New Google patent - Generating hyperlinks and anchor text

[cbp]

Generating hyperlinks and anchor text in HTML and non-HTML documents
7 July 2005

Abstract
Systems and methods for generation of hyperlinks and anchor text from data such as reference text in HTML and in non-HTML documents are disclosed. The method generally includes locating a text reference in a source document, searching using a search engine for a target document relating to the text reference, computing anchor text from the text reference, generating a hyperlink to the target document, and associating the hyperlink with the computed anchor text. The locating and/or computing may be based on a respective statistical model of text formatting and/or lexical cues. The text reference may be parsed into pieces such that the searching, computing, generating, and associating are performed for each piece of text. The source document may be an HTML or non-HTML document. The text reference may be a reference to, for example, a paper, article, company, institution, product, search engine, image, object, and geographical location.

[greeneagle]

The asignee is GOOGLE.
That is a "GOOGLE Patent".

Ken

[ADAM Web Design]

I don't get this. Is Google trying to patent the concept of hyperlink generation?

[minstrel]

No. As I read it, it's about a technology for searching a document (that may or may not contain URLs) for words, phrases, etc., and then auto-search for URLs with those terms.

[KeithO]

Another one? Oh well, I guess that means more detective work.

[Faglork]

That's why there should not be any software patents at all, and it should be impossible to patent a pure concept.

I cannot see anthing patent-worthy in the above concept, as it is just too general. Thats just like the infamous shopping-cart patent. Or the most infamous of all: BBC's patent on a hyperlink. Or look what Adobe did: they patented the idea of tab-style navigation.

If they would enforce those patents ...

Alex

[DMC_34]

Maybe I missed the point of this patent. I thought it was assigning credit to URL text and other links with nonkeyword anchor text then assigning keyword relevancy based on the content of the page as passing rather than pure anchor text.

Page Conten = Christmas
link text or pure text on page with http://www.somechristmasdomain.com/
Patent gives URL credit as Christmas?

DMC

[Faglork]

Yeah, but this is a *concept* and NOT a "technology" as minstrel stated above.

This type of patent is dangerous, because it patents an IDEA. The idea as such is not innovative, really. This should have never been patented. Just one more of those "trivial patents" which are just for thwarting competition.

Alex

[minstrel]

Originally Posted by faglork

this is a *concept* and NOT a "technology" as minstrel stated above.

This type of patent is dangerous, because it patents an IDEA. The idea as such is not innovative, really. This should have never been patented. Just one more of those "trivial patents" which are just for thwarting competition.

???

Where is this coming from? I have a feeling you are confusing the patent application (unless I am)....

Systems and methods for generation of hyperlinks and anchor text from data such as reference text in HTML and in non-HTML documents are disclosed. The method generally includes locating a text reference in a source document, searching using a search engine for a target document relating to the text reference, computing anchor text from the text reference, generating a hyperlink to the target document, and associating the hyperlink with the computed anchor text. The locating and/or computing may be based on a respective statistical model of text formatting and/or lexical cues. The text reference may be parsed into pieces such that the searching, computing, generating, and associating are performed for each piece of text.

That sounds like a "technology" (or "process" or "method" or "procedure") to me.

[Faglork]

In fact, what you cited is an idea, a concept for a process, not the process itself. There is nothing in it about the technology involved.

Alex

[minstrel]

Really? I disagree but have it your way if you prefer...

Definitions of technology:

• Mechanisms for distributing messages, including postal systems, radio and television broadcasting companies, telephone, satellite and computer networks.
  www1.worldbank.org/disted/glossary.html
  
• The machinery, tools and materials required to produce a media text. In media literacy terms, technology greatly impacts upon the construction and connotation of a text.
  www.medialit.org/reading_room/article565.html
  
• The application of knowledge to meet the goals, goods, and services desired by people.
  http://www.tldsb.on.ca/schools/hunts...dictionary.htm
  
• the application of scientific advances to benefit humanity
  sln.fi.edu/franklin/glossary.html
  
• the application of scientific or other organized knowledge--including any tool, technique, product, process, method, organization or system--to practical tasks. In health care, technology includes drugs; diagnostics, indicators and reagents; devices, equipment and supplies; medical and surgical procedures; support systems; and organizational and managerial systems used in prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.
  www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/hta101/ta101014.html
  
• OPERATING PRINCIPLE
  www.sew-lexicon.com/gloss_m.htm
  
• noun. The application of science to the arts. The advances in theoretical knowledge, tools and equipment that drive industry.
  http://www.bloomington.in.us/hoosier.../glossary.html
  
• 1. Human innovation in action that involves the generation of knowledge and processes to develop systems that solve problems and extend human capabilities; 2. The innovation, change, or modification of the natural environment to satisfy perceived human needs and wants.
  http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/s.../glossary.html
  
• A piece of equipment or a technique for performing a particular activity.
  www.gcrio.org/ipcc/techrepI/appendixe.html
  
• The application of knowledge and understanding in order to control processes and fabricate products, from the Greek root techni, meaning 'art'.
  www.nanoword.net/library/def/
  
• Technology (Gr. τεχνολογια < τεχνη "craftsmanship" + λογος "word, reckoning" + the suffix ια) has more than one definition. One is the development and application of tools, machines, materials and processes that help to solve human problems. As a human activity, technology predates both science and engineering. It embodies the human knowledge of solving real probl
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology

[buddhu]

Originally Posted by DMC_34

Maybe I missed the point of this patent. I thought it was assigning credit to URL text and other links with nonkeyword anchor text then assigning keyword relevancy based on the content of the page as passing rather than pure anchor text.

Page Conten = Christmas
link text or pure text on page with http://www.somechristmasdomain.com/
Patent gives URL credit as Christmas?

DMC

Not so sure.

Only read through once so far, but part of it looks more like Google identifying common concepts or key phrases from document text and then generating hypertext links where none existed in the document before. Those links maybe pointing to related Google search results or sponsored listing results... As I say, only glanced at it so far, so I'm not sure I read it right.

As for the argument about whether they're patenting an idea or a technology: perhaps some people haven't actually read deeper than the Abstract section that opened this thread.

What is described is pretty detailed, and I'd go along with it describing a technology (i.e. a specific system or process) rather than simply a concept.