Patent ID: 8386469

Claim:
A computer implemented method for processing a query, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a query at a computer implemented search engine from a user device via a network; categorizing the query to identify via a taxonomy a plurality of content sources stored in electronic storage, wherein the categorization is dynamically performed, independent of user input, by a module communicatively coupled with the computer implemented search engine; formatting the query to at least one source specific query language based on at least one of the plurality of identified content sources, wherein the formatting is performed, independent of user input, by a module communicatively coupled to the computer implemented search engine; transmitting the formatted query for the at least one of the plurality of content sources to the at least one of the plurality of content sources; receiving results from the at least one of the plurality of content sources, the results containing one or more local ranking statistics that are dynamically computed at each content source in response to the formatted query, the one or more local ranking statistics related to one or more terms associated with the formatted query and to metadata in a query context; merging the results from the at least one of the plurality of content sources based at least in part on one or more factors and the one or more local ranking statistics, wherein merging the results based at least in part on one or more factors includes merging based on a source rating comprising a response latency; and formatting the results for delivery to the user device over the network.