Method and system of promoting human-assisted search

Abstract

A method and system of promoting service(s) of a search system are disclosed. A monitoring software or a search monitor may be operative on a user device. A user may be notified of an alternate search result(s) when such a result is identified. Condition(s) whereby a notification is presented to a user may be modified based on user action(s) and/or other information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving a search request;   selecting a search result based on a match of the search request to a query; and   providing an indication of the search result and a response of a search engine when the search result is superior to the response of the search engine to the search request and the search result is produced by a human searcher.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 choosing the search engine based on a selection by a user submitting the search request.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 ranking the search engine based on a comparison of search results produced by human searchers to responses of the search engine; and   choosing the search engine based on the ranking of the search engine.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 directing the search request to a human assistant when the search result is not superior to the response of the search engine.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 ranking search results associated with the query; and   selecting the search result based on the ranking.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 ranking search results associated with the query based on the match and a rating of the human searcher; and   selecting the search result based on the ranking.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining that the search result is superior to the response based on a ranking of the human searcher and a rating of the search engine.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining that the search result is superior to the response based on a ranking of the human searcher and the search engine for a category of the search request.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 providing the search result and the response to a human assistant; and   determining that the search result is superior to the response based on an action of the human assistant.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 suppressing the indication when a user submitting the search request has not activated indicators of search results provided by human searchers a pre-determined number of times.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 obtaining responses by submitting the search request to search engines; and   selecting the response based on a ranking of the responses for the query.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining that the search result is superior based on a rating of the search result for the query by a user that did not submit the search request.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 receiving the search request from an extension of an application.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 displaying information of the human searcher as a part of the indication.   
     
     
         15 . A system, comprising:
 a user system submitting a search request and providing an indication of a search result when the search result is determined to be superior to a response of a search engine; and   a search system selecting the search result based on a match of the search request to a query, directing the search request to the search engine, and determining whether the search result is superior to the response.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a searcher system receiving the search request when the search result is not superior to the response. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the searcher system receives the search request, the query, the search result and the response and provides a result to the search system. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including promoting a search service, comprising:
 receiving a search request;   submitting the search request to a search engine;   selecting the search engine based on a rating of the search engine;   determining whether a search result produced by a human searcher is superior to a response of the search engine for the search request; and   providing an indicator of the search result to a source of the search request when the search result is superior to the response.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 18  wherein the operation further comprises:
 determining the rating of the search engine based on use of the search engine by human assistants performing searches responsive to requests associated with a keyword of the search request. 
 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 18  wherein the operation further comprises:
 selecting search result based on a ranking of the human assistant for the search request.