Associative search engine
View Patent ↗This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlating the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user.
1. A method executed at a first search engine for selecting advertisements destined for display on a user device that interacts with a second search engine in searching for desired information within a data network, the method comprising:
receiving a search argument corresponding to the desired information, the search argument initially received by the second search engine from the user device;
correlating the search argument to a particular advertisement in a database having advertisement related information; and
transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device comprises transmitting the particular advertisement directly to the user device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device comprises transmitting the particular advertisement to the second search engine for subsequent transmission with the desired information by the second search engine to the user device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device comprises transmitting a link to the user device for use by the user device in retrieving advertisement content.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the particular advertisement for display on the user device comprises transmitting a link to the second search engine for subsequent transmission to the user device for use by the user device in retrieving advertisement content.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second search engines operate on at least one data processing server platform.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user device is a personal computer.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising accessing contextual data.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising accessing product data.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular advertisement is formatted to be displayed using software downloaded to and executed by the user device.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the software is run in a Java environment.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the first search engine accessing user profile data of a user of the user device.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user profile data of the user is used in correlating the search argument to the particular advertisement in the database having advertisement related information.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user profile data is maintained on the user device.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user profile data comprises previous search arguments entered by the user.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user profile data comprises preferences of the user.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the user profile data comprises the user's prior Internet access information.
18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an indication that the user has selected the particular advertisement; and
directing the user device to an advertiser associated with the particular advertisement in response to receiving the indication.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein directing the user to the advertiser comprises forwarding a browser of the user device of the user to a world wide web site address of the advertiser.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein directing the user to the advertiser comprises redirecting a browser of the user device of the user to a world wide web site address of the advertiser.
21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising storing an indication that the directing has occurred.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein a toll is extracted based upon the indication.