Semantically associated text index and the population and use thereof

Abstract

The construction of a semantically associated computer search database is disclosed. A text catalog containing the text particulars and contents of a plurality of electronic documents, a term association database which joins text search terms with their semantic meanings or definitions, and a content association database which contains records associating text search terms and their contextual definitions in respect of individual electronic documents are used to in conjunction provide a text index in which it is possible to search based upon the actual definitions or meanings of certain text or terms within the electronic documents, reducing or refining query search result sets. A method of operating a search engine with the index in question, as well as other e-commerce methods employing the index as a refining tool are also disclosed.

1 - 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . A computer-implemented method of associating pre-determined semantic definitions with at least one text search term contained within at least one electronic document, the method comprising:
 receiving user input in a search engine indicating at least one text search term desired to be located in at least one electronic document;   presenting to a user at least one pre-determined semantic definition for the at least one text search term from a plurality of term association records contained within a text index, each term association record corresponding to one pre-determined semantic definition for the text search term;   enabling the user to select the desired pre-determined semantic definition for each at least one text search term;   executing a text search for the at least one text search term against a text catalog containing the text contents of electronic documents, to return a text search result; and   enabling the user to select one or more results from the text search result satisfying a search criteria of the user.   
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising:
 creating or updating content association records, based upon a positive selection of results from the text index search, within the text index for each text search term for which a pre-determined semantic definition was selected by the user, linking the electronic document with the selected pre-determined semantic definitions for the at least one text search term used to reach that result.   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , further comprising:
 creating or updating term association records during the use of the text index by enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with at least one text search term, wherein the content association records created or updated within the text index are subsequently searched using at least one text search term to locate at least one electronic document previously catalogued as containing at least one text search term in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definitions to deliver semantically relevant text search results.   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising:
 enabling the user to promote, demote or otherwise indicate a semantic relevance of one or more contents of the semantically relevant results set upon the display thereof, and adjusting the content association records of the text index with respect to the electronic document based upon such user input.   
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising:
 enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions from the text index for association with at least one text search term where there are not already semantic associations represented by term association records.   
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein additional term association records are created within the text index corresponding to the at least one text search term and the pre-determined semantic definitions. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein a user interface displaying the semantically relevant results set uses a browser plug-in in conjunction with the search engine. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein a text index is used to identify semantically relevant advertising content, wherein the advertising content pieces are selected from the electronic documents indexed within the text index, and the text search terms used to identify semantically relevant advertising material are captured from user input or behavior on each respective website. 
     
     
         67 . A computer-implemented method of providing combined search engine results, the method comprising:
 enabling a user to enter search query parameters through a first search engine system and interface;   executing a search against the contents of a first content database using the search query parameters, to return a first results set;   passing the search query parameters from the first search engine system to at least one additional separate search engine system and executing searches against the content databases of said additional separate search engine systems to return at least one additional results set, based on a user selection of one or more of a plurality of pre-determined semantic definitions stored in association with the search query parameters and presented to the user;   returning the additional results sets to the first search engine system, the additional results sets including one of a plurality of electronic documents; and   combining the first results set and the additional results sets for display to the user as a single end search result.   
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising:
 updating or creating content association records, based on the user selection of the one or more pre-determined semantic definitions, which associate the selected one or more of the pre-determined semantic definitions for the search query parameters and selected one of the plurality of electronic documents.   
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68 , further comprising:
 updating or creating term association records, based on the use of the first search engine system by enabling the user to select pre-determined semantic definitions for association with the search query parameters; and   wherein the content association records created or updated are subsequently searched using search query parameters to locate at least one electronic document previously catalogued as containing the one or more search query parameters in association with the selected pre-determined semantic definitions to deliver a subsequent results set.   
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising:
 enabling the user to promote, demote or otherwise indicate a semantic relevance of one or more contents of the single end search result upon the display thereof.   
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising:
 enabling the user to select at least one pre-determined semantic for association with at least one text search terms where there are not already semantic associations.   
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein term association records are created corresponding to the search query parameters and the pre-determined semantic definitions. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein a user interface displaying the single end search result uses a browser plug-in in conjunction with the search engine. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein a text index, which stores an index of the plurality of electronic documents, is used to identify semantically relevant advertising content, wherein the advertising content pieces are selected from the plurality of electronic documents indexed within the text index, and the search query parameters used to identify semantically relevant advertising material are captured from user input or behavior on at least one website.