Patents in suit

US 10,534,820 Enhanced buyer-oriented search results

3 defendants · 3 suits · updated October 6, 2026

Also cited as U.S. Patent No. 10,534,820 · US10534820B2 · US 10,534,820 B2 · 10534820 · the '820 patent

Querytron LLC has filed 3 patent-infringement suits on US 10,534,820, "Enhanced buyer-oriented search results" since August 13, 2026, all in the D. Del., against 3 distinct defendants including Beyond, Inc., Boot Barn, Inc. and Wish US Holdings LLC. The patent was granted January 14, 2020 on a priority date of January 27, 2006. Its abstract opens: "A system and architecture for enhancing search results generated by an Internet search engine, so that those search results include enhanced buyer-oriented information, is disclosed." The examiner cited 33 references during prosecution.

Assignee
Querytron LLC
Priority date
January 27, 2006
Granted
January 14, 2020
Expires
January 27, 2026
Status
Expired - Lifetime
Claims
28 (14 independent)
Inventors
Richard A. Heggem
Full text
Google Patents

The suits

3 cases · D. Del. (3)

Filed Defendant Plaintiff Court Docket
2026-08-13 Beyond, Inc. Querytron LLC D. Del. 1:26-cv-01029
2026-08-13 Boot Barn, Inc. Querytron LLC D. Del. 1:26-cv-01030
2026-08-13 Wish US Holdings LLC Querytron LLC D. Del. 1:26-cv-01031

Docket links open the public record on CourtListener. Filing dates are the complaint's.

Independent claims

What is actually asserted, verbatim.

Claim 1

1. A method for facilitating business-to-business personal connections by enhancing Internet search engine results, the method comprising the following machine-implemented steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the list of search results is based on one or more query terms that a person supplied to the Internet search engine, and wherein the step of generating and transmitting for display the seller-specific information is performed by a toolbar application executed on a computer from which the person entered the one or more query terms; and wherein the toolbar application adds the seller-specific information to the search result in the list of search result.

Claim 2

2. A method for facilitating business-to-business personal connections by enhancing Internet search engine results, the method comprising the following machine-implemented steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the seller-specific information comprises: one or more ratings of the one or more selling entities; one or more ratings of one or more companies with which the one or more selling entities are associated; and one or more ratings of one or more products with which the one or more selling entities are associated; wherein the one or more ratings of the one or more selling entities differ from the one or more ratings of the one or more companies; and wherein the one or more ratings of the one or more selling entities differ from the one or more ratings of the one or more products.

Claim 3

3. A method for facilitating business-to-business personal connections by enhancing Internet search engine results, the method comprising the following machine-implemented steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the list of search results is based on one or more query terms that a person supplied to the Internet search engine; and wherein the seller-specific information indicates how many selling entities passed, and how many selling entities failed one or more hard filters that are specified by the person.

Claim 11

11. A method for facilitating business-to-business personal connections by enhancing Internet search engine results, the method comprising the following machine-implemented steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the seller-specific information indicates a count of selling entities of the one or more selling entities who are currently involved in ongoing relationships that permit corresponding buying entities also involved in the ongoing relationships to re-rate, in the future, the selling entities that are involved in the ongoing relationships.

Claim 12

12. A method for facilitating business-to-business personal connections by enhancing Internet search engine results, the method comprising the following machine-implemented steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the list of search results is based on one or more query terms that a person supplied to the Internet search engine; wherein the seller-specific information indicates how many buying entities in a specified set of trusted buying entities have previously interacted with the one or more selling entities; and wherein a composition of the specified set of trusted buying entities is specified by the person.

Claim 13

13. A method for facilitating business-to-business personal connections by enhancing Internet search engine results, the method comprising the following machine-implemented steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the method further comprises a machine-implemented step of generating and transmitting for display a search results page that comprises a link that, when activated by a buying entity, causes an e-mail message to be generated; and wherein the e-mail message comprises an invitation to another individual, different from the buying entity, to register as a selling entity.

Claim 14

14. A method for facilitating business-to-business personal connections by enhancing Internet search engine results, the method comprising the following machine-implemented steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the URL is a particular URL, and the method further comprising machine implemented steps of: determining and transmitting for display a set of selling entities that is associated with a URL that is the same as the particular URL; and determining and transmitting for display a set of selling entities that is associated with a URL that comprises a domain name of the particular URL.

Claim 15

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the list of search results is based on one or more query terms that a person supplied to the Internet search engine, and wherein the step of generating and transmitting for display the seller-specific information is performed by a toolbar application executed on a computer from which the person entered the one or more query terms; and wherein the toolbar application adds the seller-specific information to the search result in the list of search result.

Claim 16

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information includes attributes of the one or more selling entities, comprising: one or more ratings of the one or more selling entities; one or more ratings of one or more companies with which the one or more selling entities are associated; and one or more ratings of one or more products with which the one or more selling entities are associated; wherein the one or more ratings of the one or more selling entities differ from the one or more ratings of the one or more companies; and wherein the one or more ratings of the one or more selling entities differ from the one or more ratings of the one or more products.

Claim 17

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the seller-specific information indicates a count of selling entities of the one or more selling entities who are currently involved in ongoing relationships that permit corresponding buying entities also involved in ongoing relationships to re-rate, in the future, the selling entities that are involved in the ongoing relationships.

Claim 18

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the list of search results is based on one or more query terms that a person supplied to the Internet search engine; wherein the seller-specific information indicates how many buying entities in a specified set of trusted buying entities have previously interacted with the one or more selling entities; and wherein a composition of the specified set of trusted buying entities is specified by the person.

Claim 19

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the method further comprises a machine-implemented step of generating and transmitting for display a search results page that comprises a link that, when activated by a buying entity, causes an e-mail message to be generated; and wherein the e-mail message comprises an invitation to another individual, different from the buying entity, to register as a selling entity.

Claim 20

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the URL is a particular URL, and the method further comprising machine implemented steps of: determining and transmitting for display a set of selling entities that is associated with a URL that is the same as the particular URL; and determining and transmitting for display a set of selling entities that is associated with a URL that comprises a domain name of the particular URL.

Claim 21

21. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps of: generating and transmitting for display, based at least in part on a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine that queries the World Wide Web and that is not limited by any number of websites, seller-specific information of one or more selling entities associated with at least a portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a search result in the list of search results; wherein the one or more selling entities are individual persons; wherein the seller-specific information comprises attributes of the one or more selling entities; wherein the list of search results is based on one or more query terms that a person supplied to the Internet search engine; and wherein the seller-specific information indicates how many selling entities passed, and how many selling entities failed one or more hard filters that are specified by the person.

Art before the examiner

51 references of record, 33 cited by the examiner.

Everything listed here was before the Office and is what a challenge must go beyond. Art the examiner never saw is where an invalidity search starts.

Examiner-cited

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Classification

  • G06F16/9535primary — Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
  • G06F16/9566primary — URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
  • G06F16/9538 — Presentation of query results
  • G06Q30/02 — Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
  • G06Q30/06 — Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Family

  • US10534820B2 — B2 (2020)
  • US20070179942A1 — A1 (2007)
  • US20200151232A1 — A1 (2020)
  • US20070192314A1 — A1 (2007)
  • US8849707B2 — B2 (2014)
  • 2 foreign family members: WO2007089448A3, WO2007089448A2

Abstract

A system and architecture for enhancing search results generated by an Internet search engine, so that those search results include enhanced buyer-oriented information, is disclosed. According to one aspect, a list of search results generated by an Internet search engine comprises one or more search results that are associated with one or more URLs in a set of URLs. For each such URL, seller-specific information, which may be based on and/or comprise ratings that are associated with registered selling entities that are associated with that URL, is presented in association with that URL's corresponding search result in the list of search results. A user who submitted query terms, based upon which the list of search results was generated, can use the presented rating information to determine which of the search results to investigate further.

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This page is assembled from public records — federal court dockets and the patent's own file — and is updated as the case list changes. It states what the record shows and is not an opinion on the validity or infringement of any claim. Patent data via Google Patents; docket data via CourtListener.