Search engine employing preprocessing & filtering of objective activity information

Abstract

An Internet infrastructure supports searching of web links to select search results by processing browser activity information along with one or more of favorite lists, and related metadata, user profiles, and trends based on browser activity behavior and favorite behavior. A plurality of web browsers located on client device are incorporated with a browser activity-monitoring module that tracks user's Internet usage, processes this information, and sends this information periodically or upon user request to the server to aid in improving search operation results. The search engine server communicatively couples to the plurality of web browsers and supports delivery of search results/web links to the client device based upon a search string, browser activity information, and possibly the favorite lists and related metadata. The gathered browser activity information, favorite lists, and related metadata are stored in one or more server databases that are associated with the search engine server.

1 . A computer program for instructing a user's computer of a user to perform a method supporting interaction with an Internet search system and related to a plurality of Internet web pages, the method comprising:
 directing the user's computer to store at least a subset of objective user activity data, the objective user activity data being associated with interaction by the user, via the user's computer, with some of the plurality of Internet web pages; and   directing the user's computer to deliver the at least the subset of the objective user activity data to the Internet search system to assist in future interaction with at least a portion of the plurality of Internet web pages, the Internet search system utilizing the subset of the objective user activity data to assist in the future interactions, and the subset of the objective user activity data being selected from the objective user activity data based on a filtering process.   
     
     
         2 . The server system of  claim 1 , wherein the filtering process relates to malware controlled activity. 
     
     
         3 . The server system of  claim 1 , wherein the filtering process relates to pop-up ads related activity. 
     
     
         4 . The server system of  claim 1 , wherein the filtering process relates to adult content related activity. 
     
     
         5 . The server system of  claim 1 , wherein at least the subset is processed to remove redundant information. 
     
     
         6 . A server system that receives from a plurality of user computers search input of a plurality of users, the server system comprising:
 communication circuitry through which the processing circuitry interacts with the plurality of user computers to receive the search input; and   processing circuitry that uses both the search input and a first subset of objective user activity data to at least assist in production of search result data, the objective user activity data being associated with a plurality of Internet browser software applications that run on the plurality of user computers, the first subset of the objective user activity data being selected from the objective user activity data based on a filtering process.   
     
     
         7 . The server system of  claim 6 , wherein the selection of the first subset of the objective user activity data is performed by the server system. 
     
     
         8 . The server system of  claim 6 , wherein the selection of the first subset of the objective user activity data is performed on at least one of the plurality of user computers. 
     
     
         9 . The server system of  claim 6 , wherein the filtering process relates to adult content. 
     
     
         10 . The server system of  claim 6 , wherein the filtering process relates to pop-up ads. 
     
     
         11 . The server system of  claim 6 , wherein the filtering process relates to malware controlled activity. 
     
     
         12 . The server system of  claim 6 , wherein only the first subset of the objective user activity data is stored by the processing circuitry. 
     
     
         13 . The server system of  claim 6 , wherein only the first subset of the objective user activity data is preprocessed to reducing repetitive information. 
     
     
         14 . A method performed by a server system that receives from a plurality of user computers a plurality of search input of a plurality of users, the method comprising:
 receiving first search input of the plurality of search input from a first computer of the plurality of user computers;   preparing first search results data based on both the first search input and a subset of objective user activity data, the subset being selected from the objective user activity data based at least on exclusion operations, the objective user activity data being associated with a plurality of Internet browser software applications that run on the plurality of user computers; and   delivering the first search results data to the first computers.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the selection of the subset is performed by the server system. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the selection of the subset is performed on at least one of the plurality of user computers. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the exclusion operations relate to adult content. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the exclusion operations relate to pop-up ads. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the exclusion operations relate to malware controlled activity. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein only the subset of the objective user activity data is stored by the server system.