Search engine for selecting targeted messages

Abstract

A search engine receives query terms from a client. In response, the search engine executes a search on a web directory to identify zero or more documents that match the query terms. The identified documents are associated with one or more categories. The search engine probabilistically selects one of the categories associated with the identified documents. Each message in a message database is also associated with one or more of the categories. The search engine accesses the message database and selects at least one message associated with the selected category. The search engine returns a web page containing references to the documents matching the query terms and the one or more messages selected from the message database to the client.

1 . A method of selecting a targeted message, comprising: 
 receiving one or more query terms;    probabilistically selecting a category from among a set of categories responsive to how well the category matches the one or more query terms; and    selecting the targeted message responsive to the selected category.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the probabilistically selecting step comprises: 
 identifying a set of documents responsive to the one or more query terms, wherein documents in the set are associated with one or more categories in the set of categories; and    selecting the category responsive to the one or more categories associated with the documents in the set.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 defining a hierarchy for the set of categories.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the category hierarchy is substantially flat.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the categories in the hierarchy are defined responsive to a plurality of message types.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the step of selecting the category comprises: 
 selecting a hierarchical ancestor of a category associated with a document in the set.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of selected a category comprises: 
 randomly selecting the category from among the one or more categories associated with the documents in the set.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of probabilistically selecting a category comprises: 
 selecting the category responsive to weight values associated with the categories in the set.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of selecting a category comprises: 
 selecting the category responsive to weight values associated with the documents in the set.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of selecting the targeted message responsive to the selected category comprises: 
 selecting the message responsive to a number of shares of the selected category owned by the message.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein there are no messages associated with the selected category and wherein the step of selecting the targeted message responsive to the selected category comprises: 
 selecting a general message associated with a general category.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more query terms are received from a client and further comprising: 
 sending references to the identified documents and the selected targeted message to the client.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 sorting the identified documents by an associated category of each document; and    sending the references to the identified documents to the client in the sorted order;    wherein the category is selected responsive to the category of the documents sent to the client.    
   
   
       14 . A search engine for selecting a targeted message, the search engine comprising: 
 a receiving module for receiving one or more query terms from a client;    a web directory access module for accessing a web directory holding references to documents, each document associated with one or more categories, and for identifying a set of documents referenced in the web directory that match the one or more query terms;    a category selection module for probabilistically selecting a category responsive to the one or more categories associated with the documents identified by the web directory access module; and    a message database access module for accessing a database of messages, the messages each associated with at least one category, and for selecting a message associated with the category selected by the category selection module.    
   
   
       15 . The search engine of  claim 14 , wherein the categories in the web directory are arranged hierarchically.  
   
   
       16 . The search engine of  claim 15 , wherein the category hierarchy is substantially flat.