also comprise means adapted to log each time the local search engine is launched, said logging preferably comprising storing of a local search engine identifying number. This feature is very important and valuable for instance in cases where payment for local searching is based on number of times a local search engine is launched as the feature enables logging of events. In this case also, the means is(are) preferably an application, such as a program.

In another very important embodiment, the local search engine is preferably adapted to redirect a user back to the global search engine after or during execution of the local search engine. This feature may make it possible for a searcher to go back to the global searching/the original search result obtained by the global search engine and continue the searching on other web-sites.

In this embodiment the local search engine comprises means for storing information enabling redirection of a user back to the local search and means for executing said information.

Alternatively and/or more specifically, the global search engine may be adapted to pass a global search result on to the local search engine. In this case, the search result being passed on to the local search engine comprises basic information relating to some or all of the web-sites being present in a global search result, whereby this search result may be made available during local searching, for instance for continued local searching without going back to the global search engine.

In this and other specific embodiments the local search engine may be adapted to pass the global search result received from the global search engine on to another local search engine.

In a particular embodiment, the basic information relating to a particular web-site preferably comprises the path to said web-site and an executable statement which upon execution initiates the local search engine relating to said web-site, said executable statement preferably including the path to the local search engine.

In another aspect of the present invention a method for generating a searchable global database is provided. The database is particularly useful in a process of carrying into effect local searching on a web-site and the method comprises generating and storing in a memory or a storage medium of a computer basic information relating to at least one website, said basic information providing accessibility to a local search engine corresponding to a web-site.

Also in this aspect and in the following, the meaning of for instance the phrase local search engine is preferably to be found in the effect provided by the search engine. For instance, the local search engine and a global search engine may be one and same application just performing either a search in a searchable global database on performing a search on a selected local web-site.

Accordingly, the basic information may be information leading directly to launch of a local search engine or it may be a path to a file comprising more detailed information relating to launching of said local search engine optionally also including instruction enabling the local search engine to be launched.

In a preferred embodiment the generated information is stored so that basic information corresponding to a particular web-site is linked to information relating to web-pages on that particular web-site. More specific, the linking is preferably provided by extending basic information relating to a particular web-site to other information relating to web- pages on that particular web-site.

In another preferred embodiment of this aspect, generation of basic information corresponding to a particular web-site comprises extracting said basic information during crawling of the web-site.

In yet another aspect of the present invention a searchable global database is provided. The database which is useful in a process of carrying into effect local searching on a website, storing basic information relating to at least one web-site, said basic information providing accessibility to a local search engine corresponding to a web-site. The searchable global database according to the present invention is preferably stored in a memory or a storage medium of a machinery and/or system and/or computer and/or network.

Preferably the searchable global database is stored in the memory or storage medium in such a way that it is accessible for deduction of basic information relating to a particular web-site.

In another aspect, the present invention also relates to a machinery and/or system and/or computer and/or network comprising a memory or storage medium in which the database according to the present invention is stored.

In yet another aspect of the present invention a method of carrying into effect local searching on a web-site based on a global search result is provided. The global search result comprises, such as comprising a link to, basic information relating to execution of a local search engine adapted to perform a search on a web-site and the method comprises

identifying basic information relating to a particular web-site, said identifying being preferably based on and initiated by a response provided by a user of the global search engine, for instance in the form of a click on a button,

executing the identified information thereby causing execution of the local search engine.

In preferred embodiments of the method, identification of basic information comprises extracting said information from a searchable global database.

Preferably, the execution of the identified information comprises supplying the local search engine with a search query, preferably such as a search query having provided the global search result.

The method according to the present invention may preferably further comprise the step of passing a global search result on to the local search engine. Furthermore, the method may preferably also comprise the step of launching a global search engine after or during execution of a local search engine.

In preferred embodiments of the method according to the present invention, the method may further comprise the step of logging, preferably in a file, each time a local search engine is launched, said logging preferably comprising storing of a local search engine identifying number.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In the following the invention and in particular preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail in connection with the accompanying figures in which:

Fig. 1 shows a search result returned by a global search engine, and

Fig. 2. shows a search result returned from a local search engine.

In the presently most preferred embodiment of the invention a computer system is provided. This computer system comprises

A global search engine having a corresponding database. The search engine is able to search for information on a large number of web-sites, i.e. the database comprises information relating to the content of web-pages and the locations thereof on a large number of web-sites. Furthermore, the database stores information relating to search engines applicable on the web-sites being stored if such search engines are available. Such information is preferably a path to the actual location of the search engine on the web-site.

A local search engine. This local search engine may be installed on either the hardware on which the corresponding web-site is located or it may be installed on the hardware on which the global search engine is installed on - or it may be installed on yet another hardware. Accordingly, the term local does not refer to the location of the search engine but its ability to perform local search. Thus, an aim of the present invention is to link the global and the local search engines. This aim has been met by adding space for and storing information relating to the local search engines in the global search engine's database. This information is presented in relation to presenting a search result obtained by applying the global search engine.

The actual presentation of said information may include a conversion of the information so that the information is easily understandable. For instance, if a global search result includes web-sites being local searchable, then a button named "continue search on local web-site" may be presented an if this button is clicked, the local search engine is executed. Thereby the search may be repeated on the local web-site.

If the local search engines allows passing of search queries the search query used in the global search is passed on to the local search engine.

Implementation of the system

In the following an implementation of the system according to the present invention is disclosed.

Today all global search engines have in their corresponding databases a table comprising all web-sites from which the search engine can deliver results. Also all search engines, typically, use slightly different search methods. Among all these different local search engines a subset exists comprising search engines searching by submitting an internet- call (via the HTTP-protocol or another well defined internet communication protocol) to the internet server on which the local search engine is installed. Not all local search engines are executable via the internet but the ones being executable via the internet are the ones most easily incorporated in the invention.

In order to implement the system, an existing global search engine is typically modified, which modification includes extending the global search engine's database with information pertaining to the local search engine(s) being affiliated to each web-site. This information renders it possible to provide a possibility for local searching for some of the hits provided by the global search engine. The information (registration) extended to the global search engine's web-site table pertains to how a local search engine is called, whether it is present/is registrated/is workable etc. The information may be entered into the web-site table either manually, automatically or by a combination of both, but in all cases personnel prescribes how the local search engine is called, for instance by prescribing a string like

"http://search.shares.com/cgi-bin/MsmFind.exe?query=<Here-must-the-search-words-be- placed>" combined optionally with additional information.

Automation of the process of extending such information is preferably performed by placing a file in the root of the web-site, in which file the above described string

("http://search....") is present. As web-sites normally have a file, robots.txt, already placed in the root of the web-site and used by the worm during the crawling process, extension of this string will provide a system in which the information to be extended to the global website table is gathered during the crawling process.

Alternatively - or supplementary - if the global search engine does not already comprise an interface for inputting information relating to a new web-site, in the sense that information does not already exists, such an interface is added, whereby the global search engines at the next crawl also visit such new web-site(s). This interface is extended so that the string "http://search..." can be input to the global search engine.

Yet another alternative - or supplement - is that the owner of the global search engine contacts owners of the web-sites already being present in the global search engine's website table and offers them the possibility of local search via global search. If accepted, the personnel administrating the global search engine manually modifies/extends the global search engine's database accordingly, i.e. add the information pertaining to local search to that database.

Further information may be extended. Such further information may be of either technical character, such as search variants, sorting, ways of appearance, icon, text or the like, or it may be of businesses character, such as payment, subscription, term to expire etc. or a combination of those. Example

In a Active global search engine the user search for 'Shares Microsoft'. This search is technically performed by calling in an internet browser:

http:// ww.global.com/search.cqi?query=shares+microsoft

The global search engine returns the result in the browser as shown in Fig. 1. Apparently, no useable local search engine is registered on www.news.com, but useable search engines are registered on www.info.com, www.shares.com and www.it.com.

If the user decides to search locally on www.shares.com he just clicks on Search local on www.shares.com, which click effectuates the internet call:

http://search.shares.com/cgi-bin/ smFind.exe?querv=shares+microsoft

whereby the result shown in Fig.2 is returned from the local search engine.

During searching the user will most properly experience a situation where the local web- site visited via the global search result turns out to be uninteresting and the user wants to go back and use the global search and optionally continue investigating the global search result obtained at first hand.

In order to meet such a requirement the global search engine passes information on to the local search engine enabling the local search engine to redirect the user back to the global search engine. Preferably, the global search engine passes this information on to the local search engine when the user activates the local search engine and in cases where also the search string is passed on to the local search engine passing of all information is done at the same time.

The local search engine then receives the redirection information and stores that information until needed. At the local search engine's user interface a button like "go back to the global searching" appears which when clicked will cause execution of an application redirecting the user to the global search engine. Alternatively, the global search result is stored in a file which is passed on to the web-site on which the local search engine is instructed to search. This file comprises information relating to how other local search engines are executed and if a user decides to perform searching on another web-site, the information relating to said web-site is extracted and executed initiating local searching on another web-site.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention the method automatically redirects a global search to a local search engine. This means that the user does not have to push any buttons in order to continue searching on a local web-site. Different criteria for such automatically continuing searching locally are typically set up before the global search is executed. One such criterion is that the search is automatically continued at the web-sites giving the highest number of hits in the global search result.

Claims

1. A search system for enabling local searching via global searching, the system comprising:

a global search engine and a searchable global database storing information relating to web-pages on web-sites and basic information relating to some or all of the web-sites,

2. A search system according to claim 1 , wherein the local search engine is installed remote form the global search engine.

3. A search system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the local search engine is installed on the same machine as the web-site being searchable by the local search engine.

4. A search system according to claim 1 , wherein the local search engine is installed at the same location as the global search engine.

5. A search system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the basic information relating to a particular web-site is extracted from a file preferably being stored at said particular web-site.

6. A search system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the basic information relating to a particular web-site is extracted during crawling of said particular web-site.

7. A search system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprising means adapted to transfer a search query from the global search engine to a local search engine.

8. A search system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the basic information relating to a particular web-site is extended to an existing global data.

9. A search system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising means adapted to launch the local search engine, which launching is based on basic information corresponding to the local search engine and is initiated based on a response from a user

5 of the global search engine.

10. A search system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising means adapted to log each time the local search engine is launched, said log preferably comprising storing of a local search engine identifying number.

10

11. A search system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the local search engine is adapted to redirect a user back to the global search engine after or during execution of the local search engine.

15 12. A search system according to claim 11, wherein the local search engine comprises means for storing information enabling redirection of a user back to the local search and means for executing said information.

13. A search system according to claim 11 , wherein the global search engine is adapted 0 to pass a global search result on to the local search engine, the search result being passed on to the local search engine comprises basic information relating to some or all of the web-sites being present in a global search result.

14. A search system according to claim 13, wherein the local search engine is adapted to 5 pass the global search result received from the global search engine on to another local search engine.

15. A search system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the basic information relating to a particular web-site comprises the path to said web-site and an 0 executable statement which upon execution initiates the local search engine relating to said web-site, said executable statement preferably includes the path to the local search engine.

16. A method for generating a searchable global database useful in a process of carry into 35 effect local searching on a web-site, the method comprising generating and storing in a memory or a storage medium of a computer basic information relating to at least one website, said basic information provides accessibility to a local search engine corresponding to a web-site.

5 17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the generated information is stored so that basic information corresponding to a particular web-site is linked to information relating to web-pages on that particular web-site.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the linking is provided by extending basic 10 information relating to a particular web-site to information relating to web-pages on that particular web-site.

19. A method according to any of the claims 16-18, wherein generation of basic information corresponding to a particular web-site comprises extracting said basic

15 information during crawling of the web-site.

20. A searchable global database useful in a process of carry into effect local searching on a web-site, the database storing basic information relating to at least one web-site, said basic information provides accessibility to a local search engine corresponding to a

20 web-site.

21. A searchable global database according to claim 20 stored in a memory or a storage medium of a machinery and/or system and/or computer and/or network.

25 22. A searchable global database according to claim 21 is stored in the memory or storage medium in such a way that it is accessible for deduction of basic information relating to a particular web-site.

23. A machinery and/or system and/or computer and/or network comprising a memory or 30 storage medium in which the database according to claim 20 is stored.

24. A method of carry into effect local searching on a web-site based on a global search result, which global search result comprises basic information relating to execution of a local search engine adapted to perform search on a web-site, the method comprising

35 identifying basic information relating to a particular web-site, said identifying being preferably based on and initiated by a response provided by a user of the global search engine, for instance in the form of a click on a button,

5 - executing the identified information thereby causing execution of the local search engine.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein identifying of basic information comprises extracting said information from a searchable global database.

10

26. A method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein executing the identifying information comprises supplying the local search engine with a search query, such as a search query having provided the global search result.

15 27. A method according to any of the claim 24-26, wherein the method further comprising the step of passing a global search result on to the local search engine.

28. A method according to any of the claim 24-27 further comprising launching a global search engine after or during execution of a local search engine. 0

29. A method according to any of the claims 24-28 further comprising logging, preferably in a file, each time a local search engine is launched, said logging preferably comprising storing of a local search engine identifying number.