U.S. patent application number 13/325655 was filed with the patent office on 2012-04-12 for interleaving search results.
This patent application is currently assigned to GOOGLE INC.. Invention is credited to David R. Bailey, Jonathan J. Effrat, Amit Singhal.
Application Number | 20120089599 13/325655 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39493111 |
Filed Date | 2012-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120089599 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bailey; David R. ; et
al. |
April 12, 2012 |
Interleaving Search Results
Abstract
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for
interleaving search results. A method includes presenting multiple
first search results received from a first search engine. The first
search results satisfy a search query directed to the first search
engine and are presented in an order. A second search result from a
second search engine is inserted at a position between two
otherwise adjacent first search results. The second search result
is received from a second search engine in response to the search
query.
Inventors: |
Bailey; David R.; (Palo
Alto, CA) ; Effrat; Jonathan J.; (Mountain View,
CA) ; Singhal; Amit; (Palo Alto, CA) |
Assignee: |
GOOGLE INC.
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
39493111 |
Appl. No.: |
13/325655 |
Filed: |
December 14, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11952078 |
Dec 6, 2007 |
8086600 |
|
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13325655 |
|
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60869100 |
Dec 7, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
707/723 ;
707/E17.084 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/00 20190101;
G06F 16/24578 20190101; G06F 16/951 20190101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/723 ;
707/E17.084 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/30 20060101
G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented comprising: receiving a plurality of
first search results culled from a first collection of data wherein
the plurality of first search results are associated with
respective first scores; receiving a plurality of second search
results culled from a second collection of data, wherein the
plurality of second search results are associated with respective
second scores, wherein the first collection of data and the second
collection of data are distinct from each other, and wherein each
first score is based at least in part on a scoring feature used to
determine the first search results; identifying one or more second
search results of the plurality of second search results to be
provided at a position in an order the plurality of first search
results based at least in part on the second scores, determining
the position in the order of the plurality of first search results
including modifying one or more first scores of respective first
search results using the scoring feature used to determine the
first search results; inserting the identified one or more second
search results into the order of the plurality of first search
results at the determined position; and providing a number of first
search results and the inserted one or more second search
results.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a number of first
search results comprises providing a number of top-ranked first
search results of the plurality of first search results.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the top-ranked first search
results are provided in a first presentation format different from
a second presentation format of the inserted one or more second
search results.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first presentation format is
a web page results format.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second presentation format is
a news results format.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein the second presentation format is
an image results format.
7. The method of claim 3, wherein the second presentation format is
an video results format.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective second score for
the second search results is based on a publication date of a
resource corresponding to the second search result.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a number of first
search results and the inserted one or more second search results
comprises providing two or more of the second search results in a
group.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing an image
adjacent to the group of two or more second search results.
11. A system comprising: one or more data processing apparatus and
one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable,
when executed by the one or more data processing apparatus, to
cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform
operations comprising: receiving a plurality of first search
results culled from a first collection of data wherein the
plurality of first search results are associated with respective
first scores; receiving a plurality of second search results culled
from a second collection of data, wherein the plurality of second
search results are associated with respective second scores,
wherein the first collection of data and the second collection of
data are distinct from each other, and wherein each first score is
based at least in part on a scoring feature used to determine the
first search results; identifying one or more second search results
of the plurality of second search results to be provided at a
position in an order the plurality of first search results based at
least in part on the second scores, determining the position in the
order of the plurality of first search results including modifying
one or more first scores of respective first search results using
the scoring feature used to determine the first search results;
inserting the identified one or more second search results into the
order of the plurality of first search results at the determined
position; and providing a number of first search results and the
inserted one or more second search results.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein providing a number of first
search results comprises providing a number of top-ranked first
search results of the plurality of first search results.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the top-ranked first search
results are provided in a first presentation format different from
a second presentation format of the inserted one or more second
search results.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first presentation format
is a web page results format.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second presentation format
is a news results format.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein the second presentation format
is an image results format.
17. The system of claim 13, wherein the second presentation format
is an video results format.
18. The system of claim 11, wherein each respective second score
for the second search results is based on a publication date of a
resource corresponding to the second search result.
19. The system of claim 11, wherein providing a number of first
search results and the inserted one or more second search results
comprises providing two or more of the second search results in a
group.
20. The system of claim 19, further comprising providing an image
adjacent to the group of two or more second search results.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of and claims priority to
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/952,078, filed Dec. 6, 2007,
which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) of U.S.
Patent Application No. 60/869,100, filed Dec. 7, 2006, which is
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This specification relates to the presentation of search
results in response to a search request presented by a user to a
search service.
[0003] A search service, e.g., a web-based search service, will
generally receive a search request from a user through a search
page presented to the user by the service through a web browser on
a personal computing device. In making the search request, the user
will generally select a kind of resource to be searched--e.g.,
generic web pages, images, news, and so on--and in the absence of
an explicit selection, a default selection, typically generic web
pages, will be used. Generic web pages are uncategorized web pages,
as opposed to, for example, news resources which are web pages
categorized as a news resource. Some search services will present
different search pages as user interfaces to receive search
requests directed to searching different kinds of resources.
[0004] Upon receiving a search query, a search service will
generally direct the search query to a search engine for a specific
corpus of resources. A search engine is associated with a kind of
resource, and will produce search results based on the query and on
the kind of resource it is associated with. It ranks the search
results based on their relevance to a query in the context of the
corpus to which the query was directed.
[0005] Examples of corpora that search engines may search or be
associated with include generic web pages, news, images, books, and
videos.
[0006] A search engine that searches generic web pages produces web
page search results. Each generic web page search result may
contain one or more of the following attributes: a title of a web
page, a hyperlink to the web page, a snippet of text showing search
terms in bold, the size of the web page, a hyperlink to similar web
pages, and a hyperlink to a cached version of the web page.
[0007] A search engine that searches news produces news search
results. Each news search result may contain one or more of the
following attributes: a title of the news resource, a hyperlink to
the news resource, a snippet of text showing search terms in bold,
the publication date and time of the news resource, an image, and
links to similar news resources.
[0008] A search engine that searches images produces image search
results. Each image search result may contain one or more of the
following attributes: an image, a short description of the image,
the size of the image, the resolution of the image, the image type,
the source of the image, and a hyperlink to the source of the
image.
[0009] A search engine that searches books produces book search
results. In some implementations, what is searched are scanned
copies of books, that is, the corpus includes text from scanned and
parsed physical books, which is referenced from the book search
results. Each book search result may contain one or more of the
following attributes: a title of the book, a hyperlink to the book,
an image, a hyperlink to a table of contents, a hyperlink to a
first page of the book, an author, a publication date, and a
hyperlink to an index of the book.
[0010] A search engine that searches videos produces video search
results. Each video search result may contain one or more of the
following attributes: a title of the video, a hyperlink to the
video, an image, a rating for the video, the number of ratings made
for the video, the publication date, a short description of the
video, and the source of the video.
[0011] After the search engine produces the search results, the
search service presents those results to the user. The format that
the search service presents the results in typically varies
according to the attributes of the search results. For example, the
format of news search results typically differ from the format of
generic web page search results.
[0012] When a user elects to search generic web pages, the search
service may evaluate the user's search request to determine whether
or not a news search result would likely be relevant to the user's
request. If it would be relevant, the search service may use one
search engine to search generic web pages, and use a different
search engine to search news. Using the results produced by the two
search engines, the search service presents to the user a news
search result, followed by the generic web page search results.
SUMMARY
[0013] This specification describes technologies relating to
presenting results for a search query that derive from different
search engines or bodies of searched resources.
[0014] In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in
this specification can be embodied in methods that include the
actions of presenting a plurality of first search results received
from a first search engine, the first search results satisfying a
search query directed to the first search engine, the first search
results being presented in an order; and presenting a second search
result inserted at a position between two otherwise adjacent first
search results in the order, the second search result being
received from a second search engine in response to the search
query, the first search engine searching a first corpus of first
resources, the second search engine searching a second corpus of
second resources, the first search engine and the second search
engines being distinct from each other. Other embodiments of this
aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer
program products.
[0015] In general, another aspect of the subject matter described
in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the
actions of presenting a plurality of first search results received
from a first search engine, the first search results satisfying a
search query directed to a corpus of first resources, the first
search results being presented in an order; and presenting a first
group of two or more second search results inserted at a position
between two otherwise adjacent first search results in the order,
the second search results being received from a distinct second
search engine. Other embodiments of this aspect include
corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program
products.
[0016] In general, another aspect of the subject matter described
in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the
actions of receiving a plurality of first search results from the
first search engine, in response to a search query directed to a
first search engine and not to a distinct second search engine,
each of the plurality of first search results having a respective
first score; applying the search query to receive a second search
result from a second search engine, the second search result having
a second score; and determining from the second score whether to
present the second search result, and if so, presenting the first
search results in an order according to their respective scores,
and presenting the second search result at a position relative to
the order, the position being determined using the first scores and
the second score. Other embodiments of this aspect include
corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program
products.
[0017] In general, another aspect of the subject matter described
in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the
actions of receiving a plurality of first search results from the
first search engine in response to a search query directed to a
first search engine and not to a distinct second search engine,
each of the plurality of first search results having a respective
first score; applying the search query to receive a second search
result from the second search engine, the second search result
having a second score; and presenting the first search results in
an order according to their respective first scores, with the
second search result at a position relative to the order, the
position being determined using the first scores and the second
score. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding
systems, apparatus, and computer program products.
[0018] In general, another aspect of the subject matter described
in this specification can be embodied in a system that includes a
search service implemented on a data processing platform comprising
one or more computers. The service is operable to respond to a
search request for generic web pages with a plurality of first web
page search results, each of the first web page search results
presented in a web page results format; respond to a search request
for news with a plurality of first news search results, each of the
first news search results presented in a news results format; and
respond to a search request for web pages with a plurality of
second web page search results and a second news search result
inserted among the second web page search results. Other
embodiments of this aspect include corresponding methods,
apparatus, and computer program products.
[0019] Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in
this specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the
following advantages. News results can be returned as a result to a
search of web pages based on the rank scoring of the news results
without a need for the search request to be recognized as one for
which news would likely be relevant.
[0020] The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter
described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying
drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and
advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the
description, the drawings, and the claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a search service.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating operation and use of the
example service.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a screenshot of a news search result inserted
among generic web search results.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows a book search result inserted among generic web
page search results.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a screenshot of a news search result inserted
among generic web search results.
[0026] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates an example search service that has a
search service front-end 110, a results mixer 120, a generic search
engine 130 for searching generic web pages 140, and a news search
engine 150 for searching news 160.
[0028] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating operation and use of the
example service. The search service front-end receives the user's
query (step 205). In some implementations, it also receives user
metadata, e.g., a search history profile of the user.
[0029] The search service directs the user's query to the generic
search engine (step 210). The generic search engine performs the
search and produces generic web page search results (step 215).
[0030] The generic search engine calculates a search result quality
score for each of its search results (step 220). It ultimately uses
the search result quality scores to rank the search results. In
some implementations, a results mixer, rather than the generic
search engine, calculates the search result quality scores.
[0031] The search result quality score is based on multiple
distinct scoring features. The scoring features are used to
determine parameter values for a scoring calculation. Scoring
features can include, for example, features based on attributes of
the resources in question, features based on historical data
describing access to or use of the resources, or both. For some of
the scoring features, the search result will have a pre-calculated
score. For the other scoring features, the generic search engine
will dynamically calculate a score based on the search result, the
user's query, and any associated metadata from the search service
front-end. In the general case, the generic search engine will use
pre-calculated scores for some of the scoring features, and it will
calculate a score for other features based on the query and on
other user metadata.
[0032] The generic search engine adds all the scores associated
with the distinct scoring features. The sum is the search result
quality score for a particular search result. In some
implementations, the results mixer adds the scores together. In
other implementations, the scores are multiplied together, rather
than added together.
[0033] Using the search result quality scores, the generic search
engine ranks the generic web page search results (step 225). In
some implementations, the results mixer ranks the generic web page
search results.
[0034] The search service also directs the query to the news search
engine (step 230). The news search engine performs the search and
produces one or more news search results (step 235).
[0035] The news search engine calculates a search result quality
score for each of its search results (step 240). It ultimately uses
the search result quality scores to rank the news search results.
In some implementations, the results mixer, rather than the generic
search engine, calculates the search result quality scores.
[0036] The search result quality score is based on multiple
distinct scoring features, as described above for the generic
search engine. However, some of the scoring features used by the
news search engine are unique, i.e., they are distinct from any
scoring feature that the generic search engine uses, e.g., news
freshness. Similarly, some of the scoring features used by the
generic search engine are unique with reference to the news search
engine. In alternative implementations, the scoring features differ
not because they are unique, but because their significance in the
calculation of the search result quality score is different in the
different search engines.
[0037] As is the case with the generic search engine, the scores
associated with some of the scoring features of the news search
results are pre-calculated, while the other scores are dynamically
calculated by the news search engine.
[0038] The news search engine adds all the scores associated with
the distinct scoring features. The sum is the search result quality
score for a particular search result. In some implementations, the
results mixer adds the scores together. In other implementations,
the scores are multiplied together, rather than added together.
[0039] Using the search result quality scores, the news search
engine ranks the news search results (step 245). In some
implementations, the results mixer ranks the news search
results.
[0040] The results mixer blends together the news and generic web
page search results so that composite search results can be
presented in response to the search query. This increases the
diversity of search results presented to the user.
[0041] Using the ranked generic web page search results, and the
ranked news search results, the results mixer determines whether to
recalculate the search result quality scores of any of the search
results (step 250). It only recalculates scores when more than one
search result from a given search engine is available. For example,
it may determine to recalculate the search result quality scores of
all generic web page search results ranked lower than second place.
To recalculate the search result quality scores, the results mixer
will decrease the scores that were based on unique scoring features
(a reduction in the contribution of the unique scoring features
leads to a reduction in the overall score). For example, if the
results mixer decided to recalculate the search result quality
scores of the second and third highest-scoring generic web page
search results, it could do so by decreasing the contribution of
the unique scoring features by 10% and 20%, respectively.
[0042] Based on its determination, the results mixer recalculates
the search result quality scores (step 255).
[0043] The results mixer then uses the recalculated search result
quality scores to rank the news and generic web page search results
in a single ranking (step 260).
[0044] Based on the new rankings, the results mixer blends the
search results together (step 265) by inserting one or more news
search results at a position among the generic web page search
results. For example, the results mixer may insert at least one
news search result at any of various positions within a list of ten
generic web page search results. In some implementations, the
results mixer only inserts the highest ranked news search result
among the generic web page search results. In other
implementations, the results mixer may determine not to insert any
news search result among the generic web page search results
because none of the news search results have a high enough rank. In
other implementations, the news search engine gives grouped news
search results to the results mixer, and the results mixer uses the
rankings to insert a group at a position among the generic web page
search results. Alternatively, the group may be inserted at a fixed
position, e.g., at the top, bottom, or center of a list of generic
web page search results.
[0045] Optionally, the results mixer imposes limitations to where
the news search results may be inserted. For example, a news search
result may be limited to positions in the order corresponding to
either the third ranked result or a lesser ranked result. Or, for
example, a news search result may be limited to a position in the
order that is more than two (or some other number) of positions
away from another news search result.
[0046] The search service front-end presents the blended results to
the user (step 270). The order of the ranking represents the order
that the results will be presented in.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the search service front-end can use
different presentation formats for the news and generic web page
search results. For example, in some implementations, the search
service front-end always presents a publication date 310 for a news
search result 320, but only occasionally or not at all for a
generic web page search result 330.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 4, in some implementations where a books
search result 410 is inserted among generic web page search results
420, the search service front-end presents the publication date
430, number of pages 440, and the author of a book 450.
[0049] In implementations where search results are grouped
together, the search service front-end presents user interface
elements particular to the group. For example, as shown in FIG. 5,
the search service front-end may present an image 510 adjacent to a
group 520 of news search results, where the group 520 of news
search results is inserted among generic web page search results
540. In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 5, a news search
result 530 may be presented adjacent to other news search
results.
[0050] Some implementations include a conventional user feedback
mechanism for a scoring system. The user feedback mechanism uses
user-click-data to learn characteristics of queries, or of results
of queries, that correlate with high-quality clicks.
[0051] For example, the mechanism might learn that queries that
begin with "how to . . . " often lead to clicks on book search
results. In that case, the mechanism recognizes that book search
results are preferred for future queries that begin with "how to .
. . " and causes such results to have an enhanced search result
quality score.
[0052] In some implementations, the user feedback mechanism can
also provide feedback that is personalized for individual users or
clusters of users who have some characteristics in common. For
example, a user might be recognized as preferring news search
results and so the feedback mechanism causes such results to have
an enhanced search result quality score.
[0053] Embodiments of the subject matter and the functional
operations described in this specification can be implemented in
digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or
hardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification
and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more
of them. Embodiments of the subject matter described in this
specification can be implemented as one or more computer program
products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program
instructions encoded on a tangible program carrier for execution
by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. The
tangible program carrier can be a propagated signal or a
computer-readable medium. The propagated signal is an artificially
generated signal, e.g., a machine-generated electrical, optical, or
electromagnetic signal, that is generated to encode information for
transmission to suitable receiver apparatus for execution by a
computer. The computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable
storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory
device, a composition of matter effecting a machine-readable
propagated signal, or a combination of one or more of them.
[0054] The term "data processing apparatus" encompasses all
apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by
way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple
processors or computers. The apparatus can include, in addition to
hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the
computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor
firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an
operating system, or a combination of one or more of them.
[0055] A computer program (also known as a program, software,
software application, script, or code) can be written in any form
of programming language, including compiled or interpreted
languages, or declarative or procedural languages, and it can be
deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a
module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a
computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily
correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a
portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or
more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single
file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple
coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules,
sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be
deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers
that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites
and interconnected by a communication network.
[0056] The processes and logic flows described in this
specification can be performed by one or more programmable
processors executing one or more computer programs to perform
functions by operating on input data and generating output. The
processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus
can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g.,
an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC
(application-specific integrated circuit).
[0057] Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program
include, by way of example, both general and special purpose
microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of
digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions
and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both.
The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing
instructions and one or more memory devices for storing
instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or
be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or
both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,
magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a
computer need not have such devices. Moreover, a computer can be
embedded in another device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personal
digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game
console, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, to name just a
few.
[0058] Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer
program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile
memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example
semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory
devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable
disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The
processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated
in, special purpose logic circuitry.
[0059] To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the
subject matter described in this specification can be implemented
on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray
tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying
information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g.,
a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the
computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for
interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to
the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual
feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from
the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech,
or tactile input.
[0060] Embodiments of the subject matter described in this
specification can be implemented in a computing system that
includes a back-end component, e.g., as a data server, or that
includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or
that includes a front-end component, e.g., a client computer having
a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user
can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described
is this specification, or any combination of one or more such
back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of
the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital
data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of
communication networks include a local area network ("LAN") and a
wide area network ("WAN"), e.g., the Internet.
[0061] The computing system can include clients and servers. A
client and server are generally remote from each other and
typically interact through a communication network. The
relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer
programs running on the respective computers and having a
client-server relationship to each other.
[0062] While this specification contains many specifics, these
should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any
invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of
features that may be specific to particular embodiments of
particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this
specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be
implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely,
various features that are described in the context of a single
embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments
separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although
features may be described above as acting in certain combinations
and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a
claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the
combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a
subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
[0063] Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in
a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that
such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in
sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed,
to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances,
multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover,
the separation of various system components in the embodiments
described above should not be understood as requiring such
separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the
described program components and systems can generally be
integrated together in a single software product or packaged into
multiple software products.
[0064] Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in
this specification have been described. Other embodiments are
within the scope of the following claims. For example, the actions
recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and
still achieve desirable results. As one example, the processes
depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the
particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable
results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel
processing may be advantageous. Also, other search engines may be
used instead of a news search engine for searching news. Examples
include a book search engine for searching books, a video search
engine for searching videos, and an image search engine for
searching images. Furthermore, other search engines may be used
instead of a generic search engine for searching generic web pages.
Examples include a book search engine for searching books, a video
search engine for searching videos, an image search engine for
searching images, and a news search engine for searching news. More
than two search engines may be used. For example, in addition to
blending results from a news search engine and a generic search
engine, one or more of the following kinds of search engines may be
used: a book search engine for searching books, a video search
engine for searching videos, or an image search engine for
searching images; and their results may be blended with each other
or with generic web search results or both. Accordingly, other
embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *