IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,301,651
Granted Patent B2
US 8,301,651 · App. 12/275,864 · Granted Oct 30, 2012

Method and system for improving utilization of human searchers

Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,301,651
App. No.
12/275,864
Granted
Oct 30, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and system of improving utilization of human searcher(s) in a search system provides an ambassador guide who may categorize and structure a request, interact with a user, provide a search result, and review a search result. The ambassador guide improves response time, automation, and efficiency of use of searchers and resources of the search system. A toolset may be provided to an ambassador to assist in rapidly executing relevant tasks.

Claims (57)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a search request;

ranking an item based on the search request;

directing the search request to a guide;

providing an indicator of the item to the guide, the guide modifying the search request by activating the indicator; and

providing a search result responsive to the modified search request.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

providing to the guide a query indicator in an order based on a rank of a structured query based on a keyword of the search request;

associating a category with the search request based on a selection from a ranked list; and

determining whether a geographic location indicated to the guide is relevant to the search request based on an activation of a location indicator.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

selecting the search result based on activation of the query indicator and a rating of the search result for a query; and

formatting said search result to be compatible with a user device.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

presenting historical information of a user submitting the search request including a previous search request of the user and a profile describing the user to the guide;

providing the modified search request to a human searcher, and wherein the human searcher provides the search result and wherein the human searcher is registered for a keyword, and the human searcher is selected based on a ranking of the human searcher for the keyword of the modified search request; and

the human searcher formats said search result to be compatible with a user device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the search result is provided by submitting the modified search request to a search resource selected based on a category associated with the resource and the modified search request and wherein a user interface determined by a classification assigned to the search request is provided to the guide.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the guide reviews the search result prior to the search result being provided to a user submitting the search request.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the guide is a trained specialist in query modification.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search result is provided by obtaining an answer rated highest for a query when determining that the query is indicated by a selection from a list of indicators.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the item includes one of a geographic location, a category and a structured query.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

presenting the guide with a template associated with a search resource, wherein said modifying is based on a selection of a segment of the search request by the guide.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said modifying of the search request by the guide is rated.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the guide selects a ranking criterion of a human searcher selected to execute a search responsive to the modified search request.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said ranking is based on information from multiple guides registered in association with a subject matter of the search request.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the information is of prior requests handled by the guides.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein an advertisement selected based on the item is provided with the search result.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting the guide based on availability of the guide and a ranking of the guide for the item.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting the guide based on a ranking of the guide based on a number of requests received by the guide which are searched by another guide.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

presenting a category to the guide in an order based on a ranking of the category;

presenting a user interface to the guide based on a classification of the search request by the guide;

distributing a query to the guide in an order based on a rank of the query;

ranking the query based on the modified search request;

determining a geographic location relevant to the search request based on an activation of a location indicator by the guide;

displaying an advertisement to the guide based on the ranking;

directing the modified search request to a searcher registered for a keyword of the modified search request;

selecting the searcher based on a ranking of the searcher for the modified search request;

providing to an expeditor a response of the searcher based on a ranking of the expeditor for the search result; and

retrieving the search result based on a capability of a user device as indicated to the expeditor and the response.

19. A system, comprising:

a user device submitting a search request;

a search system ranking an item for the search request and distributing the search request to an ambassador, determining whether assistance of a guide will be used, and choosing the ambassador and a searcher;

an ambassador device receiving an indicator of the item based on a rank of the item and modifying the search request based on the indicator;

a database system providing a search result ranked highest for a query selected based on the modified search request when determining that the ambassador device has selected an indicator of the query; and

a searcher system providing the search result.

20. A non-transient computer readable medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including processing a request, comprising:

forwarding a request of a user to a human guide who modifies the request;

selecting the human guide based on a rating of the human guide;

rating the human guide based on a source of the request;

providing an indicator of items comprising at least one of a category and a query to the human guide in an order based on a rank of an item for the request;

modifying the request based on a selection of the indicator of the item by the human guide; and

executing a search by submitting the modified request to a search resource selected based on the ranking and the modified request.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 25, 2008
From: JONES, SCOTT A.; LENZO, CHRIS; COOPER, THOMAS E.
To: CHACHA SEARCH, INC.
Reel/Frame 021885/0918 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 60989664 · Nov 21, 2007
Related Publication 20090132500A1 · May 21, 2009