# US 2014/0195511 A1 · Lateral Search > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195511 A1 - Document ID: US20140195511A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/206,621 - Filed: 2014-03-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2003-12-29 - Assignees: Yahoo! Inc. - Applicants: Yahoo! Inc. - Inventors: Qi Lu; John Thrall; David Ku - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195511A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/951: Indexing; Web crawling techniques - G06F 16/9535: Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform connected to a network for performing a search, comprising: receiving a search query from a user; determining personal information of the user, wherein the personal information includes information about the user's location; searching, by a general search engine, in a general subdomain for general content based on the search query; determining a vertical subdomain based on the personal information of the user; searching in the determined vertical subdomain to identify specialized content based on the search query; and providing both the specialized content and the general content to the user as a response to the search query. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the user's location is determined based on at least one of: a default location of the user; a current location of a location-aware device utilized by the user; and a location previously indicated by the user and stored. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the device utilized by the user is at least one of a handheld device and a mobile device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the personal information comprises a specification of the user with respect to a vertical subdomain. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying additional content based on the vertical subdomain and/or the personal information of the user, wherein the additional content is at least one of an advertisement and a sponsored link; and providing the specialized content, the general content, and the additional content to the user as a response to the search query. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the additional content is associated with a predetermined sponsor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the additional content is determined based on the search query. ### Claim 8 A system having at least one processor, storage, and a communication platform connected to a network for performing a search, comprising; a query processor configured for receiving a search query from a user and determining personal information of the user, wherein the personal information includes information about the user's location; a general search engine configured for performing a search, in a general subdomain, for general content based on the search query; a vertical search engine configured for performing a search, in a vertical subdomain, for specialized content based on the search query, wherein the vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information of the user; and a page constructor configured for providing both the specialized content and the general content to the user as a response to the search query. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the information about the user's location is determined based on at least one of: a default location of the user; a current location of a location-aware device utilized by the user; and a location previously indicated by the user and stored. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the device utilized by the user is at least one of a handheld device and a mobile device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the personal information comprises a specification of the user with respect to a vertical subdomain. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the page constructor is further configured for: identifying additional content based on the vertical subdomain and/or the personal information of the user, wherein the additional content is at least one of an advertisement and a sponsored link; and providing the specialized content, the general content, and the additional content to the user as a response to the search query. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the additional content is associated with a predetermined sponsor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the additional content is determined based on the search query. ### Claim 15 A machine-readable tangible and non-transitory medium having information for performing a search, wherein the information, when read by the machine, causes the machine to perform the following: receiving a search query from a user; determining personal information of the user, wherein the personal information includes information about the user's location; searching, by a general search engine, in a general subdomain for general content based on the search query; determining a vertical subdomain based on the personal information of the user; searching in the determined vertical subdomain to identify specialized content based on the search query; and providing both the specialized content and the general content to the user as a response to the search query. ### Claim 16 (depends on 16) The medium of claim 16, wherein the information about the user's location is determined based on at least one of: a default location of the user; a current location of a location-aware device utilized by the user; and a location previously indicated by the user and stored. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The medium of claim 16, wherein the device utilized by the user is at least one of a handheld device and a mobile device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The medium of claim 15, wherein the information, when read by the machine, further causes the machine to perform the following: identifying additional content based on the vertical subdomain and/or the personal information of the user, wherein the additional content is at least one of an advertisement and a sponsored link; and providing the specialized content, the general content, and the additional content to the user as a response to the search query. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The medium of claim 18, wherein the additional content is associated with a predetermined sponsor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The medium of claim 18, wherein the additional content is determined based on the search query.