Image search engine system with multi-mode results

Abstract

An image search engine server having an image search engine that performs image searches based on a search term that is augmented by a built-in thesaurus and/or a dictionary. For a thesaurus-based algorithm, the approach is to send a query back to the user, who can select the image search domain, sub-domain, and other hierarchical search refinements from one or more dropdown menus. The items in the dropdown menus that the user selects during the “query back” are used to augment the search string entered by the user to better refine the image search. If the user entered search string is a single string of dictionary word or words or the dictionary mode is elected, then synonyms for that search string are used to generate the augmented search string for the final context-based search operation. The result is improved image search results.

1 . An image search system that communicatively couples with a plurality of client devices that deliver a corresponding plurality of original search strings, the image search system comprising:
 a processing infrastructure that receives a first search string and a search mode identifier from a first device of the plurality of client devices of a first user, the search mode identifier being selected by the first user via an offering presented by the first device, the offering including each of a non-augmented search, a synonym augmented search, and a search augmented with at least one group of differing meaning text;   the processing infrastructure, based on the search mode identifier, performs a search of text, the text being associated with a plurality of images gathered via a web crawling process; and   an interface through which the processing infrastructure delivers search results to the first of the plurality of client devices, the search results corresponding to the search mode identifier,   
     
     
         2 . The image search system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing infrastructure further receives restriction input from the first user and the offering further including a search limited by the restriction input. 
     
     
         3 . The image search system of  claim 1 , wherein the search results are limited by at least one adult filter parameter. 
     
     
         4 . The image search system of  claim 1 , the search server further augmenting the first search text by a context manager. 
     
     
         5 . The image search system of  claim 1 , wherein the synonym augmented search is based upon a dictionary approach. 
     
     
         6 . The image search system of  claim 1 , wherein the search augmented with at least one group of differing meaning text search is based upon a thesaurus approach. 
     
     
         7 . An image search system that communicatively couples with a plurality of client devices that deliver a corresponding plurality of original search strings, the image search system comprising:
 a processing infrastructure that receives a first search string and a search mode identifier from a first device of the plurality of client devices of a first user, the search mode identifier being selected by the first user via an offering presented by the first device, the offering including each of a synonym augmented search and a differing meaning search;   the processing infrastructure, based on the search mode identifier, performs a search of text, the text being associated with a plurality of images gathered via a web crawling process; and   an interface through which the processing infrastructure delivers search results to the first of the plurality of client devices, the search results corresponding to the search mode identifier.   
     
     
         8 . The search system of  claim 7 , wherein the synonym augmented search comprising searching using the first search string and at least one associated synonym. 
     
     
         9 . The search system of  claim 8 , wherein the differing meaning search comprising searching using a plurality of meanings associated with the first search siring. 
     
     
         10 . The search system of  claim 7 , wherein the differing meaning search comprising searching using additional text corresponding to at least one of a plurality of contextual meanings associated with the first search string. 
     
     
         11 . The search system of  claim 7 , wherein the processing infrastructure further receives restriction input from the first user and the offering further including a search limited by the restriction input. 
     
     
         12 . The search system of  claim 7 , wherein the search results are limited by at least one adult filter parameter. 
     
     
         13 . The search system of  claim 7 , wherein the synonym augmented search is based upon a dictionary approach. 
     
     
         14 . The search system of  claim 7 , wherein the differing meaning search is based upon a thesaurus approach. 
     
     
         15 . A search system that communicatively couples with a plurality of client devices that deliver a corresponding plurality of search strings, the search system comprising:
 a processing infrastructure that receives a first search string and a search mode identifier from a first device of the plurality of client devices of a first user, the search mode identifier being selected by the first user via an offering presented by the first device, the offering including each of a first type of augmented search and a second type of augmented search;   the processing infrastructure, based on the search mode identifier, performs a search of text, the text being gathered in association with a web crawling process; and   an interface through which the processing infrastructure delivers search results to the first of the plurality of client devices, the search results corresponding to the search mode identifier.   
     
     
         16 . The search system of  claim 15 , wherein the first type of augmented search comprising searching using the first search string and at least one associated synonym, 
     
     
         17 . The search system of  claim 16 , wherein the first type of augmented search comprises a dictionary based augmentation. 
     
     
         18 . The search system of  claim 16 , wherein the second type of augmented search comprising searching using a plurality of meanings associated with the first search string. 
     
     
         19 . The search system of  claim 15 , wherein the second type of augmented search comprising searching using additional text corresponding to at least one of a plurality of contextual meanings associated with the first search string. 
     
     
         20 . The search system of  claim 19 , wherein the second type of augmented search comprising a thesaurus based augmentation. 
     
     
         21 . The search system of  claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the search results comprising a plurality of images. 
     
     
         22 . The search system of  claim 15 , wherein the second type of augmented search comprising a different meaning search. 
     
     
         23 . The search system of  claim 15 , wherein the processing infrastructure further receives restriction input from the first user and the offering further including a search limited by the restriction input. 
     
     
         24 . The search system of  claim 15 , wherein the search results are limited by at least one adult filter parameter. 
     
     
         25 . A method performed by a search system that communicatively couples with a plurality of client devices that deliver a corresponding plurality of search strings, the method comprising:
 receiving a first search string and a search mode identifier from a first device of the plurality of client devices of a first user, the search mode identifier being selected by the first user via an offering presented by the first device, the offering including each of a first type of augmented search and a second type of augmented search;   searching, based on the search mode identifier, text gathered in association with a web crawling process; and   delivering search results to the first of the plurality of client devices, the search results corresponding to the search mode identifier.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first type of augmented search comprising searching using the first search string and at least one associated synonym. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the second type of augmented search comprising searching using additional text corresponding to at least one of a plurality of contextual meanings associated with the first search string. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein at least a portion of the search results comprising a plurality of images. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the second type of augmented search comprising a differing meaning search. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising limiting the search results by at least one adult filter parameter.