It was a surprise to see many Yahoo! patents listed in Google’s assignment database as having been assigned to Google. With news recently that Yahoo would be closing the Yahoo Directory, that seemed like a strategic choice. Now I’m wondering if we will ever see an independent Yahoo Search Engine ever again once their deal to have Microsoft supply search results to them ends.

The USPTO assignment database doesn’t disclose financial details of transactions like this, so we don’t know things like how much the transaction cost or if licensing agreements were accompanying the transaction.

A number of these patents seem to have originated at Yahoo!, but some were acquired by Yahoo when they acquired companies such as Altavista and Inktomi. Fastforward Technologies specialized in multi-streaming broadcast technologies and was originally acquired by Inktomi.

Does Yahoo! have a strategic relationship with Google now that former Google Employee Marissa Mayer is now their CEO?

On Friday, Moneywatch asked, Is Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer running out of strategic room? and reminded us of rumors of a possible partnership with AOL.

It looks like Yahoo may not have to work with AOL with other choices available.

I’ve listed the patent filings that appear to have originated at Yahoo first, with additional information for some of the ones that caught my attention. We don’t know if Google has done any work on topics related to some of these, but some are interesting. I’d especially like to see the “Tag-Maps” one developed.

User-Generated Activity Maps(7865308)

This looks like it includes a bundle of location-based services and widgets involving businesses in specific locations that may reflect the activities of the searcher, such as books purchased at a particular book store. It might be a nice addition to something like a local search service based upon user location.

Podcast Search Engine(8108378)

I’m not aware of a podcast-based search at Google. The abstract from this one tells us that it involves:

Systems and methods are provided for subscribing to podcast feeds from a single location. A server-based search engine is provided that identifies podcasts located throughout a network that is available to a user’s rendering device and presents the user with a user interface from which the user can search for podcasts, subscribe to an identified podcast, listen to an identified podcast, or obtain additional information related to an identified podcast.

Visualizing Location-Based Datasets Using “Tag Maps”(7769745)

Co-invented by Mor Naaman, this can show a map with a keyword cloud on it showing locations associated with those keywords and other ranking signals such as “location, importance/relevance factors, time, visualization level, and keyword category.” I haven’t seen anything like this released, and I’d like to. It sounds like a nice way to find things. Imagine wandering around New York or San Francisco with something like this running; it would be like treasure hunting.

Methods For Use In Providing User Ratings According To Prior Transactions(7209895)

Considering entering into a transaction of some type with someone else, and want to know how others felt about transacting with that person. This would be one way of finding out.

Background Contextual Conversational Search(8037070)

I read this title and all I saw was “Hummingbird.” Turns out that it also involves actual verbal conversations. The abstract provides a nice summary of what is involved:

A method of generating search queries based on digitized audio from conversations, including:

  • Providing a database having a global hot-list of universal popular keywords or phrases and a personalized entity list comprising keywords and phrases used with a frequency above a determined threshold value in conversations involving a user;
  • Monitoring a conversation between at least two people, including the user;
  • Identifying words or phrases in digitized audio of the monitored conversation through speech recognition;
  • Comparing the identified words or phrases to the keywords and phrases in the database to find any matches;
  • Generating a search string, without the user requesting a search, based on words or phrases found to match the keyword or phrases stored in the database;
  • Submitting the search string to a search engine as a search query; and
  • Serving a set of search results returned by the search engine to a display device of the user.

Collapsible Itineraries(8155986)

Involves grouping and showing off travel itineraries. I can’t recall if this is something Google can do well at this point.

Short Text Language Detection Using Geographic Information(8548797)

Does what it says in the title – tries to understand languages understood by someone sending a short message, based upon the message.

System And Method For Presentation Of Media Related To A Context(8452855)

Involves creating a media playing playlist for musical devices and set-top boxes. Looks like it’s related to an “internet of things” patent that Yahoo published a few years ago.

Bidded Marketplace For Applications(8413052)

Describes a customizable Web portal.

On-Line Social Search(8484191)

Used to find and retrieve “on-line information that may typically, although not necessarily, be personalized or opinion-based, such as ratings, reviews, news feeds, etc.”

System For Targeting Data To Users On Mobile Devices(8635106)

It looks at user behavior data from mobile users to make up for a scarcity of such information.

AltaVista

Inktomi Corporation

Mahat Technologies LLC

Fastforward Networks Inc.