Patent ID: 7752220
Filing Date: 2010-07-06
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for processing a search query in a document search engine, the search query comprising one or more first search terms for searching for documents, the search query being processed by a system configured to receive bids for search terms, the method comprising: receiving the one or more first search terms on a search engine for execution by a dispatcher; analyzing the one or more first search terms to identify candidate terms for alternative search terms to the one or more first search terms; when there is two or more search terms, accessing an alternative query phrase module to further identify the candidate terms based one or more query phrases from the two or more search terms; based on analyzing the one or more first search terms of the search query, identifying bids associated with the candidate terms of the search query; scoring each of the candidate terms based at least in part on the bids associated with the candidate terms, the bids representing amounts paid or to be paid by a sponsor in exchange for a particular position in a set of search results generated in response to receiving, from a user, specific search terms in a query; selecting, based on the scores, one or more of the candidate terms to be alternative search terms, the candidate terms being alternative terms for the search query; and performing, over a network, the search query for documents based on the alternative search terms as the search query terms.