Rockstar Consortium US LP et al v. Google Inc

Filing 209

Unopposed MOTION for Issuance of Letters Rogatory to Edouard Gueyffier by Google Inc. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Affidavit Declaration of Michelle Ernst, # 3 Exhibit 1, # 4 Exhibit 2, # 5 Exhibit 3, # 6 Exhibit 4, # 7 Exhibit 5, # 8 Exhibit 6, # 9 Exhibit 7, # 10 Exhibit 8, # 11 Exhibit 9, # 12 Exhibit 10, # 13 Exhibit 11, # 14 Text of Proposed Order)(Perlson, David)

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EXHIBIT 7 US007895178B2 (12) Ulllted States Patent (10) Patent N0.: Skillen et al. (54) US 7,895,178 B2 (45) Date of Patent: ASSOCIATIVE SEARCH ENGINE 5,589,892 A * Feb. 22, 2011 12/1996 Knee et a1. .................. .. 725/43 5,659,732 A * (75) 8/1997 Kirsch 5724 521 A * Inventors: Richard Prescott Skillen ’ Mississauga (CA); Frederick Caldwell Livermore, 3/1998 D dr k ..................... .. 705/26 ’ ’ A B1X1er et a1. 5,751,956 A * (73) Montreal (CA) ( * ) Notice: 5/1998 5,794,210 A Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation, ..... .. 1/1 . _e lo 8/1998 Goldhaber et a1, 5,987,446 A * Kirsch ...................... .. 709/203 11/1999 Corey et a1. ...................... .. 1/1 Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 6’119’l01 A 9/2000 peclfover patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 499 days. 6,243,375 B1 6,253,188 B1 6/2001 Speleher 6/2001 Witek etal. (21) App1.N0.: 11/767,584 (22) Filed: Jun. 25, 2007 * Cited by examiner (65) Prior Publication Data Us 2007/0244885 A1 Oct. 18, 2007 Primary ExamineriGreta L Robinson ‘43mm’ Exami’mfle?qrey Chang (74) Attorney, Agent, or FirmiGarlick Harrison & Markison; Bruce B Garlick Related US. Application Data (63) Continuation of application No. 09/351,747, ?led on (57) ABSTRACT Jul. 8, 1999, noW Pat. No. 7,236,969, Which is a con (51) tinuation of application No. 08/798,747, ?led on Feb. 13’ 1997’ HOW Pat‘ NO‘ 6’098’065' Int Cl This invention relates to an advertisement machine Which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired infor (52) G08F /00 G06F 17/30 U 5 Cl mation Within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corre sponding to the desired information and searches, based upon (58) Field of (2006 01) (2006:01) 707/706 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii " 707/2 the received search argument, a ?rst database having data 6 14 4’ 707/5 network related information to generate search results. It also See application ?le for comp’lete s’earc? history" ' correlating the received search argument to aparticular adver tisement in a second database having advertisement related (56) References Cited information. The search results together With the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user. U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,283,731 A 2/1994 Lalonde et a1. 5,515,098 A * 5/1996 Carles ....................... .. 725/35 1O 25 Claims,2DraWing Sheets 20 \-___ \ 2 12 / I a CONTEXTUAL DATABASE PRODUCT DATABASE / 14 \ DATABASE '; ASSOCIATIVE SEARCH ENGINE END USER , \ 16 SEARCH _ ENGINE \ 18 US. Patent Wm Feb. 22, 2011 PODQWE Sheet 1 012 US 7,895,178 B2 2 mm or E0m2wmD US 7,895,178 B2 1 2 ASSOCIATIVE SEARCH ENGINE According to a third broad aspect, the invention provides a system for providing advertisements to a user searching for desired information Within a data netWork, comprising; means for receiving, from the user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information; means for searching, based upon the received search argu ment, a ?rst database having data netWork related information to generate search results; means for correlating the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation of US. Utility Application Ser. No. 09/351,747, ?led Jul. 8, 1999, now US. Pat. No. 7,236,969 Which is a continuation of US. Utility application Ser. No. 08/798,747, ?led Feb. 13, 1997, issued as US. Pat. No. 6,098,065, all of Which are hereby incorporated database having advertisement related information; and herein by reference in their entirety. means for providing the search results together With the par ticular advertisement to the user. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION According to a fourth broad aspect, the invention provides a system for searching for desired information Within a data netWork, comprising: means for receiving, from a user, a The invention generally relates to search engines and, in particular, to an associative search methodology, based on a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information; means for searching, based upon the received search argument and user pro?le data, a database of contextual search engine, for retrieving related information. The Internet provides an excellent vehicle for access to information about goods and services on a global basis. In theory, anyone can access information about any product. In 20 practice, the problem is one of ?nding the correct informa information to generate a search result; and means for pro viding the search results to the user. Conventional search engines, for example OpenText, pro tion. Many techniques for solving this problem are knoWn, including: indexing systems such as Yahoo, graphical elec vide a basis on Which the methodology according to this searching and retrieving information, in their present form, invention may be implemented. In a particular embodiment, the invention is manifested by an advertising system includ ing an associative search engine that may be tied into and form an integral part of the conventional search engine. When can inundate the user With large amounts of unWanted mate an end user accesses the conventional search engine, the rial. associative engine of the selling system examines the user’s choices and search instructions, that have been input by the tronic malls, hall of malls, directories, and text search engines, such as OpenText. These techniques and tools for 25 This later problem can be alleviated someWhat by enabling the user to provide search statements as a set of criteria Which 30 user, and formulates the necessary strategy and tactics to offer are combined With logical operators, such as ‘AND’, ‘OR’ products that Would appeal to the end user based on his/her and ‘NOT’ operators. However, many problems still exist inputs an choices up until that point in the search. Since the process is dynamic the strategy and tactics can be continually With this. One of them is that the user is left to his/her oWn imagination to try to think of all the alternative descriptions (i.e. keywords) of a product or service. As search engines and 35 techniques become ever more poWerful in the number and diversity of databases they can access, the amount of infor mation Which it is possible to present to a user can quickly database. This effectively provides unobtrusive, related and become excessively large. The problem or opportunity still remains to quickly ?nd the relevant information for Which the user is looking. re?ned and the results presented to the end user in a predictive order and fashion that relates to that end user’s past prefer ences (either for the immediate search underWay or including all prior search data stored for that user) and a contextual 40 useful data and options to the end user Who is searching for information. The processor used for the advertising and sell ing mechanism can be a part of or interconnected With the search engine. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a neW and 45 improved associative search methodology for retrieving related information. The invention, therefore, according to a ?rst broad aspect manufacturers recommended tire types and options may be considered as sort criteria provided Within a contextual data base. Another example relates to When airline reservations are provides a method of providing advertisements to a user searching for desired information Within a data netWork, comprising the steps of receiving, from the user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information; searching, based upon the received search argument, a ?rst database having data netWork related information to generate search results; correlating the Some examples Will illustrate hoW this invention can have high value to an end user. An end user’s pro?le data may contain such information as the make, model and year of automobile he/ she oWns or leases. When tires are needed, the 50 being sought. All of a person’s preferences, Which today are normally sorted one by one through a travel agent, could be utiliZed by the advertising and selling mechanism to provide the informed response. In addition to the search criterion, as users interacts With 55 the advertising system, it Will continue to compile preference received search argument to a particular advertisement in a data (e. g. a list of keyWords) for eachuser. All preferences, for second database having advertisement related information, and providing the search results together With the particular 60 example, can be left in a type of default mode or even pre sented to the user for him/her to edit and re-prioritiZe in order to look for diversity or alternatives. The system can detect exceptions and contradictions so that the end user can be advertisement to the user. According to a second broad aspect, the invention provides shoWn immediately that some of the options Would violate natural tendencies. Some of the search patterns or preferences Will be keyed off a method of searching for desired information Within a data netWork comprising the steps of: receiving, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information; searching, based upon the received search argument and user pro?le data, a database of informa tion to generate a search result; and providing the search results to the user. 65 of natural interests also such as: social, family, political, tech nological, geographical, environmental, educational and so on. Once these preferences are knoWn, then an advertisement or a proposed customiZed product brochure can be prepared. US 7,895,178 B2 3 4 This invention is also enhanced by advances in technology occurring in the emerging ubiquitous data World, such as neW softWare languages. One example is “Java”. Java is an envi personal computer (PC) or Macintosh executing an appropri ate broWser application, such as, Netscape Navigator Which ronment that can be exported to an end users platform to run the Internet. Functionality provided by the advertising an application Which may include graphics, moving demon machine 10 may be implemented using an appropriately pro grammed conventional data processing server platform. functions as an interface to the World Wide Web (WWW) of strations, cartoon like explanations or even video. The Java like environment could be used to customiZe With more than name, it can be used to customiZe With detailed examples. The advertising machine 1 0, in this particular embodiment, comprises a database search engine 16 and an associative search engine 18 Which may access a database 20 having contextual data 22 and product data 24. The database search One other opportunity presented to service providers is the potential to create neW and better Ways to improve the envi ronment presented to end users of various classes by remem bering What Was effective for a sale to occur. In this Way, key elements of a presentation or search that have higher success can be put into a higher priority or category for furtheruse and therefore more rapid development through even more intense feedback due to subsequent use. While this invention can be integrated With traditional Internet search engines (such as Yahoo or Lycos), full advan tage can be obtained by integrating the invention With an Internet Access provider. An Internet Access Provider can engine 18 is conventional technology, an example of Which is the OpenText engine that provides searches based on subject, strings, boolean, text, etc. Such input search arguments may be received from an end user via the data processing device 12 and data link 14 and, accordingly, the database search engine 16 effects a search of the contextual data 22 in the database 20 and returns results of the search to the end user, as a page 20 maintain a more complete user database. Customers are local iZed, so individual databases Will contain feWer users. This alloWs more database space to be allocated to each user. In addition, more detailed information can be maintained, such as geographical location, type of home computer system, and any additional information the user may choose to provide to the Internet Access Provider. It is anticipated that the Java environment Will develop so that it too Will learn and adapt. As a user continues to stop presentations at certain points, scan, re-scan, look for further input at certain points, abort a negotiation and so on at certain 25 30 2) The search engine 16, having carried out a traditional 40 45 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 50 ing to the end user. 4) The end user re?nes his or her search by either clicking on a displayed result or re?ning their search through addi tional arguments or search criteria. 5) The associative search engine 18 and the database search engine 16 again Work together in providing re?ned data as in DETAILED DESCRIPTION (2) above. In the case of the end user clicking on (i.e., select Referring to FIG. 1, shoWn is an advertising machine, 60 device 12 and a communications link 14 through Which the device 12 interacts With the advertising machine 10. The ing) a speci?c search result, the associative search engine 18 further re?nes its logical tree strategy and selects the probable best ?t product and generates an advertisement. 6) The end user search results advertisement WindoW is continually updated on each selection or re?nement using a communications link 14 may be provided by a global data netWork, typically the Internet, and the data processing device supporting functionality for communications over the Inter net. Examples of the data processing device 12 include a results of the search against the given argument together With the initial product advertisement to the device 12 for display 55 12 may be any conventional hardWare/softWare combination search of Internet related information in the contextual data 22, passes the argument and results of the its search to the associative search engine 18 Which then looks for a match in the product data 24 of the database 20. The associative search engine 18 may determine a logical product ?t to the initial search argument, or it may create a logical tree analysis of possible product ?ts and selects a probable best product for an advertisement WindoW to be displayed With the search results. 3) The associative engine 18 passes the data of the selected product to the search engine 16 Which in turn provides the machine in combination With an Internet Access Service pro generally referenced by 10, together With a data processing user at the device 12 accesses the advertising machine 10 is as follows. 1) The end user device 12 sends a search request outlining the search argument to the database search engine 16. or disabilities. vider. available data 24 and then provides an advertisement insert that is added to the end user’s search page, in an attempt to present the end user With the product that is closest to the need In operation, for example, the process effected When an end 35 tunities due to different personal proclivities, strengths, skills The invention Will be better understood from the folloWing detailed description of an advertising machine together With reference to the accompanying draWings, in Which. FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the advertising machine including an associative search engine; and FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the advertising correlate a search argument derived from the user and changes in the argument during a single session, to particular product data Within the product database 24. The associative search engine 18 selects the most logical product from its selling machine 10. product or service offerings. It is also recognized that these techniques may be applied to an educational environment Where, for example, a student may be able to have an environment that is aurally enhanced, another one that is visually enhanced, another one that is textually enhanced and yet another that is anecdotally as opposed to logically enhanced. There are many other oppor keyWords associated With respective WWW site locations. The associative search engine 18, in accordance With the present invention, may contain rule based softWare algo rithms or non-precise techniques, such as, fuZZy logic that can as determined by the associative search engine 18 of the points, then such points or logic routines could be avoided or alternatives considered. The present invention proposes such a dynamic and relational preferences methodology in order to more rapidly and more effectively couple a user’ s needs With displayed on the device 12. The contextual database typically contains information relating to the Internet, for instance, 65 technology such as Java providing the end user With a con tinually updated product advertisement that is considered to be most relevant (best ?t) at that point in the search. In US 7,895,178 B2 6 5 addition, failure of the end user to click on the advertisement 2) The search engine 44 passes the argument and results of is used as a, criterion in the logical tree in providing the its search in database 46 to the associative search engine 40 Which looks for a match in the product database 42 determin appropriate advertisement. ing a logical product ?t to the initial search argument. The associative search engine 40 creates a logical tree analysis of possible product ?ts, and selects or creates a probable best product advertisement for the advertisement WindoW on the search results. In this case, the associative search engine 40 7) Once the end user clicks on (selects) the advertisement displayed on the device 12, an appropriate message is sent to the advertising machine 10 and, in particular, to the associa tive search engine 18 Which may automatically connect the end user to the seller of the product, for instance, by forWard ing the broWser of the end user device 12 to the WWW site also can utiliZe the maintained pro?le on the end user from address of the seller. In the product data 24 for this seller, the associative search engine may record that this transaction occurred, in order that a toll for bringing a buyer and seller together may be extracted. past search sessions and/or historical data gathered on their buying habits, in the product selection processing. The asso ciative search engine correlates the user’s identity to data in the user pro?le database 48 Which it maintains and updates With data (e. g., search argument received With search request) Moreover, user pro?le data may be maintained on end user device 12 and accessed by the associative search engine 18. The pro?le data contains, for example, end user preferences from the current search session. and previous search arguments Which may be used to aug ment the individual search arguments received With the search request to select a best ?t product advertisement. The results of the search against the given argument including the associative search engine 18 retrieves and updates the pro?le data on the device 12, using appropriate messages exchanged 3) The search engine 44 provides the end user With the initial product advertisement from the associative search engine 40. The results and advertisement are displayed by end 20 user device 12. 4) The end user re?nes his/her search by either clicking on a result, or re?ning their search through additional arguments over the communications link 14. For example, the search arguments from the current search session may be added to the user pro?le data. Turning to the system illustrated in FIG. 2, the advertising machine 30 (similar to the machine 10 in FIG. 1) is integrated or search criteria. 25 as part of the functionality embodied at an Internet access provider equipment site 32 Which typically includes a tele phone netWork terminating equipment 34, a router 36 through Which TCP/IP packets are transmitted to and received from the Internet, and a server 38 Which in general controls opera 30 tion and couples data calls terminated by equipment 34 to router 36. The link 39 represents a data call established through the telephone netWork to the access provider site 32. The associative search engine 40 of machine 30 contains 35 5) The associative search engine 40 and the database search engine 44 again Work together in providing re?ned data as in (2) above. In the case, of the end user clicking on (selecting) a speci?c search result the associative search engine 40 fur ther re?nes its logical tree strategy and selects the probable best ?t product and generates an advertisement. 6) The end user device 12 search results advertisement WindoW is continually updated on each selection or re?ne ment using a technology such as Java, providing the end user With a continually updated product advertisement that is con sidered to be mo st relevant (best ?t) at that point in the search. softWare algorithms or non-precise techniques, such as, fuZZy In addition, failure of the end user to click on the advertise ment is used as a criterion in the logical tree ill providing the logic that correlates a search argument derived from the user appropriate advertisement. The access provider’s home page and changes in the argument during a single session With the product database 42 Whereby the most logical product from ment constructed from the end user’s pro?le data (e. g., its available list may be selected. It then provides an adver tisement insert that is added to the enduser’s search page in an attempt to offer the end user With the product that is closest to sent to the end user can also contain a specialiZed advertise 40 searches and/or buying habits). 45 associative search engine 40 of the selling machine 30 takes control and connects the potential buyer to the WWW site of the seller of the product, thereby exacting a toll for the trans action of bringing a buyer and seller together. Those skilled in the art Will recogniZe that various modi? cations and changes could be made to the invention Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. It should there 7) Once the end user is led to click on the advertisement, the the need as determined by the associative search engine 40. The access provider site 32, incorporating the advertising machine 30, is the sole channel available to the end user for accessing the Internet. When an end user carries out a search using the search engine 44 and clicks on (selects) a speci?c result or chooses an alternate information site address, the information is passed to the associative search engine 40 of that access provider 32. Thus, not only the page With the search results but also the home page of the access provider can be updated With the appropriate advertisement Which is fore be understood that the claims are not to be considered as 50 directed to each embodiment. selected by the associative search engine 40 from the product database 42. In addition, since the data processing device 12 of the end user is connected through the access provider site 32 for all destinations Within the Internet, a comprehensive user pro?le database 48 may be maintained by the associative 55 The invention claimed is: 1. A method for operating an advertising machine imple mented on at least one computer to provide advertisements via a communications link to a data processing device of a search engine 40, about the end users preferences and previ ous search arguments Which may be used to augment the individual search argument received With the search request being limited to the precise embodiments of the selling machine set forth above, in the absence of speci?c limitations 60 user, the method comprising: receiving from the data processing device via the commu to select a best ?t product advertisement. In operation, for example, the process effected When an end nications link a search request that includes a search user at the device 12 accesses the Internet through access searching at least one database using the search argument provider site 32 is as follows. 1) The end users access the search engine 44, provided as a basic service by the access provider, and requests a search outlining the search argument. argument; to produce search results; 65 selecting at least one advertisement from an advertisement database relating to at least one of the search argument and the search results; US 7,895,178 B2 8 7 transmitting the search results together With the at least one advertisement via the communications link to the data receiving modi?ed search results and at least one other advertisement from the advertising machine that are based upon at least the search re?nement input; and displaying the modi?ed search results and the at least one processing device; receiving search re?nement input from the data processing device via the communications link; producing modi?ed search results based upon at least the 5 search re?nement input; selecting at least one other advertisement from the adver tisement database based upon at least one of the search re?nement input and the modi?ed search results; and transmitting at least one of the modi?ed search results and the at least one other advertisement via the communica tions link to the data processing device. 2. The method of claim 1, Wherein both the search results input comprises additional search criteria. 16. The method of claim 12, Wherein the at least one advertisement includes a link to a Website sponsoring the and the search argument are used to select the at least one advertisement. advertisement. 3. The method of claim 1, Wherein both the modi?ed search results and the search argument are used to select the at least 17. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining that the user does not select the at least one advertisement; and one modi?ed advertisement. 4. The method of claim 1, Wherein the search re?nement input is based upon user selection of an element of the search results. 5. The method of claim 1, Wherein the search re?nement input comprises at least one additional search argument. 6. The method of claim 1, Wherein the search re?nement 20 18. The method of claim 12, further comprising: 25 tisement. 30 the at least one advertisement are included in a Web page data ?le that includes executable code that, upon execution by the data processing devices causes presentation of a displayed device that the user does not select the at least one device based upon a determination that the user does not select the at least one advertisement. advertisement; and transmitting the indication that the user selects the at least one advertisement to the advertising machine via the communications link. 19. The method of claim 12, Wherein the search results and 7. The method of claim 1, Wherein the at least one adver tisement includes a link to a Website sponsoring the adver advertisement; and updating advertisements provided to the data processing transmitting the indication that the user does not select the at least one advertisement to the advertising machine via the communications link. receiving user input to indicate selection of the at least one input comprises additional search criteria. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, via communication With the data processing other advertisement on the display of the data processing device. 13. The method of claim 12, Wherein the search re?nement input is based upon user selection of an element of the search results. 14. The method of claim 12, Wherein the search re?nement input comprises at least one additional search argument. 15. The method of claim 12, Wherein the search re?nement 35 advertisement on a display of the data processing device. 20. An advertising machine implemented on at least one computer and operable to provide advertisements via a com munications link to a data processing device of a user, the advertising machine comprising: 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the a communications interface operable to interface With the data processing device of the user via the communica at least one advertisement based upon a least one of user pro?le data and user preference data. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the tions link; a database search engine operable to: receive from the data processing device via the commu search results based upon at least one of user pro?le data and user preference data. nications link a search request that includes a search 11. The method of claim 1, Wherein the search results and the at least one advertisement are included in a Web page data 45 argument; and ?le that includes executable code that, upon execution by the data processing devices causes presentation of a displayed search at least one database using the search argument to advertisement on a display of the data processing device. 12. A method for operating a data processing device of a an associative search engine operable to select at least one advertisement from an advertisement database based upon at least one of the search argument and the search produce search results; user to receive advertisements via a communications link 50 from an advertising machine implemented on at least one computer, the method comprising: based upon interaction With the user, creating a search request that includes a search argument; transmitting to the advertising machine via the communi cations link the search request that includes the search 55 argument; the communications link from the advertising machine, argument; displaying the search results and the at least one advertise ment on a display of the data processing device; based upon interaction With the user, receiving search re?nement input; transmitting the search re?nement input to the advertising machine via the communications link; processing device; receive search re?nement input from the data processing device via the communications link; the database search engine further operable to produce receiving search results and at least one advertisement via the at least one advertisement relating to the search results; the communications interface operable to: transmit the search results together With the at least one advertisement via the communications link to the data modi?ed search results based upon at least the search 60 re?nement input; the associative search engine further operable to select at least one other advertisement from the advertisement database based upon the modi?ed search results; and the communications interface further operable to transmit at least one of the modi?ed search results and the at least one other advertisement via the communications link to the data processing device. US 7,895,178 B2 10 21. The advertising machine of claim 20, Wherein the 24. The advertising machine of claim 20, Wherein the at least one advertisement includes a link to a Website sponsor search re?nement input is based upon user selection of an element of the search results. ing the advertisement. 22. The advertising machine of claim 20, Wherein the search re?nement input comprises at least one additional 25. The advertising machine of claim 20, Wherein the asso ciative search engine is further operable to select the at least search argument. 23. The advertising machine of claim 20, Wherein the search re?nement input comprises additional search criteria. one advertisement based upon at least one of user pro?le data and user preference data. * * * * *

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