Google Gains Three Patents
May 21, 2009
Now that Google: The Digital Gutenberg is out, I want to catch up on some interesting invention news from the Google.
First, Anna Patterson (former Googler and founder of Cuil.com) assigned her phrase invention to Google. Now that invention (discussed in my Google Version 2.0) has been awarded a patent. Phrase detection is important in content processing and Dr. Patterson’s approach is suggestive. You can find the document US7536408 here.
Second, Marissa Meyer (a serious Googler) and some colleagues such as Krishna Bharat received a patent for query rewriting with entity extraction. Entity extraction is a core method that surfaces in the Guha disclosures and in the work of Alon Halevy and his team. This is an important method in my opinion and the patent document here said:
A system receives a search query, determines whether the received search query includes an entity name, and determines whether the entity name is associated with a common word or phrase. When the entity name is associated with a common word or phrase, the system generates a link to a rewritten query, performs a search based on the received search query to obtain first search results, and provides the first search results and the link to the rewritten query. When the entity name is not associated with a common word or phrase, the system rewrites the received search query to include a restrict identifier associated with the entity name, generates a link to the received search query, performs a search based on the rewritten search query to obtain second search results, and provides the second search results and the link to the received search query.
The third disclosure that caught my attention was a system and method for Web page authoring for structured documents. The invention adds some beef to the JotSpot and Knol bones. You can find US7536641 here.
You may notice that I am pointing to the FreePatentsOnline.com system, not directly to the USPTO. Performance of the USPTO system has annoyed me in the last few months. Whatever FreePatentsOnline.com is doing, I find the response time somewhat more zippy.
Keep in mind that wizards from Microsoft and other big firms point out that Google does not make use of its disclosed technology. In fact, obtaining a patent or filing an application may be little more than intellectual sky writing. Categorical affirmatives are often mushy when applied to an outfit like Google. Make your own decision.
Stephen Arnold, May 21, 2009
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