Methods and apparatus for delivering information of various types to a user

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to techniques for performing a search for content, in which a user may issue a search query, and the search engine or engines to which that query is provided may be determined dynamically based on any of a variety of factors. For example, in some embodiments, the search engine or engines to which the query is provided may be determined based on the content of the search query, and/or auxiliary information such as the user's location, demographics, query history and/or browsing history.

1 . A method, performed by at least one computer, comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a query; and   (B) in response to the query being received, identifying at least one search engine to which to submit a representation of the query, the identifying being based at least in part on consideration received from an operator of the at least one search engine.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the query received in the act (A) comprises content, and the identifying in the act (B) is based at least in part on the content of the query. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act (A) comprises receiving a voice query. 
     
     
         4 . A method, performed by at least one computer, comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a query;   (B) in response to the query being received, identifying a plurality of search engines to which to submit a representation of the query; and   (C) defining a manner of displaying results from each of the plurality of search engines, the defining being based at least in part on consideration received from an operator of at least one of the plurality of search engines.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the act (C) comprises defining an order of presentation of results from each of the plurality of search engines. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of search engines has an associated icon, and the act (C) comprises defining an arrangement of the icons associated with the plurality of search engines into a sequence. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the act (C) comprises defining an arrangement in which one of the icons is displayed more prominently than another of the icons. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the act (C) comprises defining a manner of displaying the icons using a carousel metaphor, each of the icons having an associated slot on the carousel, and wherein the one icon is associated with a selected slot on the carousel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the act (C) comprises defining content to be displayed on the device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the content is banner content. 
     
     
         11 . A method, performed by a device, comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a query from a user; and   (B) causing to be displayed results generated based on the query by a plurality of search engines, at least one of the plurality of search engines for which results are displayed being identified based at least in part on consideration received from an operator of the at least one search engine.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the query received in the act (A) comprises content, and the identifying in the act (B) is based at least in part on the content of the query. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the act (A) comprises receiving a voice query. 
     
     
         14 . A method, performed by a device, comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a query from a user; and   (B) causing to be displayed results generated based on the query by a plurality of search engines, wherein display of the results is influenced at least in part by consideration received from an operator of at least one of the plurality of search engines.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving information defining an order of presentation of results from each of the plurality of search engines. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of search engines has an associated icon, and the act (B) comprises receiving information defining an arrangement of the icons associated with the plurality of search engines into a sequence. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving information defining an arrangement in which one of the icons is displayed more prominently than another of the icons. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving information defining a manner of displaying the icons using a carousel metaphor, each of the icons having an associated slot on the carousel, and wherein the one icon is associated with a selected slot on the carousel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving information defining content to be displayed on the device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the content is banner content. 
     
     
         21 . At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed, perform a method comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a query; and   (B) in response to the query being received, identifying at least one search engine to which to submit a representation of the query, the identifying being based at least in part on consideration received from an operator of the at least one search engine.   
     
     
         22 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the query received in the act (A) comprises content, and the identifying in the act (B) is based at least in part on the content of the query. 
     
     
         23 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the act (A) comprises receiving a voice query. 
     
     
         24 . At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed, perform a method comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a query;   (B) in response to the query being received, identifying a plurality of search engines to which to submit a representation of the query; and   (C) defining a manner of displaying results from each of the plurality of search engines, wherein the defining is based at least in part on consideration received from an operator of at least one of the plurality of search engines.   
     
     
         25 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 24 , wherein the act (C) comprises defining an order of presentation of results from each of the plurality of search engines. 
     
     
         26 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 24 , wherein each of the plurality of search engines has an associated icon, and the act (C) comprises defining an arrangement of the icons associated with the plurality of search engines into a sequence. 
     
     
         27 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 26 , wherein the act (C) comprises defining an arrangement in which one of the icons is displayed more prominently than another of the icons. 
     
     
         28 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein the act (C) comprises defining a manner of displaying the icons using a carousel metaphor, each of the icons having an associated slot on the carousel, and wherein the one icon is associated with a selected slot on the carousel. 
     
     
         29 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 24 , wherein the act (C) comprises defining content to be displayed on the device. 
     
     
         30 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the content is banner content. 
     
     
         31 . At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed, perform a method comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a query from a user; and   (B) causing to be displayed results generated based on the query by a plurality of search engines, at least one of the plurality of search engines for which results are displayed being identified based at least in part on consideration received from an operator of the at least one search engine.   
     
     
         32 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein the query received in the act (A) comprises content, and the identifying in the act (B) is based at least in part on the content of the query. 
     
     
         33 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein the act (A) comprises receiving a voice query. 
     
     
         34 . At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed, perform a method comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a query from a user; and   (B) causing to be displayed results generated based on the query by a plurality of search engines, wherein the display of the results is influenced at least in part by consideration received from an operator of at least one of the plurality of search engines.   
     
     
         35 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 34 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving information defining an order of presentation of results from each of the plurality of search engines. 
     
     
         36 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 34 , wherein each of the plurality of search engines has an associated icon, and the act (B) comprises receiving information defining an arrangement of the icons associated with the plurality of search engines into a sequence. 
     
     
         37 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 36 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving information defining an arrangement in which one of the icons is displayed more prominently than another of the icons. 
     
     
         38 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 37 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving information defining a manner of displaying the icons using a carousel metaphor, each of the icons having an associated slot on the carousel, and wherein the one icon is associated with a selected slot on the carousel. 
     
     
         39 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 34 , wherein the act (B) comprises receiving information defining content to be displayed on the device. 
     
     
         40 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 39 , wherein the content is banner content. 
     
     
         41 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor programmed to;
 receive a query; and 
 in response to the query being received, identify at least one search engine to which to submit a representation of the query, the identifying being based at least in part on consideration received from an operator of the at least one search engine. 
   
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the received query comprises content, and the identifying is based at least in part on the content of the query. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the received query is a voice query. 
     
     
         44 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor programmed to;
 receive a query; 
 in response to the query being received, identify a plurality of search engines to which to submit a representation of the query; and 
 define a manner of displaying results from each of the plurality of search engines, wherein the defining is based at least in part on consideration received from an operator of at least one of the plurality of search engines. 
   
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein the defining comprises defining an order of presentation of results from each of the plurality of search engines. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein each of the plurality of search engines has an associated icon, and the defining comprises defining an arrangement of the icons associated with the plurality of search engines into a sequence. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the defining comprises defining an arrangement in which one of the icons is displayed more prominently than another of the icons. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein the defining comprises defining a manner of displaying the icons using a carousel metaphor, each of the icons having an associated slot on the carousel, and wherein the one icon is associated with a selected slot on the carousel. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 44 , wherein the defining comprises defining content to be displayed on the device. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the content is banner content. 
     
     
         51 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor programmed to;
 receive a query from a user; and 
 cause to be displayed results generated based on the query by a plurality of search engines, at least one of the plurality of search engines for which results are displayed being identified based at least in part on consideration received from an operator of the at least one search engine. 
   
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the received query comprises content, and the identifying is based at least in part on the content of the query. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the received query is a voice query. 
     
     
         54 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor programmed to;
 receive a query from a user; and 
 cause to be displayed results generated based on the query by a plurality of search engines, wherein the display of the results is influenced at least in part by consideration received from an operator of at least one of the plurality of search engines. 
   
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein the causing to be displayed comprises receiving information defining an order of presentation of results from each of the plurality of search engines. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein each of the plurality of search engines has an associated icon, and the causing to be displayed comprises receiving information defining an arrangement of the icons associated with the plurality of search engines into a sequence. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein the causing to be displayed comprises receiving information defining an arrangement in which one of the icons is displayed more prominently than another of the icons. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 57 , wherein the causing to be displayed comprises receiving information defining a manner of displaying the icons using a carousel metaphor, each of the icons having an associated slot on the carousel, and wherein the one icon is associated with a selected slot on the carousel. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein the causing to be displayed comprises receiving information defining content to be displayed on the device. 
     
     
         60 . The apparatus of  claim 59 , wherein the content is banner content.