Yahoo has filed several patent applications, including one for user-specific vertical search, but Yahoo may or may not be so lucky as to have that patent granted.
“An awarded patent means the company/person has been granted the patent by the USPTO,” said Gary Price at Search Engine Watch. “Patents can be opposed after they’ve been granted but it’s a more costly and time consuming process.”
“Techniques for performing user-specific searches are provided. A search engine receives a search query and performs processing to determine whether a user-specific search is indicated. If the search engine so determines, user-specific data is searched using user identity information to generate user-specific search results specific to the user identified by the user identity. Accordingly, the search results include information that is specific to the user determined from the user identity associated with the search query
According to Price, Yahoo also filed for the following patents: Calendar integration with instant messaging, a Voice integrated VOIP system, Systems and methods for implementing person-to-person money exchange, Systems and methods for search query processing using trend analysis, System and method for managing an advertising campaign on a network, and System and method of placing a search listing in at least one search result list.
Yahoo will most likely be granted at least some of these patents if not most. The question on everyone’s mind, however, is will Yahoo get user-specific vertical search? I’m sure they will let us know if they do.
Chris is a staff writer for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest ebusiness news.
